Qatar leveraged the 2017 blockade by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to intensify lobbying, defend Al Udeid Air Base, secure arms sales, preserve its major non-NATO ally status, and strengthen military cooperation, successfully defeating congressional efforts that threatened U.S.–Qatar defense relations.
Browsing: Diplomacy
The analysis shows how Iran has adapted through sanctions evasion, eastward trade with China and Russia, de-dollarization, alternative banking systems, and welfare patronage networks that protect regime loyalists, ensuring state survival while shifting economic burdens onto the general population.
It proposes a phased transition: maintain strategic ambiguity, strengthen allies, bolster Taiwan’s self-defense, revitalize the One China Policy, expand diplomacy with Beijing, and reassure regional partners. Only after these steps should Washington clearly rule out direct military intervention.
Experts discussed a potential thaw in EU-China relations amid a shifting geopolitical landscape. While China expressed willingness to aid Ukraine’s reconstruction, European participants were cautious, citing distrust over Beijing’s alignment with Russia and its neutrality as a potential peacekeeper.
A study argues the U.S. missed three key chances to prevent Yemen’s war between 2011-2015, including by not restraining former President Saleh or moderating Saudi war aims. These failures, rooted in short-term priorities and flawed assumptions, enabled the Houthis’ rise to global disruptors.
The strikes have severely damaged Iran’s nuclear program, but the long-term effects remain uncertain. Analysts debate whether this will spur nuclear proliferation or deter it, while examining the muted response from Iran’s supposed allies like China and Russia.