Global South

Stretching across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and small island states, the Global South brings together countries with varied histories but shared aspirations for greater agency in world affairs. As these states seek new pathways for growth and representation, GCIRD explores the diplomatic, economic, and political currents driving their ascent.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa attend a press conference after their meeting that discussed the diplomatic situation with Qatar, in Cairo

Why Abu Dhabi Walked Away from OPEC and What It Means for the GCC

May 2, 2026

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Security Without Command, Energy Without OPEC: China’s Strategy in the Persian Gulf

May 1, 2026

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How Pope Leo XIV Redefines Vatican Political Interference

April 25, 2026

(Summer Davos) Xinhua Headlines: From AI to new energy, China’s emerging industries a boon for the world

Four Futures of Work: How China Disrupts the Global AI Labor Framework

April 25, 2026

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Iran’s Theory of Survival and Ascent

Threshold Sovereignty offers an Iranian theory of power after the old order, arguing that Iran’s survival and ascent depend on converting pressure, geography, and resistance into strategic capacity.

Why Abu Dhabi Walked Away from OPEC and What It Means for the GCC

Security Without Command, Energy Without OPEC: China’s Strategy in the Persian Gulf

How Pope Leo XIV Redefines Vatican Political Interference

Four Futures of Work: How China Disrupts the Global AI Labor Framework

The war imposed on Iran and its impact on ASEAN

The War Imposed on Iran as a Contest Between Operational Disintegration and Strategic Non Closure

The war imposed on Iran and its impact on ASEAN

Higher energy costs, shipping disruption, inflation, fiscal strain, and intensifying great-power pressure are reshaping ASEAN as the war imposed on Iran turns a...

April 22, 2026

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The Hormuz Shock Is Reordering Energy Power

The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz is doing more than unsettling oil and gas markets. It is accelerating a strategic shift toward...

April 20, 2026

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The Military Anatomy of the Israel-United States war on Iran

An in-depth look at the weapons, airpower, missiles, drones, defense industries, materials, and strategic logic shaping the Israel-Iran war, with close attention to...

April 7, 2026

Photos purporting to show U.S. aircraft destroyed during the U.S. mission to find a stranded airman in Iran

The Pacific’s Geoeconomic Exposure to the Persian Gulf Shock

The Pacific Island countries are not insulated from the war by distance. Their heavy dependence on imported fuel, limited storage, fragile shipping links,...

April 6, 2026

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Strategic Non-Closure in the War on Iran

The unprecedented expenditure of Tomahawk missiles in the war imposed on Iran reveals more than the scale of coalition firepower. It exposes the...

April 6, 2026

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The War Imposed on Iran as a Contest Between Operational Disintegration and Strategic Non Closure

Air superiority, deep strike, and systems attack have given the coalition operational dominance, but Iran’s buried missile architecture, theater-wide punishment strategy, maritime leverage,...

April 6, 2026

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Africa’s Strategic Neutrality Under Energy Shock

The Iran war Africa dynamic is not defined by diplomacy but by exposure. Disruptions in fuel and fertilizer flows linked to the Strait...

March 20, 2026

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Iran War and the Strait of Hormuz System Shock

The Iran war Strait of Hormuz crisis is less about closure than collapse of confidence. Limited attacks have already slowed tanker traffic, disrupted...

March 20, 2026

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Inside the Iran Crisis: Escalation, Survival, Spillover

The Iran regional escalation is reshaping power balances across the Middle East and beyond. This in-depth analysis examines regime survival, proxy warfare, energy...

March 3, 2026

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Why Iran 2026 Is Not Iraq 2003

The airstrikes on Iran and the reported killing of its supreme leader evoke memories of Baghdad, but this is not an invasion designed...

February 28, 2026

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