ISDP Voices

In the high-stakes world of global power rivalries, the towering peaks of the Himalayas are likely equal in importance to the tropical waters of the South China Sea. The mountainous Roof of the World holds the literal high ground leading to South and Central Asia and thus one of the fulcrums that can decisively tip […]

Elections are the bedrock of democracy, providing citizens with a vital mechanism to hold their leaders accountable. Beyond addressing domestic issues, the electoral process also plays a crucial role in shaping foreign policy decisions. A potential shift from a Democratic to a Republican leader in the U.S. elections could have significant repercussions in the Indo-Pacific […]

Israel has a long track record of eliminating key leaders and operatives of terrorist organizations that pose an imminent threat to its national security. The assassination of Hamas leaderIsmail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, marked the latest of these “targeted killings.” By targeting leaders and key operatives of terrorist organizations, Israel aims to disrupt […]

A two-day UN Conference called the “Doha Process” on Afghanistan took place on the June 30 and July 1 in Doha. This was the third meeting to discuss Afghanistan’s engagement with the international community, a process which UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had initiated in May 2023. The de facto Taliban government participated for the […]

The South China Sea dispute has taken center stage once again with fissures between China and the Philippines increasing. The recent stand-offs and brazen statements have not only heightened tensions between the Philippines and China but also other important stakeholders including the United States, Japan, and India. The South China Sea dispute remains a roadblock […]

The snap polls in Iran concluded last week, announcing the reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian as the country’s next president. The elections took place after the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi in an accident in early June. After Pezeshkian’s win, the attention turns to what comes next for Iranians, the future of Iran’s foreign policy, […]

In the just-concluded Indian general elections, the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was humbled but ensured a majority through its pre-poll alliance. The Indian National Congress (INC), the second-largest party, although it fell short of the three-digit mark, came very close to doubling its current count. Significantly, after six decades, Modi became the first leader […]

Myanmar has been facing a civil war since February 2021, when its military staged a coup and dissolved the democratic government. The junta-led State Administration Council (SAC) has been running Myanmar since then. This resulted in massive civil unrest and in various armed pro-democratic and ethnic anti-Junta factions engaging in a military confrontation against SAC. […]

On the 21st of June, China issued the “Notification on Punishment of “Taiwan Independence” Diehards Who Commit Crime of Splitting the Country and Inciting the Secession (關於依法懲治“台獨”頑固分子分裂國家、煽動分裂國家犯罪的意見).”  It is a new legal notification enacted based on “Anti-Secession Law (反分裂國家法)” and the “Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China” from the Supreme People’s Court, the […]

Pakistan’s decision to start constructing its portion of the Iran-Pakistan (IP) pipeline signals a revival of the long-stalled gas project. The decision, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Energy on February 23, entails the development of an 80-kilometer segment of the pipeline, starting from the port city of Gwadar and stretching to Iran’s border. Interestingly, […]