The Geopolitical architecture of the Persian Gulf is undergoing a profound realignment. For over half a century, the security doctrine of the Arab states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) rested on a foundational, military-centric arrangement: the host states provided territorial basing access and recycled petrodollars into Western financial markets and weapons systems, while the USA provided the deterrent shield against external threats. Illustration by The Geostrata Thi

India is one of the fastest-growing energy markets on the planet, while being the world’s third-largest consumer of crude oil and the second-largest importer. Yet for a country whose economy depends substantially on imported oil, the strategic reserves portray quite an alarming story, a vision where infrastructure has grown but not quite fast enough. Illustration by The Geostrata THE SCALE OF DEPENDENCE To understand why India’s oil storage matters, it is imperative to first

India has recently embarked on an assertive path toward strengthening its military bilateralism, observed through a series of strategic...