by Ausaf Sayeed | Sep 27, 2026 | Energy Security, Geopolitics, Saudi Arabia, Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan
Saudi Arabia’s drive to find additional security partners has become increasingly urgent. On 26 September, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles targeting Khamis Mushait and two drones heading towards Riyadh. The attacks came a...
by Ausaf Sayeed | Sep 13, 2026 | BRICS, Geopolitics, India-BRICS, West Asia
When the leaders of an eleven-nation bloc representing roughly half of humanity gathered at Bharat Mandapam on 12–13 September, the question was whether BRICS could still agree. In May, its foreign ministers had failed to issue a joint statement over differences on...
by Ausaf Sayeed | Sep 11, 2026 | BRICS, Geopolitics, India-BRICS
When BRICS leaders gather in New Delhi on September 12–13, India’s challenge will go beyond hosting another summit. Expansion has brought greater weight, but also sharper contradictions. New Delhi must show that countries with divergent interests can cooperate without...
by Ausaf Sayeed | Aug 17, 2026 | Geopolitics, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan
Trump’s endorsement changes what the Makkah agreement means. For India, the corridor matters more than the clause. The most revealing comment on the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement since its signing came not from Riyadh, Ankara or Islamabad, but from Washington. On...
by Ausaf Sayeed | Jul 30, 2026 | Energy Security, Geopolitics, Iran, Saudi Arabia
Photo Credit: AFP/BBC Saudi Arabia’s first direct intervention in the Iran war signals the erosion of American protection and the emergence of a more transactional Gulf order. For five months, Saudi Arabia absorbed the impact of the war with Iran rather than entering...
by Ausaf Sayeed | Jun 18, 2026 | Energy Security, Geopolitics
The Islamabad Memorandum has stopped a war and reopened the Strait of Hormuz — a real achievement. Much remains to be negotiated, but for India, the opening it creates is genuine: a chance to secure energy, revive Chabahar, and shape the order ahead. When US President...
