Beneath the smoldering tensions of the Middle East, a covert drama unfolded in June 2025, as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arrested 73 individuals, including 13 Indian nationals, on charges of espionage for Israel’s Mossad. Accused of enabling Israel’s audacious drone strikes by targeting Iran’s air defences, these detainees have thrust India into a…
(By Khalid Masood) Introduction In the covert world of espionage, the most dangerous weapons are often not guns or missiles, but charm, trust, and conversation. The curious case of Catherine Pérez-Shakdam, a French journalist-turned-Islamic convert, is not merely a tale of betrayal — it is a piercing indictment of the modern vulnerabilities in national security….
(By Khalid Masood) In Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations (2018), Israeli investigative journalist Ronen Bergman pulls back the curtain on one of the most secretive facets of Israel’s national security apparatus: its use of targeted killings to neutralize perceived threats. Hailed as a New York Times bestseller and winner…
(By Khalid Masood) As Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz amidst its intensifying conflict with Israel in June 2025, the world stands on the precipice of a potentially catastrophic disruption to global energy flows. The Strait, a narrow but vital maritime chokepoint, is not just a regional water-body – It is a jugular…
(By Khalid Masood) As Israel wages a perilous war against Iran in June 2025, its internal security apparatus, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency, ISA), stands at a pivotal juncture. The abrupt departure of director Ronen Bar, amid allegations of politicization, and the appointment of Major General David Zini as his successor, signal a seismic…
Why and How Iran Failed to Respond or Shoot Down Israeli Fighter Jets? (By Khalid Masood) On the night of May 7, 2025, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) delivered a stunning rebuke to India’s arrogance, shredding the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) myth of invincibility during Operation Sindoor. With long-range PL-15E missiles and JF-17 Block III…
(By Khalid Masood) In the wee hours of June 13, 2025, Israel unleashed a brazen act of aggression, codenamed Operation Am KeLavi (Hebrew: “Rising Lion”), striking Iran’s heart with airstrikes that targeted its nuclear aspirations and military pride. Tehran’s skies burned under this unprovoked assault, yet Iran, a nation forged in resilience, stood defiant, its…
(By Khalid Masood) 1. The India-Israel Nexus: Historical and Strategic Foundations India and Israel have cultivated a robust strategic partnership since establishing full diplomatic relations in 1990s, driven by shared security concerns, counterterrorism imperatives, and complementary defence needs. This “nexus” is rooted in mutual perceptions of hostile neighbors—Pakistan and China for India, and Iran and…
(By Khalid Masood) Introduction: When the World Looks Away, Gaza Buries Its Children Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, recently laid bare a truth the world has chosen to ignore: 45 Palestinian children killed in just two days by Israeli airstrikes. Behind this stark figure is an even more horrifying reality—over one million children now…
(By Khalid Masood) In the annals of global statecraft, few moments shimmer with such portent as President Donald J. Trump’s first foreign voyage of his second term, embarked upon May 13, 2025, to the opulent courts of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. With the mantle of leadership freshly donned, Trump has chosen…
