Opinion

Opinion | flydubai Hijack, And How Syria's Descent Into 'Jihadism' Has Now Become Everyone's Problem

Al Hammimi, the Omani pilot who tried to crash a plane with 175 passengers on September 30, is a symptom of Syria's long-raging sectarian and extremist fire that has now reached far beyond Syria's borders.

Opinion | Are Saudi Arabia And UAE Reuniting Again After 10 Years?

On Tuesday, the UAE's Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, Mansour bin Zayed, met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Opinion | Saudi Arabia's China Turn Has Begun - After Learning Much The Hard Way

Leaning on China just makes sense for the Saudis right now. The question is, can its other great 'ally' stomach it?

Opinion | Saudi Allies Are Now Discovering The Cost Of 'Commitment' - And Not Liking It

The spectacular no-show by Saudi Arabia's two defence allies - Pakistan, a nuclear power, and Turkey, which has NATO's second-largest army - is astounding

Can India 'Mediate' Between Iran And UAE At BRICS? Gulf Envoy Suggested It Once

At the very start of the Israel-US war on Iran, it was a UAE diplomat who had suggested as much.

Opinion | For Years, Azerbaijan Backed Pak, Snubbed India. Now Comes The U-Turn

Azerbaijan, which had until recently been condemning India's Operation Sindoor and even allowing Kashmir Day events by the Pakistan Embassy, is now slowly rethinking its ties. But why?

Opinion | How A 'Friendship' Pact With Russia Came To India's Rescue 55 Years Ago

With PM Modi set to meet Putin in Kyrgyzstan, a throwback to a historic treaty that helped India fend off Pakistan - and America's 7th Fleet - over 50 years ago.

Opinion | Why A Tiny Country Like Armenia Is Buying Billions In Indian Arms

Armenia has signed defence contracts worth nearly $2 billion with India since 2020.

Opinion | Why A 'Bangladesh' Proposal By Turkish Media Should Worry India

A recent article in Turkish media illustrates how Ankara is turning into a strategic threat for India and its neighbourhood

Opinion | Saudi Arabia Has Money, Missiles, And America. Why Is It Still So Scared?

What the NATO-like pact essentially points to, under its modest packaging of 'Islamic brotherhood', are growing fears of the Saudi Kingdom.

Opinion | One Crisis, 4 Wins: How China Might Just Have Hit A Geopolitical Jackpot

Oil to yuan, China's fortunes have only multiplied, thanks to others. But why grudge it the advantages it has been handed almost on a platter?

Opinion | 11 Years Later, Houthis Have Returned To Finish Unfinished Business With Pakistan

Pakistan has been here before, and the last time, it barely escaped.

Opinion | US Attack On Chabahar, And Why It's Time India Stopped Playing By Others' Whims

As the US destroys Chabahar in Iran, one thing is clear: India cannot wait eternally for the whims of others to do what is vital for its own interests.

Opinion | Is Saudi Arabia Now Quietly Switching Sides In US-Iran War?

The Saudi presence at the Ayatollah's funeral as well as its refusal to join America's 'Project Freedom' points to a quiet shift away from its ally, the US.

Opinion | Pakistan Might Just Be Getting A Bit Too Confident - This Time, With Afghanistan

For Islamabad, its successes at mediation notwithstanding, toppling the Taliban may turn out to be a far more humbling experience. But then Pakistan, strangely, is known to be suicidal in some ways.

Opinion | The Post-War Middle East May Already Be Splitting Into Two New 'Camps'

We may see a closer Qatar-Oman-Iran trilateral partnership emerging in the coming days, while another grouping already in the making is of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt.

Opinion | Why Pakistan Is Becoming Harder To Isolate - Despite India's Push

Pakistan's willingness to sell itself to the highest bidder explains its curious positioning in the world. India's only option now is to get creative as it tries to isolate it globally.

Opinion | Hormuz Is Reopening, But It May Never Matter Quite The Same Way Again

Hormuz may never carry the traffic it had prior to the war, and its significance for global supply chains may be diminished, to an extent. Here's why

Opinion | A New Sunni Bloc Is Taking Shape, And Pak May Be Its Biggest Winner

If the idea does come to fruition, then such a bloc would have been a long time in making. And it would have a formidable spread, going all the way from the Arabian Sea to the Mediterranean, controlling strategic ports, shipping and maritime routes.

Opinion | PM Modi Lands In UAE Amidst A Saudi 'Complication'

The UAE-Saudi rivalry is no longer just a Middle East story. It's becoming India's strategic headache.