By Kenji Watanabe
Covers the politics of the Indo-Pacific, from Washington DC back to Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei.
Beyond Beijing: Asia's Calm Embrace of Japan's Defense Buildup
Beijing's warnings about Japanese militarism fall flat across Asia. From India to the Pacific Islands, Japan is seen as a reliable partner.
Bangladesh's Rahman Heads to Beijing with Defense and $9B in Requests
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's June 23 visit to China carries over $9 billion in pending financing proposals and a $2.2 billion deal for J-
Trump's Iran MOU: A Defeat That Reshapes Asian Energy and Security
The US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding ends a four-month war that severely undermined US military dominance. Iran will control the Strait o
India's Unmet Expectations Behind Pentagon's Shift from Indo-Pacific Command
The Pentagon's decision to revert to US Pacific Command from Indo-Pacific Command reflects growing US doubts about India's ability to serve
Israeli Drone Strikes in Lebanon Test US-Iran Peace Deal Hours After Signing
Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon killed one and wounded three just hours after the US and Iran signed a peace MOU. The agreement ex
Why US Presidents End Up Cursing Benjamin Netanyahu
US presidents from Bill Clinton to Donald Trump have privately cursed Benjamin Netanyahu. The pattern reflects Netanyahu's single-minded pur
Why Dropping 'Indo-Pacific' Sharpens the Pentagon's China Focus
The US Department of Defense has renamed INDOPACOM back to PACOM, reversing a Trump-era move. This clarifies that Washington's core China st
Full Text of US-Iran MOU Revealed as Trump Justifies Ending War
The full text of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding shows an immediate ceasefire and 60-day negotiation window. President Trump's G7 re
Pentagon Used Musk's Grok AI to Target Iran in 2,000-Strike Operation
A Pentagon official disclosed that the US military used a derivative of Elon Musk's Grok AI to target 2,000 sites in Iran within 96 hours. T
Trump and Netanyahu at Odds Over Iran Deal as Lebanon Stalemate Deepens
A US-Iran memorandum due in Geneva on June 19 hangs in the balance as Israel continues its occupation of southern Lebanon. President Trump h
How Iran Turned the Tables on Trump and Israel in the 2026 War
Iran absorbed massive US-Israeli air and missile strikes but retained the ability to retaliate, closing the Strait of Hormuz and attacking G
Trump's Iran Deal: Realpolitik Wins as Coercive Diplomacy Pays Off
The US and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, brokered by Pakistan. The deal, a product of coercive