Geopolitics
The Silence of the Crown: MBS’s Failed Leadership as the Region Burns
A pattern of bold promises and quiet retreat—from Khashoggi to Yemen to the 2026 Iran war—as Mohammed bin Salman faces the limits of his own playbook.
Desk
Geopolitics
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Geopolitics
How MBS’s Iran Gamble Set the Region on Fire
Mohammed bin Salman bet on closer ties with Iran; two years after a China-brokered deal, the Gulf is paying the price in strikes, closed shipping lanes, and a shattered stability narrative.
Geopolitics
Islamabad hosts Saudi, Turkish, and Egyptian envoys for Middle East talks
A quadrilateral foreign-minister meeting on the regional conflict underscores Pakistan’s role as a diplomatic bridge—and growing coordination among non-Iranian capitals.
Geopolitics
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign strategic mutual defence framework
The pact institutionalises decades of security cooperation; officials in Riyadh describe it as a structured umbrella rather than a sudden strategic pivot.
Geopolitics
Custodianship of Islam’s holiest sites remains a sensitive diplomatic third rail
Saudi Arabia’s role as guardian of Makkah and Madinah draws quiet questions in capitals from Kuala Lumpur to Cairo—usually voiced through theology, not headlines.
Geopolitics
How Gulf states turn grants and deposits into alignment—without always getting it
Risk consultancies and academics describe aid and central-bank support as leverage; recipients sometimes pocket the cash and defy political asks.