US intends to control oil trade The Excelsior 09 May 2026 The global economy runs on oil and gas. The US has exploited this by insisting that all trade in oil and gas be based on dollars. Thus emerged ‘petro-dollars.’ This implied that all countries must hold dollars to pay for oil procurement, subsidizing US debt and enhancing their […]
How the Great Nicobar project benefits India The Statesman 05 May 2026 Since the much-hyped visit of the leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, to Andaman and Nicobar, in the midst of multiple state elections, protesting against the Great Nicobar project, the same has gained traction, with members of his party backed by few environmentalists, western activists, leftist online […]
War and Peace: Iran and the US at crossroads Raksha Anirveda 28 Apr 2026 The war in the Middle East is a greater matter of concern than any other conflict in recent history, including Ukraine. US expenditure in continuing the war is high while its reserves of missiles are precariously low. It is seeking additional funds from Congress to […]
Why Trump failed to overwhelm Iran The Statesman 28 Apr 2026 The US-Israel conflict with Iran has shifted to a US-Iran confrontation. Israel, the initiator, which pulled the US in, has been sidelined, focussing on Lebanon. Once the US joined, Netanyahu stepped away, knowing that Trump has little choice but to enforce an end state which maintains the US’s […]
From unconditional surrender to ceasefire The Excelsior 24 Apr 2026 Entering a conflict without a defined end state, away from the homeland, consuming reserves of munitions beyond levels of production, while facing falling popularity at home can be difficult for any head of state. Trump is going through this phase since initiating the Iran conflict with Netanyahu, against the […]
Where Trump went wrong The Statesman 21 Apr 2026 The ceasefire in Iran is likely to end shortly, resulting in either renewed attacks or a peace deal, details of which could emerge soon. Trump’s major blunder was assuming tactical superiority would enable strategic victory. He expected Iran to capitulate after the removal of its hierarchy, especially since Netanyahu promised […]
Controlling the internal armed forces narrative Raksha Anirveda 15 Apr 2026 Two forthcoming actions, appointing of a new CDS, as General Anil Chauhan finishes his tenure in end May, as also likely formation of Integrated Theatre Commands (ITCs), has reignited the battle between services for dominance. There have been discussions and articles highlighting individual service viewpoints. A serving air […]
Post ceasefire talks in Islamabad The Excelsior 15 Apr 2026 Ceasefire talks facilitated by Pakistan ended after 21 hours of discussion with no agreement. US Vice President JD Vance stated in a press conference, ‘We’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians, that’s the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement […]
A victory or a stalemate? The Statesman 14 Apr 2026 A day after he tweeted ‘whole civilization will die tonight’ and hours before his deadline, Trump announced a ceasefire. The ceasefire was supposedly negotiated by Pakistan with strong backing of China. Whether it was Pakistan’s efforts or it was named to prevent credit being given to China is immaterial, […]
Will the ceasefire hold The Excelsior 09 Apr 2026 The ceasefire announced with much fanfare by Donald Trump in his ongoing conflict with Iran, supposed to have been negotiated by Pakistan, does not possess logical trappings for a peaceful settlement. The US appears to give more than it takes, despite investing billions of dollars in the conflict. Even the […]