Courtesy: Shutterstock
The U.S. and Israel launched precise airstrikes on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and senior leadership. Their aim is to weaken Iran’s nuclear programme and potentially induce regime change, while Tehran’s priority remains regime survival. The conflict’s duration will depend on whether it remains limited to missile exchanges or escalates into asymmetric warfare.
Courtesy: Bloomberg
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India from February 27 to March 2, though sandwiched between the AI Impact Summit and the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, produced concrete outcomes with long-term impact. The visit announced a multidimensional roadmap aligning India’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision with Canada’s ‘Build Canada Strong’, to ensure the bilateral relationship does not drift apart again.
Courtesy: Gateway House
The assumption that the Iranian public will rise up against its religious and political leadership, seizing the opportunity provided by Israel and U.S. strikes against Iran, may not prove true. Iran’s civilisational structure is resilient, and its educated population may not like being dictated to by the West. Raja Karthikeya, a former international civil servant based in Tehran, examines the escalating U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, its regional and domestic implications and the tenacity of Iran’s political system amid external pressure.
Courtesy: Gateway House
Tarique Rehman has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh following the recent elections. Nayanima Basu, Adjunct Fellow at Gateway House, visited Bangladesh and shares her on-ground impressions of the country and its people, the continued influence of student movements, concerns over minority rights, and the resurgence of Jamaat-e-Islami. The future of India-Bangladesh ties must be closely watched as a new chapter begins, underscoring the need for a recalibrated, trust-based bilateral approach.
Courtesy: Indian Navy
Over the last two decades, the Indian Navy has taken a quantum leap in modernising its fleet with stealth frigates, warships, submarines, and fighter planes. Its goal is to be the net security provider and first responder securing Sea Lines of Communication in the region. But it is still lagging behind its Indo-pacific naval partners and most important, its regional rival, China.
Courtesy: Reuters
A new troika is on the rise: India, France and Brazil, led by Modi, Macron and Lula. They were present at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 20, representing the three largest democracies in Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Can their mutual understanding and global influence bring prosperity and resilience to their economies and strengthen their cooperation in addressing global challenges?
Courtesy: Bayerischer Rundfunk
During the week of the Munich Security Conference, Munich transformed into a temporary capital of global diplomacy. Gateway House participated and hosted a Side Event, “Multipolarity without Multilateralism: India, Europe and the Future of Global Order” on February 14. This diary captures observations from the conference and the city, reflecting on Europe’s evolving priorities and how the continent assesses its role in an increasingly fragmented world.
Courtesy: ANI
The Myanmar military coup of 1 February 2021 derailed a decade-long experiment in limited democracy, triggering violent resistance, armed conflict, fragmentation, and humanitarian crises. As instability deepens and global attention wanes, Myanmar’s turmoil carries significant implications for India, particularly along the border regions. With China’s growing footprint and ASEAN’s limited mediation, India must carefully navigate its Act East and Indo-Pacific strategies while sustaining people-to-people ties.
Courtesy: ANI
From 7-8 February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Malaysia to review the current state of bilateral ties and explore new avenues of cooperation. The focus was to deepen and diversify the economic dimension of the engagement. Two factors will help achieve this: Malaysia’s role in the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement review, and India’s enhanced negotiating weight following the signing of recent Free Trade Agreements. Both sides must now translate intent into action.
Courtesy: Debarpan Das
Over the last few decades, countries have stopped, delayed, or withheld their UN dues. The UN’s increasing financial needs have led to the acceptance of “voluntary” contributions. Those which come from any entities or individuals and are now its largest income stream. The biggest of these donors are the global philanthropies, which often have differing agendas from the UN’s responsibilities. This report studies these contributions and examines the linkages between donor priorities and UN mandates.