By Elijah J. Magnier – The limits exposed on the battlefield have been accompanied by costs extending far beyond it. A war that failed to convert American military superiority into political control has also placed growing pressure on the country’s economy, democratic institutions, alliances and internal cohesion. This second part examines how the consequences have […]

By Elijah J. Magnier For the past six months, international attention has focused overwhelmingly on the scale of the damage inflicted on Iran by Israel and the United States. The prevailing narrative has described an Iranian state under relentless military and economic pressure, approaching exhaustion and potentially close to surrender. The destruction is undeniable. Israeli […]

By Elijah J. Magnier – Iran’s response to Washington’s sanctions is not merely rhetorical defiance. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, one of the highest decision-makers in Iran, has outlined an escalation doctrine under which economic warfare can become military confrontation, while governments enforcing American measures risk becoming participants. Tehran has not announced […]

By Elijah J. Magnier – A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz would confront the United States with a problem that military power and financial sanctions cannot solve. Washington can release emergency oil, redirect Venezuelan production, import more Canadian crude and encourage higher output across the Americas. It cannot sustainably replace the volume normally […]

By Elijah J. Magnier – Benjamin Netanyahu has removed much of the ambiguity surrounding Israel’s territorial intentions in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, southern Lebanon and Syria. His government is no longer presenting Israeli military control merely as a temporary response to immediate threats. It is articulating a broader doctrine under which Israel reserves the […]

By Elijah J. Magnier – Last February 2026, three days before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu announced the next stage of his regional strategy. Israel, he said, had inflicted severe blows on the “radical Shia axis” led by Iran but now faced an “emerging radical Sunni axis”. To confront both, […]

By Elijah J. Magnier The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement brings together three capabilities rarely combined within a single regional framework: Saudi Arabia’s financial and energy power, Turkey’s large NATO-trained military and expanding defence industry, and Pakistan’s experienced armed forces and nuclear deterrent. Although the agreement was negotiated for almost a year and builds upon longstanding […]

By Elijah J. Magnier – United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has predicted that the Strait of Hormuz will become irrelevant within two years. In an interview in Arizona in early August 2026, he argued that Iran’s use of the waterway as a strategic chokepoint had accelerated the construction of alternative export routes. He expected […]

By Elijah J. Magnier Israel is preparing military options for possible independent action against Iran if the United States ends its campaign, reaches an accommodation with Tehran or refuses to support another Israeli escalation. Senior Israeli officials have acknowledged these preparations as Washington searches for a diplomatic exit from the conflict that began in late […]

By Elijah J. Magnier Israel has conducted prolonged military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran without experiencing the economic collapse commonly associated with an extended war on several fronts. The shekel has strengthened rather than disintegrated, unemployment has remained comparatively low, foreign investment has continued and the technology, defence and energy sectors have generated exceptional […]