The United Nations warns that the impact could last well beyond the conflict. The US-Israel war on Iran has created risks to food security from higher energy costs and shipping restrictions. The world’s fertiliser production has been badly hit due to attacks on Gulf chemical plants. Where is the food supply most at risk, and … Read more
Europe faces stiff competition with Asia for energy supplies as Russia profits. Europe is under pressure as the conflict in the Middle East continues, now competing with Asia for scarcer oil and gas supplies. Rocketing prices benefit Russia and weaken sanctions imposed for the war in Ukraine, with Europe wary of antagonising US President Donald … Read more
Both the collapse and survival of Iran’s Islamic Republic pose risks. Israel’s assault on Iran comes as the country is still attacking Gaza and Lebanon, after bombing Syria, Yemen and Qatar in the past year. What are the risks of Israel opening another battlefront, and of the collapse – or the survival – of the … Read more
UN envoy expresses alarm and urges restraint on all sides amid clashes between security forces, Civilians have reportedly been among the hundreds killed in violence in Syria, as government forces surge to the country’s northwest to respond to fighters loyal to the ousted leader Bashar al-Assad. The situation represents the greatest challenge yet to interim … Read more
Israeli cabinet minister’s statement that an atomic bomb is an option for Gaza raises global alarm. Israel’s nuclear programme is widely seen as one of the Middle East’s worst kept secrets. It is believed to have originated in the 1950s. Today, Israel possesses about 90 nuclear bombs, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. … Read more