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Saudi Arabia’s New Security Arithmetic in the Red Sea
Saudi Arabia’s response to the Houthi challenge is revealing a new regional security architecture. With Washington reluctant to re-enter the Yemen war, Riyadh is drawing on the UK, France, Türkiye, Pakistan and wider international support to protect its territory, energy infrastructure and Red Sea navigation.
How India Steered a Divided BRICS to Consensus
When the leaders of an eleven-nation bloc representing roughly half of humanity gathered at Bharat Mandapam on 12–13 September, the question was whether BRICS could still agree. In May, its foreign ministers had failed to issue a joint statement over differences on...
India’s BRICS Moment: Managing a Multipolar Coalition
India’s guiding principle is strategic autonomy. BRICS should broaden its diplomatic and economic options, strengthen the voice of developing countries, and support reform of international institutions. It should neither become an anti-Western coalition nor replace one hierarchy with another. That requires India to align its development agenda with a workable political understanding among members.
Flanking the Axis: India’s Strategic Hedge in West Asia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-nation tour to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman (December 15-18, 2025) comes amid geopolitical churn in West Asia, marked by a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the crystallisation of a new Saudi-Pakistan-US alignment, offering a window into India’s evolving role as a strategically autonomous middle power.
The Key in His Pocket: Remembering Dr Mughni Tabassum
My maternal uncle, Dr Mughni Tabassum (1930–2012)—affectionately known to us as “Mamoojan”—was a towering figure in Urdu literature. He embodied a rare balance of character, seamlessly integrating the rigour of a critic with the soul of a poet. His life was marked by intellectual innovation and deep empathy, qualities that allowed him to navigate the evolving landscapes of academia, editing, and poetry with remarkable grace.
After US-Saudi pact, new West Asia in the making
The recent visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to Washington marks a definitive turning point in both the regional and global order. For India, the era of viewing the Gulf solely through the prism of energy and diaspora is over; it is now a high-stakes theatre of national security.
Summit that staunched bloodshed in West Asia
The Sharm el-Sheikh summit represents a watershed in Middle East diplomacy, but its legacy is profoundly ambiguous. Co-chaired by the US and Egypt, the gathering of world leaders succeeded in brokering an end to a devastating two-year war in Gaza, securing a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and prisoners, and an unprecedented international commitment to reconstruction and oversight.
The Sharm el-Sheikh Summit: A Pause on Conflicts, but No Guarantees of Lasting Peace
The Sharm el-Sheikh Summit of October 2025 exemplifies high-stakes, personality-driven diplomacy. It successfully ended a devastating two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas, securing a ceasefire and the return of hostages, providing momentous human relief. However, the summit is more a tactical achievement in crisis management than a strategic step toward peace.
Trump’s Gaza peace plan: Searching for solutions
Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan has transitioned from a political concept to a tense, high-stakes negotiation marked by fragile progress and deep mistrust. Following Hamas’s conditional acceptance to release hostages and relinquish power, indirect talks in Sharm el-Sheikh—mediated by Egypt and Qatar—seek to operationalise the plan’s first phase involving ceasefire terms, prisoner exchanges, and security guarantees. Despite temporary optimism, no formal ceasefire, large-scale exchange, or public agreement has materialised, underscoring the plan’s uncertain prospects.