In 1979, by the time many democracies were maturing from their infancy stage, Iran  still had one major task unfinished: to overthrow a king and reinvent its identity. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his followers toppled the Pahlavi monarchy and established the Islamic Republic of Iran, an experiment in theocratic governance that fused religious clerics with absolute political power. Illustration by The Geostrata What began as a wave of “neither East nor West, only Islam” id

The ocean has always represented a kind of duality for India: it has offered far-reaching opportunities while exposing subtle weaknesses. The extent of India’s maritime footprint, with 7,516 kilometres of coastline and more than 2.4 million sq kilometres of Exclusive Economic Zone, dwarfs India’s landmass. While the Indian Ocean Region holds strategic significance for India, it also represents the economic lifeblood of the world. Approximately 40% of the physical oil trade a

India is set to host two key summits in 2026, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and the BRICS, assuming crucial geopolitical significance across the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America. New Delhi’s active role in the BRICS underscores India's outreach to the Global South, working towards a multipolar world order. The QUAD, on the other hand, has a diversified agenda ranging from maritime security to developmental partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. Illustration by

The map of the world represents more than the geography of land and water; it is a cartography of power that the historic aggressors hold. For almost two centuries, invisible lines have crisscrossed the globe, not just representing sovereign borders, but also demarcating “backyards” – zones where great powers are asserting the unspoken rule that “might is right”. Illustration by The Geostrata In 1823, a ghost was born in the United States of America that continues to haunt t

The G20 Presidency was handed over to South Africa  on 1 December 2024, a historic day that highlights the growing influence of emerging developing nations on the global stage. For the first time, South Africa is hosting global leaders under the G20 summit, providing an opportunity and platform to shape responses on digital infrastructure, global governance, climate and energy transition, with the Global South being at the core of the discussion. Illustration by The Geostrat

Every smartphone you tap, e very glass window you look through , and every road you drive or walk on has one common, silent but irreplaceable ingredient: sand. The world uses more than 50 billion tonnes of sand a year , the equivalent of building a wall 27 meters high and wide, surrounding the entire planet! Far from being an infinite source, high-purity silica sand is not a trivial and plentiful resource. Illustration by The Geostrata Rather, it's purified into silicon, wh

The rise of high-technology industries has fundamentally reshaped the balance of global economic and political power. Semiconductors, data centre infrastructure, and underwater submarine cables have become the strategic lifelines of the modern economy. Yet, these supply chains are highly vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, economic coercion, and military conflict, especially in Asia, where the United States and China are locked in an intensifying rivalry. Cover by The Geostr

The People's Republic of China, founded in 1949, has always had a thirst for power and dominance. In the beginning, while it was protecting and conquering lands, it left the coasts unguarded. A brutal mistake to commit. Illustration by The Geostrata It was only in the late 1970s that Deng Xiaoping's reforms transformed the coast into China’s economic engine. Exports and the presence of ports tied China’s survival to maritime security. Yet, by the 1990s, clashes in the South C

The United States continues to maintain an extensive military presence in West Asia, which represents one of the most enduring features of post-Cold War geopolitics. Many analysts describe the American military presence in West Asia as a stabilizing influence. However, its actual effects have proven more complex than traditional narratives suggest. Illustration by The Geostrata US leaders from both Republican and Democratic administrations have used military capabilities to p

In February 2022, Russia began an invasion of Ukraine. And as a response, the West implemented extensive aviation sanctions through the governments and aircraft OEMs ( Original Equipment Manufacturers ) Boeing, Airbus, etc, by shutting down leases. Illustration by The Geostrata Russia responded by re-registering foreign aircraft in Russia. The re-registration effectively nationalised the aircraft, and termination and immediate cessation of support from maintenance to spare pa

India's maritime policy is experiencing a robust transformation that now emphasises technological innovations, smart diplomacy, and regional leadership. India is expanding its reach from coastal defence to the entire Indo-Pacific region through contemporary definitions of maritime power grounded on Artificial Intelligence and multilateralism. Cover by The Geostrata India's maritime policy reflects its maritime aspirations, with doctrines like SAGAR and the Indo-Pacific Oceans

On Thursday, June 29, 2025, a striking video released by China's state broadcaster CCTV caught the attention of military analysts and policymakers worldwide. The video showcased an animated depiction of what appears to be a newly developed graphite bomb - nicknamed a "blackout bomb". This weapon, designed to cripple an adversary's power grid without causing direct physical destruction, underscores China's ongoing efforts to expand its arsenal of non-kinetic warfare tools. Ill

In international relations, a "sphere of influence" (SOI) refers to a spatial region or concept division where a state or organisation has a level of cultural, economic, military, or political exclusivity or predominant control. It remains one of the most pervasive phenomena in the practice and history of international relations, yet only rarely have they been taken up analytically. This concept had gained its base mostly in the post-World War II era, which is also known as t

“Only the dead have seen the end of war,” famously remarked General Douglas MacArthur, attributing this quotation to ancient Greek philosopher Plato in his farewell address to the graduating class of West Point in 1962, highlighting the intertwined nature of the growth of human civilisation and the inalienable role of conflict between humans. The foundation of the realist school of international relations is augmented by this belief. Cover by The Geostrata Realists believe th

“The earth will be under one government, and one language will be written and understood, or even spoken, all over the globe. There will...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now a present-day reality in nearly all human activities, following its former life in laboratories and...

As Pakistan accelerates crypto adoption through state-led reforms and international deals, India faces serious national security and cyber threats. This article unpacks how digital currency could reshape regional power balances and how India must respond.

Iran’s nuclear program and its history date back to its pre-revolutionary past. In the current period, the importance of Tehran's uranium...

As the tectonic plates of geopolitics shift, so does the global order. The world, since 1947, has been accustomed to the US playing the...

In 1989, American political scientist Francis Fukuyama famously wrote in his essay “ The End of History ? ” that liberal democracy...