Russian oil tanker Sea Horse carrying 200,000 barrels of gas oil diverted from Cuba as US naval blockade deterred shipments, February 27, 2026 A well-honed tool in the United States’ diplomatic box is to rub the nose of its vassal states in the dust occasionally to remind them they are a lower form of life, …
This is Netanyahu’s war, stupid
A national daily commented editorially yesterday that apropos of the United States’ war on Iran, the Modi government should “take a more emphatic stand against the war and work with other powers to de-escalate the conflict. India should also strongly oppose U.S. attempts to bring the war to its backyard.” Such counselling is overdue. Signs …
The folly of India’s dalliance with Israel stands exposed
US Vice President JD Vance (R) met with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi (L), Washington, February 27, 2026 Any longtime observer of the US-Iran hostility would know that appearances can be deceptive diplomacy. Over time, one gets to read the tea leaves with reasonable success with the help of intuitive cognition that gets sharpened out …
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Trump takes hands-on role in Iran talks
The US President Donald Trump (R) met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, February 11, 2026 Picking up the threads from where I last wrote on the US-Iran negotiations a week ago in my blog titled Odds are 8-1 Trump won’t start a Gulf war, the talks beginning in Geneva today …
Lavrov sees a new era of global development
The rare appearance by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the State Duma is always a special occasion to read the tea leaves in Russian politics. The salience here, to my mind, lies in the confirmation, if one was needed, that the Kremlin is watching with growing anxiety the transition of the US foreign policies, …
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Odds are 8-1 Trump won’t start a Gulf war
The éminence grise of Iran’s foreign and security policy strategy and Secretary of Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani was received by Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq to review the latest developments in the US-Iran negotiations and discuss ways to reach a ‘balanced and fair’ agreement, Muscat, Feb 10, 2026 The mutual hostility between …
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Israel’s push, Trump’s pause… The Iran Dilemma
Deccan Herald, Feb 4, 2026 Israel’s push, Trump’s pause… The Iran Dilemma M K Bhadrakumar United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s scary admission a week ago during a US Senate hearing was the first signal that, in the asylum of cuckoos surrounding the cascading US-Iran tensions, voices of sanity were asserting. https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/israels-push-trumps-pausethe-iran-dilemma-3885849?
Talks on Ukraine make progress
Negotiators from Ukraine (L) the U.S. (C) and Russia (R) meeting in Abu Dhabi, February 4-5, 2026, United Arab Emirates The second round of the trilateral meeting of the US, Ukrainian, and Russian delegations on security issues held in Abu Dhabi on February 4-5 shows incipient signs of progress, contrary to doomsday predictions. One may …
Russia, China part ways in Western Hemisphere
Venezuelan conundrum: Acting president Delcy Rodriguez (L) wins US’ confidence to replace president Nicolás Maduro(R), is the daughter of left-wing guerrilla fighter Jorge Antonio Rodriguez In a pointed reference to the Chinese leadership by name, the Russian state news agency Tass took note of Beijing’s criticism of the US aggression against Venezuela. Unsurprisingly, Tass quoted …
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Venezuela is not about drugs or migration. It is Trump’s ‘Ukraine moment’
A satellite photo released by the Chinese private aerospace intelligence firm MizarVision showed a fleet of U.S. F-35 fighter jets at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport, Puerto Rico, Dec. 25, 2025. The Pentagon has deployed special operations aircraft, troops and equipment to the Caribbean region near Venezuela, The Wall Street Journal and other media …
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