India: Left’s Rout Needs A Rational Explanation – OpEd

M.K. Bhadrakumar

Kerala's state assembly election results revealed a significant disillusionment with the Left Democratic Front (LDF), prompting the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to blame the Congress Party's narrative of CPM-BJP collusion. The Enforcement Directorate's reopened investigation into Pinarayi’s family further complicates the political landscape. The Congress-led UDF's "tsunami of support" stemmed from a massive transfer of Left electorate, including traditional bases and Muslim voters estranged by perceived CPM hobnobbing with "Islamophobic communal elements."

Manipur: Deepening Ethnic Entanglements

South Asia Intelligence Review  |  Afsara Shaheen

Manipur's ethnic conflict, initially between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 2023, has deepened into a multi-layered crisis, with a parallel and increasingly violent confrontation emerging between Naga and Kuki communities in the hill districts. On June 5, 2026, three Kuki civilians were killed and seven houses burned in Kangpokpi District, allegedly by National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) and Zeliangrong United Front-Kamson (ZUF-K) cadres.

Arms Without Leverage: Rethinking US Security Assistance to South Asia - CIP

International Policy

In November 2025, the US State Department approved a $93 million arms sale to India, including Javelin anti-tank missiles and Excalibur artillery munitions, followed by a $686 million package to Pakistan in December 2025 for F-16 fleet upgrades. This reflects a US strategic shift towards enhancing India's precision strike capabilities and interoperability to counter China, while Pakistan's deal focuses on sustainment and counterterrorism coordination.

Hardwired Repression

C4ADS | Mishel Kondi

China's expansive mass surveillance system in the Uyghur region fundamentally relies on data centers, which quietly process biometric and behavioral data to target ethnic minorities. These facilities, despite their critical role in enabling atrocity crimes, remain the least scrutinized component of the digital architecture, often requiring compatibility with American technology.

Growing Russia-China-Iran Axis Poses Broader Challenge – Analysis

Eurasia Review  |  Alex Raufoglu

Russia, China, and Iran are increasingly forming a strategic alliance of convenience that US policymakers must confront as it seeks to disrupt global order, according to US experts. This axis, driven by shared opposition to US dominance, coordinates diplomatically, integrates militaries, and evades Western sanctions, yielding critical strategic dividends for the isolated Iranian regime.

China’s Nuclear Power Capacity Has Nearly Doubled Since 2016 – Analysis

Eurasia Review

China's nuclear generation capacity increased by 76% (24 GW) from 2016 to 2024, with an additional 1.1 GW added in 2025 and 2.2 GW in 2026 (through May), according to IES data and IAEA's PRIS. The country currently has 36 reactors under construction, representing over 49% of global nuclear construction, and 60 operational reactors with 58.7 GW capacity across 18 sites as of May 2026.

National Standard of the People’s Republic of China: Cybersecurity Technology – Basic Safety Requirements for Generative Artificial Intelligence Services

Center for Security and Emerging Technology

China has issued a finalized national standard, GB/T 45654—2025, titled "Cybersecurity Technology – Basic Safety Requirements for Generative Artificial Intelligence Services," on May 28, 2026. This standard aims to enhance the safety and security of generative AI (GenAI) services, particularly those with public opinion-shaping or social mobilization capabilities.

Bowen: Trump and Netanyahu wanted to reshape the Middle East - now they risk a permacrisis

BBC  |  Jeremy Bowen

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy to reshape the Middle East by defeating Iran has failed, instead risking a "permacrisis" of attritional conflict. Their assumption that Iran's regime would easily collapse proved wrong, as evidenced by Iran's downing of a US Apache helicopter and its continued determination to control the Strait of Hormuz.

The Primacy Of Maritime Security – OpEd

Eurasia Review  |  Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani

Growing disorder is afflicting the maritime domain from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean and into the Arabian Gulf region, shifting strategic focus from land to maritime security. The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for over a quarter of global seaborne oil and significant LNG, has seen ship transits drop by 90% since late February 2026, highlighting the vulnerability of global trade and economic stability.

Trump’s Iran Predicament Is His Own Fault – OpEd

Mises Institute  |  Connor O’Keeffe

Iran and Israel launched direct strikes over the weekend, marking their first exchange since an early April ceasefire. This began with an Israeli strike on Beirut after Hezbollah rejected a US-brokered ceasefire with Lebanon. Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles targeting Israel, which Israel claimed were intercepted, though social media videos suggest some impacts.

How smartphones broke British politics

Politico Europe | CHARLIE COOPER

British politics has experienced a decade of extraordinary instability, with six prime ministers since the 2016 Brexit vote, significantly exacerbated by the pervasive rise of smartphones. These devices have engendered a hyperfrenetic pace in Westminster, where MPs, ministers, and journalists are constantly connected, amplifying grievances and accelerating demands for drastic action, including prime ministerial ousters.

Russia Balances Relationship with Iran and Other Gulf States

The Jamestown Foundation  |  Fuad Shahbazov

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on April 27, 2026, to discuss the ongoing conflict in and around Iran, highlighting their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed in January 2025. Russia has gained economic benefits from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which increased global oil demand and prices, prompting the United States to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian seaborne oil exports as of March 12.

Rescuing a Losing War

Mick Ryan  |  Mick Ryan

Russia faces significant strategic challenges in 2026, evidenced by Ukraine's new long-range FP-5 cruise missile strikes on a Russian defense industrial plant and damage to the Chonhar and Arabat bridges isolating Crimea. Despite Russia's losing trajectory across military, cognitive, moral, industrial, and economic dimensions, its strategic position could be reversed by external factors.

Myanmar’s Rare Earth: The Hidden Costs Of The Global Green Transition – Analysis

Eurasia Review  |  Htay Su Wai

Myanmar's conflict-affected borderlands have become central to global rare earth supply chains, driven by accelerating demand for renewable energy and electric vehicles. Following the 2021 coup, Myanmar emerged as the world's third-largest rare earth producer, with extraction expanding rapidly in Kachin State. This expansion, largely fueled by China shifting environmentally destructive mining beyond its borders, operates under fragmented governance involving militias, armed actors, and opaque cross-border arrangements.

Lessons from the 2025 G7 Cycle: Quantum, AI and Science Diplomacy

Centre for International Governance Innovation  |  Michael P. A. Murphy

The 2025 G7 convened during a period of international instability, yet its meetings achieved meaningful progress on emerging technologies, particularly quantum and AI. The 2025 G7 cycle's outputs focused on defining the scope of cooperation rather than issuing a wide-ranging statement about geopolitical order, representing a fundamentally different perspective for middle powers.

The UN’s AI Panel Could Shape Global Governance. Can It Balance Science and Politics?

Council on Foreign Relations  |  Oweke

The United Nations' Independent International Scientific Panel on AI (IISPAI) faces a critical challenge in balancing scientific credibility with political legitimacy to effectively shape global AI governance. Unlike its predecessors, the IPCC and IPBES, the IISPAI is mandated to produce annual reports and thematic briefs, accelerating its assessment cycles to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technology.

America’s Persian Trap: Hormuz Escalation Cycle and the Limits of Military Leverage

Nitishastra | Navroop Singh and Himja Parekh

The United States and Iran have plunged deeper into military escalation after a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter was downed near the Strait of Hormuz on June 9. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) retaliated with strikes on Iranian infrastructure, prompting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to launch drone and missile barrages targeting 18 U.S.

A New Vision for Special Forces

Small Wars Journal | Ned Marsh

The U.S. Army Special Forces (SF) model is fundamentally outdated, designed for a world that no longer exists and ill-equipped for contemporary battlefields characterized by mega-cities, electromagnetic spectrum saturation, and advanced adversary surveillance. The current structure leaves SF without a clearly valued role within a Joint Force that prioritizes decisive victory over SF's asymmetric shaping operations.

Airpower, Landpower, Seapower – What Wins Wars

Real Clear Defense  |  R.D. Hooker, Jr.

R.D. Hooker, Jr. challenges David Deptula's assertion that air superiority is more essential to victory today, arguing that overwhelming American airpower dominance in conflicts like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan consistently failed to deliver strategic success despite being purchased at extraordinary cost. Hooker contends that even the 1991 Gulf War, often cited as airpower's triumph, required powerful ground forces exceeding half a million troops to eject Iraqi forces from Kuwait, making claims of an air-won war highly questionable.

Limited Strikes, Larger Signal: What The US Attack On Iran Reveals – Analysis

Eurasia Review  |  Alex Raufoglu

The US launched strikes on Iranian air defense and radar systems on June 10, 2026, targeting locations in Hormozgan Province, including Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Minab, and Qeshm Island. These actions, described by senior US officials as a "limited warning" and "warning shot," followed mounting pressure from Capitol Hill after Iran's reported involvement in the downing of a US Apache helicopter.

The 2026 World Cup: Sports and Conflict

Center for Strategic and International Studies  |  Victor Cha, Andy Lim

The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States with 48 nations, highlights the enduring link between sports and global affairs, despite ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. Historically, mega sporting events like the World Cup and Olympics have offered opportunities for diplomacy, as seen with "ping-pong diplomacy" between the U.S.

The Tail That Ate the Dog: How Bureaucracy Threatens National Security

Real Clear Defense  |  William McHenry

The U.S. national security enterprise faces a dangerous inversion where supporting bureaucratic functions now hinder core operational missions, a phenomenon termed "the tail eating the dog." Decades of legislative drift and risk-averse management have transformed support roles—like legal, IT, and acquisition—into governing bodies that prioritize compliance over mission accomplishment.

Trump says US will hit Iran 'hard' again today

BBC News  |  Jaroslav Lukiv, Amy Walker, Ghoncheh Habibiazad

President Donald Trump announced the US would strike Iran "hard" on Wednesday, following overnight exchanges of strikes between the two nations. US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed launching strikes at 17:15 Eastern Time against "multiple targets" in Iran, citing "unwarranted and continued aggression." This escalation follows a US strike on Tuesday after Iran allegedly downed a US Army helicopter, to which Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded by striking US bases in the region.

AI, Drones, and the Iran War

Council on Foreign Relations | Jack N.T. Shanahan, Steven Feldstein

Artificial intelligence and autonomous drone systems are fundamentally reshaping the battlefield in conflict, prompting discussions on the future of warfare and the limits of international law. A panel of experts, including an Adjunct Senior Fellow from the Center for a New American Security, a Senior Fellow from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a Distinguished Visiting Professor from the University of Notre Dame, will convene on June 9, 2026, to explore these critical technological developments.

One 8-Mile Island Pumps 90% of Iran’s Oil — and It’s Now the Most Valuable Target in the Persian Gulf

National Security Journal  |  Rebecca Grant

President Donald J. Trump's ceasefire with Iran ended following the June 8 downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps forces and subsequent missile launches toward Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, and Israel. Trump indicated Iran must "pay the price," prompting consideration of three strategic options.

Repairing the Breach

CNAS | Lisa Curtis, Keerthi Martyn and Sitara Gupta

U.S.-India relations stumbled badly during the second half of 2025, marked by a breach of trust over the May 10, 2025, India-Pakistan ceasefire and President Donald Trump’s imposition of 50 percent tariffs on Indian exports in August 2025. The February 6, 2026, interim trade deal provides an opportunity to repair ties, crucial for India's role in shaping the Indo-Pacific and competing against China.

A Review of India's 2023 Space Policy and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Carnegie Endowment | Harshan Vazhakunnam

India's space sector is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting from its historical government-centric model to one increasingly accommodating private enterprise following the 2020 space reforms and the Indian Space Policy (ISP) 2023. This policy redrew boundaries, allowing non-government entities (NGEs) to undertake end-to-end activities like building, launching, and operating satellites and launch vehicles, even engaging in asteroid mining, subject to IN-SPACe authorization.

Trade Network Could Erode Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act

Jamestown  |  Jonah Reisboard

China's expanding digital trade network, including platforms like LOGINK, eWTP, and Cainiao Network Technology, significantly challenges the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Forensic firm Oritain found that exposure to prohibited cotton among surveyed companies returned to pre-UFLPA levels, indicating a growing "gap between supply chain documentation and supply chain truth."

American AI Companies Can’t Get Enough Chips

Center for a New American Security | James Sanders, Janet Egan and Rory Madigan

In 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) chip production has become a binding constraint on the pace of the AI compute buildout, with demand for computing power to train and deploy advanced AI models growing exponentially and outpacing manufacturing capacity. This scarcity elevates AI chips to a strategic resource for the United States, necessitating policy adjustments.

The Fault Lines in China’s Power: America Must Build—and Use—Leverage Against Beijing

Foreign Affairs

The 2025 U.S.-Chinese trade war, initiated by President Donald Trump's nearly 75 percent tariffs, quickly concluded with the U.S. folding due to China's strategic leverage over rare-earth elements. Beijing, controlling 90 percent of global rare-earth processing, retaliated with export controls, threatening American manufacturing and the U.S. defense industrial base.

Adversarial Distillation

Center for a New American Security | Daniel Remler and Ben Hayum

China is actively engaged in adversarial distillation, a technique involving the unauthorized extraction of AI model capabilities from U.S. systems to enhance its own AI development, circumventing U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors. This strategic vulnerability allows Chinese developers to make faster and larger capability gains by leveraging U.S.

Gulf AI infrastructure and the limits of technological sovereignty

IISS

Gulf states' ambitious investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure, aiming for technological independence, paradoxically creates significant jurisdictional, technological, and security dependencies on the United States. The Trump administration's 'AI sovereignty' concept promotes deep reliance on US technology as a necessary cost for access to world-leading capabilities, backed by programs like the American AI Exports Program.

Who Will Make Money on AI?

Center for a New American Security | Geoffrey Gertz and Emily Kilcrease

The private sector is playing a leading role in advancing artificial intelligence (AI), with commercial incentives significantly influencing how AI capabilities develop and diffuse, impacting U.S. national security interests. These interests include enabling beneficial AI uses, limiting misuse risks, ensuring reliable system behavior, and maintaining strategic geopolitical advantage.

America needs the trust of its friends, not its adversaries

The Hill  |  Jon B. Alterman

The United States needs the trust of its allies and partners, not its adversaries, to effectively manage international conflicts like the one with Iran. While negotiations with adversaries require verification and clear costs/benefits, trust with friends is a massive amplifier, fostering common purpose, information sharing, and willingness to impose consequences.

Powering the Front: Tactical Energy Delivery and Management in the Ukraine War

Army.mil | COL Joseph Serowik, MAJ Jakub Szulczyk

Electricity has become a decisive enabler in contemporary warfare, with modern forces depending on its uninterrupted flow for operational tempo, sustaining radios, drones, C2 systems, EW equipment, and precision-guided weapons. In the ongoing Ukraine War, electricity is both a strategic target and a tactical necessity, as Russia deliberately strikes Ukraine’s national power grid.