West Asia
West Asia and North Africa Roundup 2019

A Year of Protests In 2019, protests emerged in Algeria against the decision of the 82-year-old incumbent President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to contest in the presidential election for a fifth term which was originally scheduled on 18 April 2019. On 16...

West Asia Round Up: September, 2019

Abstract The Persian Gulf Crisis The Middle East continued to worry the world especially in the wake of drone attacks on the two Saudi oil facilities that reduced the Saudi oil output by almost half. It displayed the vulnerability of crucial Saudi...

West Asia Round up: February 2019

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s pivot to Asia The popularity of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) soared due to his efforts to arguably relaxing restrictions on Saudi women as well as opening avenues for international firms to invest...

West Asia Developments: September, 2018

Iran: Nuclear Issue Speaking at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu brought to fore their penchant for Iran bashing, claiming that Iran was hiding an atomic warehouse in Tehran. He called for the IAEA to begin inspections...

The Patriarch and the Pope

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All-Russia and Pope Francis met in Havana on 12 February 2016 – the first-ever meeting between the heads of the two Churches. The Russian Orthodox is part of the Eastern Communion, and hence part of the Great East-West...

Russia in Syria : The Why & What Next

As I sit before the television I see events hurtling across West Asia at a speed faster than can be discerned. I follow events almost minute to minute but find it difficult to make strategic sense out of many of them. It’s why I pity the layman...

Interaction with RCDS Delegation

A delegation from the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), London, comprising senior defence and civil service officers from countries including UK, France, Germany and Brazil etc. visited VIF on May 09, 2011.The visiting RCDS...

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