Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

West Asia Round-Up: October 2019

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Abstract

Arab Spring 2.0 is in full view. The Middle East continued to reverberate with protests and demonstrations against regimes in several countries leading to the exit or resignations of the leaders in Lebanon and Iraq in the same

November 13, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Article, Arab Spring 2.0, leadership crisis in Arabia, Turkey’s attack on Kurds

The Arab Spring 2.0 in Full Swing

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The cinders of the Arab Spring of 2010-11 have been reignited after smouldering for a while given the mixed outcomes and unfulfilled promises and expectations. The countries starting with Tunisia, that underwent the revolutions, witnessed minor chang

November 11, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Commentary, Turmoil of protests in West Asia, Popular angst against regimes in Arab world, External meddling in Levant, Arab Spring 2.0

Narendra Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia

Hirak Jyoti Das, Senior Research Associate, VIF

On 28 and 29 October 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to Saudi Arabia and met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud and the crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman. The Indian Prime Minister also met with Saudi Environment, Water and

November 08, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Commentary, India, India-Saudi Arabia relations, Strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia

Iraq Protests and the Problem of Ethno-Sectarian Balancing

Hirak Jyoti Das, Senior Research Associate, VIF

Iraq has been witnessing widespread protests that began in Baghdad on 1 October 2019 and spread throughout the state to express frustration about the deteriorating economic situation, corruption, unemployment, poverty, poor quality of services etc. T

October 25, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Article, Iraqi peoples’ woes, governance failures in Iraq

West Asia Round Up: September, 2019

Hirak Jyoti Das, Senior Research Associate, VIF

Abstract

The Persian Gulf Crisis

The Middle East continued to worry the world especially in the wake of drone attacks on the two Saudi oil facilities that reduced the Saudi oil output by almost half. It displayed the vulnerabi

October 15, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Article, West Asia, Saudi-Iran initiative, Iran’s regional actions

The Attack on Saudi Oil: What Next?

Amb K P Fabian

The world learnt with tremendous shock, surprise, and a degree of distress about the attack on Saudi oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais, bringing down the Saudi oil giant Aramco’s oil production by 5.7 million barrels a day. The attack occurred o

September 30, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Article, Attack on Saudi oil, oil supply crisis, Iran-Houthi-Saudi tangle

What the US-Led Naval Buildup in the Persian Gulf Tells Us!

Rajesh Soami

Australia has joined the United States of America (US) led maritime security mission in the Persian Gulf. It is one of the three countries to have become part of the mission, the other two being the United Kingdom (UK) and Bahrain. All three countrie

September 13, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Commentary, Persian Gulf security mission, European’s role in Gulf, American unilateralism

West Asia Monthly Round-Up: August 2019

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Abstract

West Asia continues to be fraught with uncertainty and mixed diplomatic discourse. On the one hand US-Iran spat continues but showed the signs of fissure in the so called “Alliance of the Willing” as UK released the detained

September 06, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Article, West Asia diplomacy, French-Iran-US matters, UAE power-posturing

Narendra Modi’s visit to UAE and Bahrain

Hirak Jyoti Das, Senior Research Associate, VIF

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 23-24 August 2019 and Bahrain on 24-25 August 2019. The visit by the Indian Prime Minister marks the first visit to the UAE and the West Asian region after coming back to p

September 04, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Article, UAE and Bahrain’s gestures, UAE and Bahrain’s solidarity

Constitutional Amendment - Responses from West Asia

Hirak Jyoti Das, Senior Research Associate, VIF

Responses of individual West Asian States on India’s decision to annul to revoke Article 370 and Article 35A has been multi-faceted and mostly focused on controlling the situation rather than any direct criticism for change in India’s policy. Sau

August 28, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy, West Asia, Commentary, Article 370, India’s constitutional amendment, West Asia on Kashmir