Detailed read on Hamas's Yahya Sinwar's centrality to war with Israel in #Gaza . Sinwar's elimination is not if but when. Larger question, would his death change things drastically? The 'good vs bad' Taliban debate holds learnings (if anyone is looking) nytimes.com/2024/05/12/wor…

Good but these deals regarding Chabahar are usual and continuation for something which started in early 2000s. Fact remains beyond Chabahar, India - Iran commercial trade is static. Both need to work to resume some oil trade again… 🇮🇳 🇮🇷

Prigozhin screwing over Shoigu even from the after life...

.ORF is organising the third discussion under the Fellows Seminar series on the paper 'Middle Powers in the Gulf: Navigating the Return of the Taliban in Afghanistan'.

13 May | 12 PM IST

Register👉or-f.org/26647

US Air Force F-15s return to the UK from deployment in Jordan with nose markings depicting multiple drone kills. US jets reportedly downed over 70 Iranian drones launched towards Israel last month. (Pics: Stewart Jack)

Walked into a prominent bookshop in Delhi today and 60% of the books on front shelf were about AI. Did so many AI experts just appear overnight or is AI writing these under pseudonyms for self promotion?

This may not be the prettiest aurora photo you've ever seen, but guess what, I just saw the aurora from freaking INDIA... through light pollution, over the Himalayas.

Leh, India, 1:35 am IST, 5-11-24, elev. 11,600 ft.
Sony a7r iv, 14 mm f/1.8 GM, 30 s, f/1.8, ISO 400

Both Saudi and UAE are increasingly more vocal against Israel. On Netanyahu's view of inviting UAE to take part in civil administration of Gaza, Abu Dhabi says it refuses to be drawn into any plan aimed to provide cover to Israeli presence in Gaza. english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2024…

In Syria, more than 43,000 people, most with connections with ISIS, are holed up in makeshift camps managed by Kurdish groups. Many are foreign nationals, including those who's citizenship was revoked. voanews.com/a/us-urges-oth…

India votes in favour at UNGA vote for reconsideration (by UNSC) of Palestine’s membership into the UN…

As the war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel enters its seventh month, Saudi Arabia has taken a caution-laden position. My piece for NDTV on how Riyadh's economic re-design is driving its geopolitical, risk-averse posturing. ndtv.com/opinion/amid-i…

Fascinating read on how Princeton University University tried to build academic ties with Iran post 2009, including an exchange program, only for two of its students to become pawns in the US - Iran rivalry (scholar Elizabeth Tsurkov🌻 still remains missing from Iraq). semafor.com/article/05/07/…

Good read by Shahir Shahidsaless on who will replace the 85-year old Ayatollah Khamenei in Iran. Shahidsaless highlights president Raisi and Alireza Arafi as front runners, not Mojtaba Khamenei, the Ayatollah's son. stimson.org/2024/who-will-…

Still the best photo of two international stars who are into metal…

Most Chinese analysis on #WestAsia is through the prism of how the conflict may adversely impact the #US ’ interests & thereby, indirectly benefiting #China , rather than what role #China can play in proactively shaping the affairs: antaraghosalsingh or-f.org/26922

Much like other IS ecosystems, Islamic State Khorasan (ISKP) continues its call for raising money via cryptocurrency. Clearly its deemed as 'safe' by the group's ecosystem, older Hawala methods would never be advertised as such. (from latest VoK issue)