International Affairs - The Geopolitical Desk

Beyond Bab al-Mandab: How the Horn hangs by a thread

/ 30 Sep 2026

Is Iraq becoming a Houthi front against Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia has been looking for a way to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran and its regional allies have other plans.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 22 Sep 2026

Is Iraq becoming a Houthi front against Saudi Arabia?

Breaking bonds: Behind the Algeria-Emirati rupture

The long standing relations between Algiers and Abu Dhabi established by the Bouteflika government have now officially collapsed, as both capitals move in two different geopolitical directions.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 16 Sep 2026

Breaking bonds: Behind the Algeria-Emirati rupture

The Gulf's Washington delusion

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 5 Sep 2026

Putin's multipolar dream, stuck in neutral

Moscow had hoped it could force a break in the global order, but has instead found itself in a quagmire

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 7 Aug 2026

Putin's multipolar dream, stuck in neutral

How the Sahara War is forcing Mali and Algeria back together

Multiple coups, broken treaties, and "hostile acts" pushed the two countries apart, but as the insurgency in the desert grows, Algiers and Bamako need each other more than ever

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 6 Aug 2026

How the Sahara War is forcing Mali and Algeria back together

Erdoğan's diplomacy outruns Turkey's economy, but not its region

Turkey's struggling economy tells one story, but its growing geopolitical influence tells another.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 4 Aug 2026

Erdoğan's diplomacy outruns Turkey's economy, but not its region

The return and rise of Russia’s “Africa Corps”

Three years after the notorious mutiny by the Wagner Group and the death of its founder, Russian mercenaries have fully returned to their original task: spreading the Kremlin’s influence across the African continent.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 31 Jul 2026

The return and rise of Russia’s “Africa Corps”

Algeria’s road to Europe is through Madrid and Berlin

As relations with France remain weak, Algeria is turning to Europe's other major powers for investment and political backing

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 28 Jul 2026

Algeria’s road to Europe is through Madrid and Berlin

Iraq's anti-corruption drive: reckoning or cosmetic fix?

The high-profile arrests of Iraqi political and energy officials drew international attention and fuelled claims that Baghad was targeting Iranian influence. However, the situation is more nuanced than it appears, and reveals Iraq's continuing political complexity.

By The Geopolitical Desk

/ 20 Jul 2026