Fresh signs of a deteriorating security landscape in Yemen are raising concerns that commercial shipping through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait could once again come under threat. Although the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi movement largely stayed out of the latest Iran-related conflict, recent political, military and tribal developments inside Yemen suggest the risk of … Read more
A U.S.-brokered framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon has triggered sharp opposition from Hezbollah, with the Iran-backed armed group warning that any attempt to forcibly disarm non-state factions could plunge Lebanon into another civil war, underscoring the fragile path toward ending decades of conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border. The agreement, announced in Washington on June … Read more
China’s recent attempt to exercise coast guard authority over foreign commercial shipping east of Taiwan has triggered international concern and prompted Taiwan to rehearse responses to a potential maritime blockade, highlighting Beijing’s evolving form of pressure campaign against the island nation. The episode began earlier this month when China dispatched its coast guard vessels to … Read more
China’s detention of two Japanese nationals over alleged attempts to export restricted rare earth-related materials has added a new flashpoint to an already deteriorating relationship between Asia’s two largest economies, underscoring how critical mineral supply chains have become increasingly intertwined with national security, industrial policy and geopolitical competition. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said … Read more
Britain’s effort to rapidly develop a new family of low-cost long-range strike missiles for Ukraine under its Project Brakestop should raise alarm bells in Moscow due to their potential to significantly alter the battlefield dynamics for the Russian armed forces operating in Ukraine. Launched in late 2024, the Project Brakestop of the British Ministry of … Read more
Britain is accelerating the development of a new generation of low-cost, long-range strike weapons for Ukraine that are designed to operate without U.S. components or data dependencies, reflecting a broader European push to strengthen strategic autonomy in the military domain amid uncertainty over future American support. Three British-developed systems, produced by defence companies MBDA UK, … Read more
China is laying the groundwork for long-term maritime spatial planning and resource management in waters east of Taiwan, according to a state media report published on June 18th, in what can be described as another line of Beijing’s effort to actively contest the island-nation’s maritime jurisdiction. The report, published by Chinese state-affiliated outlet Yuyuan Tantian … Read more
China’s tightening grip over tungsten exports has become the latest illustration of the geopolitical risks embedded within modern technology supply chains by underscoring a critical vulnerability across a supply chain that spans from Japanese chemical producers to the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers. Tungsten rarely attracts public attention, but it is one of the world’s most … Read more
European countries are increasingly shifting attention from traditional fighter jets to AI-enabled ‘wingman’ aircraft in their accelerated rearmament drive, as governments across Europe confront decades of declining combat aircraft inventories and mounting concerns over their ability to sustain high-intensity warfare without extensive U.S. support. At last week’s Berlin Air Show, a new generation of unmanned … Read more
China is steadily expanding its oil and gas activities in the East China Sea, adding new offshore platforms, exploratory drilling operations, and geological surveys near disputed waters also claimed by Japan. The developments, which Tokyo views as part of a broader effort to establish a sustained Chinese presence across strategically important maritime spaces, come amid … Read more
