What Iran’s Amazon Data Center Attacks Reveal About Modern War
On 1 March 2026 Iran launched Shahed drones that struck two Amazon Web Services data centres in the United Arab Emirates and a third facility in Bahrain, marking the first deliberate kinetic attack on commercial data centres during wartime. The strikes caused localized outages, notably disrupting the UAE banking system, and underscored Iran’s view that such infrastructure can be deemed a legitimate military target. While it remains unclear whether the hit sites housed U.S. military AI workloads, the attacks signal a new vulnerability for cloud‑based services that support both civilian and defense operations. Analysts caution that this does not yet constitute a fundamental transformation of warfare, but it does broaden the target set for future conflicts.
Indonesia Bets on Nickel Levy to Break Its China Habit
Indonesia is preparing a progressive export levy on processed nickel products such as nickel pig iron and ferronickel. The tax starts at about 2% when LME prices sit between $15,000‑$16,000 per ton and can rise to roughly 10% as prices...
Iran War Pushing India to Edge of a Currency Crisis
India's rupee has slid another 5.5% this year, making it Asia's worst performer in 2025 and hovering around 95 per dollar. Rising Brent crude above $100 a barrel has added roughly $5 billion to India's monthly oil import bill, intensifying pressure...
Shared Energy Stakes Call for Greater China-India Cooperation
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned of severe consequences if energy and nuclear facilities are targeted amid the expanding Middle East conflict, highlighting a shared security concern with India. Both countries, responsible for more than one‑third of global energy‑demand growth,...
What China’s Spy Chief Was Really Seeking in Indonesia
China’s Minister of State Security Chen Yixin visited Jakarta on March 27, meeting President Prabowo Subianto and Indonesia’s intelligence chief. The talks focused on expanding cooperation between China’s MSS and Indonesia’s BIN, emphasizing regional stability and security coordination. While no...
Danantara’s ‘Impact Investing’ Is Really Just State Capitalism
Indonesia’s new sovereign fund, Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara), is marketed as an impact‑investing vehicle but operates as state‑directed capital. The fund is tightly woven into the government’s industrial strategy, aiming to reverse premature deindustrialisation as manufacturing’s GDP share slips to...
Iran War Exposing the Real Cost of Trump’s Anti-EV Crusade
The Iran‑Iran war has driven U.S. gasoline prices above $6 a gallon, underscoring the volatility of oil‑based transport. Electric vehicles (EVs) still cost roughly 5 cents per mile versus 12 cents for gasoline cars, a gap that widened as fuel prices spiked....
Bangladesh’s Missing Billions as Trade Misinvoicing Bleeds It Dry
Investigations reveal Bangladesh lost roughly $68 bn through trade misinvoicing over the past ten years, with additional illicit outflows estimated at $23‑$27 bn from major industrial groups. The scheme involved import over‑invoicing and export under‑invoicing, facilitated by weak customs, banking oversight, and...
India’s Calculated Silence on the Iran War
India is deliberately staying out of the Iran‑Israel war, opting for quiet diplomacy rather than acting as a broker. New Delhi cites its strategic‑autonomy doctrine, preferring flexible, low‑visibility engagement over high‑risk mediation. The decision is driven by massive economic stakes...
Ghost of Suez Haunts Trump’s Iran War
The United States and Israel launched air strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 2026, claiming to target the regime’s nuclear and missile capabilities and to force regime change. The attacks came just hours after Oman announced a breakthrough in indirect US‑Iran nuclear...
Russia Survived without SWIFT, but that Doesn’t Mean It Won
Russia’s banks were cut off from the SWIFT network in 2022, prompting the country to rely on its domestic messaging system, SPFS. While SPFS kept internal payments flowing and softened the immediate shock, it did not replicate SWIFT’s global reach,...
Quagmire Fears Surge as Trump Weighs ‘Final Blow’ Iran Options
The Trump administration is weighing a dramatic escalation against Iran, including options to invade or blockade Kharg Island and a deep‑interior operation to seize enriched uranium. The Pentagon has already moved 2,000 82nd Airborne soldiers and special‑operations teams, adding to...
Doubts Swirl Around US Plans for Seized $15bn Prince Group Crypto
The U.S. Justice Department announced a historic seizure of 127,271 bitcoins, originally valued at $15 billion and now worth roughly $9 billion, tied to the Cambodia‑based Prince Group. Victims of the group’s alleged human‑trafficking and crypto scams have filed claims for restitution,...
Garuda Indonesia Trapped in a Relentless Financial Tailspin
Garuda Indonesia received a $1.4 billion capital injection from state‑owned Danantara, yet its financial health continues to deteriorate. Net losses surged 4.5‑fold to $322.4 million and revenue fell 5.9% to $3.21 billion, while 40% of its fleet remains grounded. Late‑payment penalties exploded 700%...
China Cashes in on Taiwan’s Mideast Evacuation Fumble
After US‑Israel strikes on Iran triggered widespread airline cancellations, China Eastern repatriated over 70 Taiwanese stranded in Turkey. Beijing used the operation to showcase its claim that Taiwanese are Chinese citizens and to criticize Taipei’s evacuation capabilities. Taiwan’s foreign ministry...
Iran’s US Radar Strike Exposes China’s South China Sea Gap
Iran reportedly struck and destroyed the U.S. AN/TPY‑2 X‑band radar deployed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The AN/TPY‑2, a $500 million phased‑array system with a claimed 3,000 km range, is one of only 13 built worldwide. The loss highlights a...
When Missiles Aren’t Enough, America Still Calls Its Marines
Marine Corps strategists once declared amphibious warfare obsolete under Force Design 2030, favoring sensor‑missile teams on remote islands. Yet CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper has asked for two traditional Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) to operate in the Persian Gulf amid rising...
The Indo-Pacific Strategy Just Sank in Iran
The article argues that the US‑led Indo‑Pacific strategy is faltering, especially as maritime power faces growing challenges in the Middle East. It highlights the difficulty of securing the Strait of Hormuz against Iranian missiles, exposing limits of carrier‑based dominance. The...
‘Operation Hidden Hand’: Iran-Russia Military Axis Comes Into View
U.S. officials say Russia is supplying Iran with satellite‑derived targeting data, sharpening Tehran’s strikes on American forces and regional infrastructure. The cooperation extends to a joint Shahed‑139 drone plant in Yelabuga capable of churning out roughly 5,500 drones each month,...
Iran War Draining US Arsenal that Keeps North Korea in Check
The United States is relocating THAAD interceptors and other missile assets from South Korea to the Middle East to support its ongoing war against Iran. This redeployment has exhausted critical munitions, including Tomahawk and Patriot missiles, and left Seoul’s air‑defence...
Great AI Divide: Markets in America, Systems in China
The United States and China are pursuing opposite AI strategies: the U.S. relies on market‑driven, fragmented innovation while China embeds AI into coordinated, state‑led systems. American firms chase autonomous models and rapid scaling, whereas Beijing focuses on using intelligence to...
Sophisticated Drones Attacked Louisiana’s Barksdale Bomber Base
During the week of March 9, sophisticated drone swarms attacked Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, forcing the temporary suspension of B‑52H bomber launches supporting Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The four‑hour daily waves, each comprising 12‑15 drones, overwhelmed the base’s limited electronic...
Lonely Superpower: Trump Iran War and the End of American Consent
The United States is confronting a strategic deadlock as President Trump pushes an Iran war while key institutions and allies push back. The resignation of NCTC Director Joe Kent, who called the conflict fabricated, underscores internal intelligence dissent. Former presidents...
Seoul Harnessing Iran War to End the ‘Korea Discount’
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is leveraging the Iran war‑induced market volatility to push sweeping capital‑market reforms aimed at erasing the long‑standing “Korea discount.” The government announced bans on duplicate listings, which account for roughly 20% of domestic market...
Indonesia’s Closing Window for a Demographic Dividend
Indonesia’s once‑large demographic dividend is nearing its end as the youth population peaks around 2030 and begins to shrink. While the working‑age cohort will still grow to over 200 million by 2045, manufacturing’s contribution to GDP has stalled, exposing a mismatch...
Iran’s Nuclear Materials and Equipment by No Means ‘Obliterated’
U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in June 2025 damaged Iran’s nuclear sites but did not destroy the country’s stockpile of roughly 970 lb (441 kg) of 60 % highly enriched uranium stored in deep tunnels at Isfahan, Natanz’s Pickaxe Mountain and Fordow. The material, along...
The Korean Peninsula’s Role Between Two Cold Wars Was Pivotal
Between the Cold War’s end in 1989 and the emergence of a new Cold War around 2025, the Korean Peninsula acted as the testing ground for a hoped‑for peaceful order that never materialized. The United States, China and Russia formed...
Japan Deploys Upgraded Type-12 Missiles, Spiking China Tensions
Japan has quietly moved its upgraded Type‑12 surface‑to‑ship missiles to Camp Kengun in Kumamoto, extending strike range to roughly 1,000 km—four times the original capability. The deployment, accelerated to the end of March, gives the Japan Ground Self‑Defense Force a counter‑strike...
Iran War Showing How AI Speeds up Military ‘Kill Chains’
The ongoing US‑Israel war against Iran is being labeled the “first AI war,” with artificial‑intelligence tools compressing the military kill chain to seconds. Senior US Central Command officials confirm AI now sifts massive sensor data instantly, enabling strikes such as...
The Gulf’s Expat El Dorado Faces a Costly Recovery After the War
The Gulf’s expatriate‑driven economies face a sharp shock after the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict, with water desalination plants and key tourism infrastructure hit by Iranian attacks. The immediate fallout will hit tourism and aviation hardest, while financial services and data‑center projects risk...
Gulf Crisis to Strengthen, Not Weaken, China’s Industrial Edge
The escalating Iran‑Israel‑US crisis threatens to choke the Strait of Hormuz, pushing crude prices above $100 a barrel and adding up to 1.2% to global inflation. At the same time, worldwide electricity demand is surging, driven by AI‑intensive data centers...
Europe’s Hollow Iran War Outrage
Europe’s leaders issued sharp condemnations of the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites, yet offered no tangible response. The operation proceeded without meaningful NATO consultation, exposing a gap between EU rhetoric and strategic capability. The episode underscores the fragility of...
US Warned of China Rare Earth Curbs if Section 301 Tariffs Expand
The U.S. Trade Representative announced Section 301 investigations into 16 countries, including China, and separate probes into 60 economies over forced‑labor concerns. In response, Chinese officials warned they could reinstate rare‑earth export restrictions and halt soybean purchases if Washington proceeds with...
What if Iran’s Next Target Is the Gulf’s Water Supply?
Iran’s recent strike on a Qeshm Island desalination plant has raised the prospect of water‑infrastructure attacks on GCC states. The Gulf produces roughly 40% of global desalinated water, with nations like the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia relying on it...
China’s All-Nuke Sub Push May Trigger an Undersea Arms Race
U.S. Navy intelligence chief Rear Admiral Mike Brookes told Congress that China is transitioning from a diesel‑electric‑heavy submarine force to an all‑nuclear fleet, expanding shipyard capacity and developing a smaller Type 041 "Zhou‑class" attack sub. The plan includes next‑generation Type 095 SSGNs...
Iran Conflict Hardens North Korea’s Nuclear Posture
North Korea’s nuclear posture is hardening in response to the escalating Iran crisis, which follows the U.S.-Israel strikes and the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. With Iran now its only Middle Eastern partner after Syria’s loss, Pyongyang views the turmoil as...
Why China Won’t Hit Back over Indonesia’s US Trade Deal
Indonesia and the United States signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) on Feb. 19, imposing a 19% tariff ceiling and a clause to mirror U.S. restrictions on third parties, primarily aimed at curbing Chinese trans‑shipments. Beijing responded with its usual...
Claims Russia Helping Iran Target US Assets Are Credible
Recent reports suggest Russia is providing Iran with intelligence to locate U.S. warships and aircraft in the Middle East, a move seen as retaliation for American support to Ukraine’s operations against Russian assets. Although no public evidence has been released,...
China’s Missile Reach Forces Japan Back to Iwo Jima
Japan’s Defense Ministry is studying a major upgrade of Iwo Jima, including runway extension, port enhancements and a floating pier, to host JSDF fighter jets permanently. The move seeks to close a Pacific‑side surveillance gap and provide a redundant air hub...
Taiwan Ramps up Space-Defense Drive Amid Beijing Threats
Taiwan is fast‑tracking a government‑led space‑defense program to counter growing Chinese threats. The Taiwan Accelerator Plus (TAcc+) initiative, managed by ITRI and funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, has supported 42 startups developing satellites, rocket engines and geospatial tools...
Muted Iran War Stance Fits Concerned Onlooker China’s Priorities
China’s response to the US‑Israeli strike on Iran was deliberately muted, reflecting its doctrinal opposition to regime‑change interventions and a focus on protecting Chinese nationals. Beijing issued a UN Security Council appeal and condemned the attacks, but paired diplomatic protest...
The US Is Unlikely to Curtail China’s Critical Minerals Dominance
The United States convened a critical‑minerals summit to curb China’s overwhelming role in battery and electric‑vehicle supply chains, but China still controls over 80 percent of global lithium‑ion battery production and 90 percent of grid‑scale storage. Washington has taken minority stakes in...
Khamenei’s Killing Is Neocolonialism’s Final Gambit
The United States and Israel carried out a drone strike that killed Iran’s spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking a rare state‑sanctioned assassination of a foreign head of state. The attack, framed as a response to Iran’s nuclear program, instead...
Why Iran Isn’t Attacking America’s Bases in Turkey
Iran has launched strikes against U.S. bases in the Gulf States, citing their role in the U.S.-Israel campaign, yet it has refrained from hitting the two American installations in Turkey. Tehran views the Gulf nations as militarily weak and economically...
China’s Undersea Great Wall Targets US Sub Supremacy
China is constructing a multi‑layered undersea warfare system, dubbed the "Underwater Great Wall," to counter U.S. submarine dominance and protect its nuclear deterrent. The People’s Liberation Army Navy now operates more than 60 submarines, including Shang III SSGNs with 24‑cell VLS...
Bettors Profit Hugely From Suspiciously Timed Wagers on Iran War
Bettors on the prediction platform Polymarket earned roughly $1 million by wagering that the United States would strike Iran on February 28, 2026, the same day President Donald Trump announced the attack. Bloomberg identified six newly created accounts that bought shares at...
Before Trump Bombing, Oman FM Called US-Iran Deal ‘Within Reach’
Hours before President Donald Trump announced air strikes on Iran, Oman's foreign minister Badr Albusaidi appeared on CBS's Face the Nation and declared a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal within reach. He said Iran had pledged zero stockpiling of weapons‑grade material and...
Kim’s Daughter Is a Princess – but Not Necessarily Crown Princess
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) says Kim Jong Un has identified his roughly 13‑year‑old daughter as a possible successor, citing recent public appearances in matching leather jackets at the Workers’ Party Congress. The agency also cautions that a male heir...
A Revitalized US Indian Ocean Strategy Cannot Ignore Africa
The article argues that the United States’ Indo‑Pacific strategy is incomplete because it largely ignores the western Indian Ocean and Africa, where China has established a growing military footprint, notably its base in Djibouti and expanding ties in Mauritius and...
US Missile Deliveries to Philippines Are Pointless and Escalatory
The United States announced plans to deploy additional advanced missiles in the northern Philippines, positioning them as a deterrent against Chinese aggression near Taiwan and the South China Sea. Washington argues that mobile, land‑based systems complicate any Chinese offensive and...