Security & Defense
The PLA, the US Indo-Pacific Command, the Quad, AUKUS and the emerging security architecture of the region.
Trump's Leaky Hormuz Blockade Needs Malacca Control to Work
Two Iranian VLCCs carrying 3.8 million barrels of crude successfully navigated the US Navy's Hormuz blockade through Indonesia's Lombok Stra
Hegseth Insists Iran Ceasefire Holds Despite US Sinking Iranian Boats in Hormuz
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the ceasefire with Iran remains in effect despite US forces sinking Iranian military speedboats in th
USAID's Demise Leaves Indo-Pacific Allies Scrambling for Coordination
The US dismantling of USAID after 60 years disrupts development coordination across the Indo-Pacific. Allies such as Japan, South Korea, and
Iran's Undersea Cable Threat: The Internet's Strait of Hormuz Problem
Iran-linked outlets published detailed maps of undersea cable routes in the Persian Gulf on April 22, 2026. Analysts warn this mirrors Houth
US Army Accelerates Anti-Ship Missile for Pacific Deterrence Against China
The US Army is accelerating development of a Precision Strike Missile variant to target ships at 1,000 km. Production constraints and launch
US Military Failures in Iran War: Lessons Unlearned for Asia's Security
US lost two AWACS aircraft and three F-15s to friendly fire in the Iran conflict. Chinese commercial satellites provided targeting data to I
Trump Administration Denies Iranian Claims of Missile Strike on US Warship in Strait of Hormuz
Iranian state media claimed two missiles struck a US Navy frigate entering the Strait of Hormuz without permission. US Central Command denie
Iran Warns Trump's Hormuz Plan Is Pretext for Escalation
Iran warns that Trump's Project Freedom is a pretext for escalation. Tehran reviews a 14-point peace plan amid heightened tensions in the St
West Asia's Old Security Order Collapses Under Weight of War and Mistrust
The old security order in West Asia is dead, undone by the Gaza war, Iran-Israel escalation, and Houthi attacks. Military power alone no lon
UAE-Israel Ties: Useful but No Middle East Reset
The UAE-Israel partnership has yielded economic and defense gains, but it remains a tactical alignment, not a strategic transformation. Emir
US and China Diverge on Military Vaccination: Two Armies, Two Theories of the Body
The US Defense Department has made flu shots voluntary for service members, breaking a 1945-era mandate. China's PLA continues routine mass
The Donroe Doctrine Is Becoming Everything China Feared
Washington's campaign to evict Chinese port operators from Panama and secure lithium access in Bolivia signals a new, aggressive maritime st