Over the weekend of September 11–13, Yemen's Houthis captured the Red Sea port of Mocha and the island of Perim, completing their takeover of Yemen's Red Sea coast and increasing their control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Saudi Arabia was forced to shut down a critical oil pipeline that had become one of the kingdom's principal outlets to the sea after Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Israeli government is exploring closer cooperation with Japan on semiconductor technology, and Tokyo has already approved subsidies for an Israeli chip investment in Japan. The investment's importance, however, extends beyond commerce, reflecting an intent to deepen ties between the two countries.

South Korea’s first trial container voyage via the Arctic route should not be viewed simply as an experiment for faster shipping. Its genuine implication hinges on a more difficult question: how could South Korea, one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, minimize exposure to maritime disruption without creating new geopolitical vulnerabilities?

The leaders of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on August 7, declaring that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all. The agreement is open to other countries, with Egypt and Qatar among the states that could potentially join.

On August 7, 2026, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed a trilateral defense pact in Mecca, each committing to treat an attack on one as an attack on all. Coming amid the Iran-US war and a renewed Houthi threat to Saudi Arabia, the agreement has drawn immediate comparison to NATO's Article 5. Our experts weigh in.

Turkey stands closer to ending its four-decade war with the PKK. A draft framework law, the product of more than two years of negotiations with the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, reached parliament this week, and a plenary vote is expected soon. An end to the armed conflict would benefit Turkey and the wider region. The way the government has drafted the law and managed the process, however, carries several warning signs that temper such optimism.

This report analyzes Turkey’s vision for Syria following the fall of the Assad family and the rise of the HTS under the leadership of Ahmad al-Sharaa. In this regard, it focuses on the foreign actors that, alongside Turkey, now have the greatest ability to shape Syria’s future: namely the United States and Israel.