Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Dr Ismail Adaramola
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The Riyadh attacks and the fragility of regional security: Implications for global politics, oil markets and the world economy
The recent attacks on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, particularly the strikes against King Khalid International Airport, represent a significant escalation in the security crisis affecting the Middle East. Beyond the immediate loss of life and disruption to civilian aviation, these incidents raise fundamental questions about regional deterrence, the internationalisation of…
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Gaza and the future of Middle Eastern geopolitics: Diplomacy, reconstruction and Palestinian statehood
The future of Gaza is no longer simply a question of ending a war. It has become a defining question for the political architecture of the Middle East. Diplomacy, reconstruction and Palestinian statehood are inseparable dimensions of the same geopolitical challenge. How Gaza is governed, rebuilt and politically integrated will…
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The Saudi Arabia–Turkiye–Pakistan security agreement: An emerging framework for collective defence, strategic autonomy and regional stability
The signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan on 7 August, 2026 represents a significant development in the evolving security architecture of the Middle East and South Asia. The agreement establishes a framework for closer defence cooperation among three strategically important Muslim-majority states. Its…
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The US–Iran pause in strikes: A window for sustainable peace?
In international politics, silence can sometimes speak louder than explosions. When two long-standing adversaries such as the United States and Iran pause military strikes, the world does not simply witness a temporary cessation of hostilities—it is presented with a rare opportunity to ask a more profound question: Can this pause…
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The future of nuclear non-proliferation after recent U.S.–Iran negotiations
The latest round of negotiations between the United States and Iran in Switzerland may not yet qualify as a historic breakthrough but it may become one of those moments historians later identify as a turning point. After years of sanctions, proxy confrontations, military escalation and the gradual weakening of arms-control…
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The rise of China in Middle East politics
The Middle East is no longer shaped solely by the influence of Western powers. For decades, countries such as the United States, Britain and France dominated the political and strategic landscape of the region through military alliances, oil politics and diplomatic interventions. Today, however, a new global actor has steadily…
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Diplomacy by absence: How Donald Trump’s cancelled visits reshaped US engagement in the Middle East
The cancellation of diplomatic visits by world leaders is rarely a matter of routine scheduling. In international politics, absence can be as meaningful as presence. During the presidency of Donald Trump, several planned visits and engagements involving the Middle East were cancelled or significantly altered. These decisions were not merely…
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Geopolitical, economic and humanitarian implications of the 2026 US–Israel–Iran conflict
The escalation of hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran in February 2026 represents one of the most significant geopolitical crises of the contemporary era. What began as targeted military operations has rapidly evolved into a wider regional confrontation with global repercussions. This article argues that the conflict is…
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Internal instability in Iran and noises of regime change
In January 2026, protests erupted in Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar, quickly spreading to other cities across Iran. What might have seemed, at first glance, like another episode of unrest was in fact a historic signal: for the first time since the 1979 revolution, one of the regime’s most loyal institutions…