Mazlum Özkan is a PhD candidate in sociology at the University of Groningen, affiliated with the SCOOP program and the ICS research center. His work explores social movements, Middle East politics—especially Iran—and the role of great powers.
Mazlum Özkan is a PhD candidate in sociology at the University of Groningen, affiliated with the SCOOP program and the ICS research center. His work explores social movements, Middle East politics—especially Iran—and the role of great powers.
As Gulf tensions rise, Pakistan has quietly become the channel neither Washington nor Tehran can afford to lose. Islamabad’s diplomacy is no longer reactive; it is positioning itself at the center of crisis management.
No direct US-Iran talks, no easy off-ramp. As tensions shake oil routes and markets, Pakistan has become the lone bridge between Washington and Tehran. Can Islamabad turn access into diplomacy?
Madrid 2026 wasn’t diplomacy—it was redesign. Washington moves past Algeria’s veto politics, backs Morocco’s autonomy plan, and seeds a Tunis-Rabat axis built on energy sovereignty, phosphates, and geo-economic integration. The Maghreb’s balance is shifting.
Israel’s June 13 blitz on Iran wasn’t self-defense—it was a ruthless display of unchecked power. Civilians, scientists, sovereignty—all burned. With U.S. cover and global silence, Israel now bombs with impunity. Who’s the real threat?
Israel’s strike on Iran brazenly defies international law. Without UN approval or evidence of imminent threat, it likely violates Article 2(4) of the UN Charter—normalizing illegal aggression under the guise of self-defense.
Israel's deep strikes in Iran mark a shift—from dialogue to dominance. As diplomacy collapses and double standards prevail, the global order teeters on the edge of irreversible crisis.
Iran and Russia have ratified a 20-year strategic pact covering trade, energy, and security. Quietly, it signals a challenge to Western influence and a blueprint for a multipolar world order.
Why do African agencies struggle against terrorism? It's not just tech or funds—it's mistrust, political control, poor coordination, and outdated methods in a fast-moving, borderless fight.
75 years after the Schuman Declaration, can Africa adopt its pragmatic model? A project-based path to integration could be ECOWAS’s key to jobs, resilience, and lasting peace.
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**Eager to host U.S.-Iran talks, the UAE blew its shot by dispatching hawkish Gargash with Trump’s ultimatum. Tehran snubbed the gesture, opting for Oman’s quiet diplomacy instead.**
BRICS+ offers vast potential in trade, technology and local currency cooperation, but geopolitical rivalries and divergent strategic priorities will shape whether it emerges as a cohesive force or remains a loose coalition.
BRICS may not end dollar dominance, but it is accelerating a shift toward a more multipolar financial order where currencies, influence, and economic power are becoming increasingly contested.
Japan and South Korea can no longer afford fragmented security policies. In a Taiwan-Korea dual contingency, coordination is no longer strategic preference, but the foundation of deterrence and regional stability.
As Gulf tensions rise, Pakistan has quietly become the channel neither Washington nor Tehran can afford to lose. Islamabad’s diplomacy is no longer reactive; it is positioning itself at the center of crisis management.
The Epstein case is no longer just about one predator. It’s about whether Western institutions can investigate power honestly — or whether wealth, influence, and secrecy will always outrun accountability.
