THE two successful test firings of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile  (ICBM) by North Korea on July 4 has added a new dimension to the crisis in the Korean peninsula. President Donald Trump had pledged after taking over that he would not allow Pyongyang to gatecrash into the elite club of nations possessing this kind of missile technology under his watch. “It won't happen”, Trump had tweeted in January.

THE presidential elections in Iran on May 19 saw the re-election of President Hassan Rouhani for a second term of office. As was widely expected by most Iranian observers, this was the most convenient outcome for the theocratic regime in Tehran. The election, from the opening of nominations, the vetting of candidates, the televised debates, during a three-week-long campaign, followed the normal practice of a carefully state-managed show.

WITH the Daesh (Islamic State) in retreat and the Syrian army and allied militias advancing all over Syria to recapture national territory, the Americans and their proxy forces have also started redoubling their efforts to foil Syrian reunification. The Syrian army, supported by the Russian air force is advancing towards Raqqa, the “capital” of the self proclaimed Islamic State. Mosul has been declared a liberated city in the second week of July by the Iraqi prime minister, Haider al Abadi. The city has been reduced to rubble with thousands killed and tens of thousands more made homeless.

INDIA and Pakistan formally became the latest members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at the latest summit of the grouping held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, in the second week of June. The two countries had enjoyed observer status in the organisation for many years and have now been elevated to full membership. Iran is the next country that is expected to join the grouping in the near future. The original members of the grouping initially known as the Shanghai Five that was established in 1995 were Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

THE attempt by Saudi Arabia and its allies in the region to isolate and undermine the Emirate of Qatar, seems to be failing. The American military establishment, despite President Donald Trump's repeated tweets supporting the Saudi position, seems to have decided against regime change in the Emirate. The evidence of this is the signing of a $12 billion deal by the Americans to sell 36 F-15 fighter jets to Qatar. Even within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Oman and Kuwait are not supporting the Saudi move for regime change in Qatar.