In August and September, tensions between the US and Venezuela ramped up over the latter’s alleged role in transnational organised crime. Tamsin Hunt examines the wider security and geopolitical implications of counternarcotic militarisation, and broader pressure from the US on regional governments to stem the practice.
Opposition to Israel’s security policy has increased in recent months, including among some of its closest allies, in response to its actions in Gaza, the West Bank, Qatar and elsewhere. Tamsin Hunt considers how this geopolitical shift might affect Israel’s strategic decisions going forward.
The five-day border clash between Thailand and Cambodia in July formed part of a historic dispute over undesignated and culturally sensitive areas of their shared border, but Tamsin Hunt argues that other political and economic considerations on both sides also played an important role in this latest escalation.
In June 2025, the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran caused extensive turmoil to maritime and aviation operations through the Middle East region. Despite a ceasefire that remains in place, we can expect intermittent disruptions to continue in the coming months, writes Tamsin Hunt.
A recent spate of kidnappings targeting wealthy cryptocurrency businesspeople and social media influencers in France has raised concerns that this is less an isolated phenomenon, and more an emerging threat that faces the global crypto industry, writes Tamsin Hunt.
The recent releases of four US nationals detained in Afghanistan has shone a spotlight on the Taliban’s efforts to engage with the international community and achieve formal recognition for its regime. There remain significant hurdles to engaging with the Taliban, however, and foreign travellers and businesspeople continue to face extreme scrutiny,…
The May 2025 cross-border clashes between India and Pakistan marked the most serious escalation between the long-time adversaries since the 1999 Kargil War. Tamsin Hunt examines the hardening positions on both sides, and the expanding pressure tactics that will drive tensions in the coming years.
The arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, and popular leader of the opposition Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP) party, Ekrem İmamoğlu, triggered mass protests and a subsequent stringent response by police. Tamsin Hunt explores the impact of these latest developments on Turkey’s political stability over the coming year.
A recent high-profile kidnapping in Thailand has shone a renewed spotlight on ‘scam compounds’ flourishing in South Asia’s organised crime industry, with repercussions for Thailand’s reputation as a safe destination for foreign – and particularly Chinese – visitors, writes Tamsin Hunt.
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan’s call for the group to disarm presents a historic opportunity for peace with Turkey. Tamsin Hunt and Saif Islam explore the promises and obstacles on the path toward a lasting resolution.
The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has coincided with US President Donald Trump introducing a plan for “owning” Gaza, which would entail the displacement of Palestinians to neighbouring countries. Such an event would have far-reaching political, social, and security repercussions for the region, but particularly for Egypt and Jordan, writes Tamsin Hunt.…
Travel security threats across the Middle East and North Africa have intensified amid deepening geopolitical tensions and associated security challenges in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, and Syria.