Essays

A Systems Thinking Analysis of the Hormuz Crisis and Structural Inflation

By Ahmed E. Souaiaia, PhD The prevailing narrative from the Trump administration—that the surge in energy prices following U.S. and Israeli military attack on Iran is merely a “temporary” anomaly—fails to account for the fundamental laws of complex systems. By viewing the conflict through a linear lens (Action → Reaction → Resolution), policymakers have overlooked Read more

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The Convergence of Maoist Protracted War Theory and Iranian Mosaic Defense Doctrine

Asymmetric Endurance Abstract In the contemporary landscape of geopolitical conflict, the disparity between conventional military power and asymmetric resistance has necessitated the evolution of strategic doctrines that prioritize endurance over immediate victory. This article examines the Iranian strategic framework known as “Mosaic Defense,” analyzing its structural and theoretical alignment with the classical principles of protracted Read more

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Why Military Superiority Cannot Secure US Victory in Iran

The Paradox of Power By Ahmed Souaiaia In the annals of modern conflict, a persistent fallacy plagues the strategic calculus of superpowers: the belief that kinetic dominance equates to political victory. As the United States and Israel engage in escalated hostilities against Iran, the Trump administration faces a stark reality that transcends the battlefield. While Read more

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A Historic Shift: US voters sympathize more with Palestinians than Israelis for first time

In a notable departure from decades of consistent polling data, American public opinion on the Middle East conflict has reached a turning point. For the first time in more than twenty years, a greater share of U.S. adults express sympathy for the Palestinian people than for Israel, signaling a profound evolution in the nation’s political Read more

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Trump’s “Mission Accomplished” Moment

How the Iran Nuclear Pretext Reveals a Broader Agenda of Coercion In the annals of modern geopolitical theater, few phrases carry as much ironic baggage as “mission accomplished.” Eight months after the United States launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities under the codename “Operation Midnight Hammer,” President Donald Trump finds himself in a rhetorical loop: Read more

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The Enduring Scars of Expedient Bigotry

How Primary Politics Institutionalizes Prejudice Against American Muslims American democracy faces a profound paradox: the very mechanisms designed to ensure representative governance—the primary election system—have become accelerants of corrosive rhetoric that inflicts lasting damage upon the nation’s social fabric. In the pursuit of narrow electoral victories, political actors increasingly deploy narratives rooted in fear, misinformation, Read more

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The Doctrine of Unconstrained Will

Trump’s U.S. Foreign Policy Revealed As of 2026, the United States under the second Trump administration has executed a foreign policy revolution. The events are stark, documented, and without modern precedent: the successful military abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, now imprisoned in a federal facility awaiting trial; the transformation of Syrian jihadist commander Abu Read more

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Why the Saudi–UAE Rift in Yemen Matters for the Gulf

What was once carefully managed behind closed doors has now spilled into the open. The escalating dispute between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over Yemen marks one of the most serious ruptures within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) since the 2017–2021 crisis with Qatar. This time, however, the stakes may be even higher: Read more

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Sanctions, Capability Formation, and the Paradox of Economic Pressure

Abstract Nanotechnology has emerged as a foundational scientific domain with wide-ranging implications for medicine, materials science, energy systems, and industrial productivity. This research note examines how sustained, coordinated investment in scientific infrastructure, human capital, and research-to-production integration can enable a country to achieve global competitiveness in an advanced field despite structural constraints. Using Iran’s development Read more

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