In reports to Russian media on Thursday 8th August, the Russian Ministry of Defence stated that a liquid propellant rocket engine exploded during testing of a 9M730 Burevestnik missile. While it was initially reported that this malfunction killed two people and injured six more, the Russian nuclear agency (Rosatom) later […]
On Friday, August 2, the United States formally withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The U.S. signalled its intention to withdraw earlier this year, citing Russian non-compliance to its terms. Russian officials deny these accusations and have instead accused the US of withdrawing to further its own […]
Space has a remarkable power to bring people together. Throughout history, civilizations and peoples have looked to the night sky and used it for a number of reasons. In 2019, everyone celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landings. Estimated to have been watched by 600 million people worldwide, […]
On Saturday, July 20th, U.S. officials announced a new intelligence and surveillance initiative which is centred on the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Citing longstanding tension and concerns over the behaviour of Iran, officials describe the new ‘Sentinel’ initiative as one way to restore stability to the region, […]
On Friday, the Turkish Defence Ministry announced that it had taken delivery of the first shipment of material related to the Russian S-400 air defence system. Two more deliveries are meant to occur, meaning this new missile system will be ready by October this year. This move, while planned for […]
In Doha, Qatar, a summit scheduled for the 7th and 8th of July may help place Afghanistan on the path to peace. This ‘intra-Afghan’ summit aims to bring representatives from the Afghani government and the Taliban together in order to negotiate an end to the eighteen-year long war which has […]
In November 2002, an article was published in the New York Times with the headline: “An Iraq War Won’t Destabilize the Middle East”. This article was one of many produced in the years preceding the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which helped to support the narrative that this would be an […]
Relations between the United States and Iran continued to worsen this week. While President Trump has reiterated his own openness to working with the Iranian government to deescalate tensions, his administration’s imposition of further economic sanctions offers a different story. Friday’s sanctions are the harshest yet, targeting Iran’s largest petrochemical […]
On the 13th of June, two commercial vessels were attacked in the Gulf of Oman, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. This latest attack has occurred relatively close to a similar attack in May. Occurring amidst heightened tension in the region, it is currently uncertain who is […]
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue took place in Singapore between 31 May and 2 June this year. The annual forum, which sees representatives from 28 Asia-Pacific states meeting to discuss current issues, was dominated this year by the emergent conflict between the United States and the […]
