Friday 13 March 2026 The emergence of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has coincided with an unusual revelation: the existence of a significant portfolio of luxury property in London apparently connected to him through intermediaries and financial proxies. These holdings, together with the complex web of offshore companies and banking relationships through which they appear to have been acquired, offer a revealing window into the shadowy financial system

Friday 13 March 2026 In recent weeks the United Kingdom’s Defence Secretary John Healey has convened the defence ministers and military representatives of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) to discuss coordinated measures to degrade Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and merchant vessels. These ships, frequently operating under opaque ownership structures and flags of convenience, have become a central instrument by which Russia circumvents Western sanctions im

Friday 13 March 2026 The unfolding conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has reminded governments and consumers alike of a truth that was once painfully obvious during the oil crises of the twentieth century: when geopolitical instability weighs heavily upon energy markets, economies and societies suffer alike. In recent days crude oil prices have surged sharply as tensions in the Middle East disrupt exports through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for globa

Friday 13 March 2026 In moments of acute geopolitical tension the map exerts an irresistible pull on the military imagination. Small places begin to loom large. Narrow waterways become decisive. Islands acquire an importance out of proportion to their physical scale. One such place is Kharg Island, a rocky outcrop lying some twenty-five kilometres off the Iranian coast in the northern Persian Gulf. For decades it has been the principal terminal through which Iran exports the

Wednesday 11 March 2026 When missiles fall, geography matters. So do expectations. So does preparation. The recent Iranian bombardment of targets across the Gulf — including reported strikes or attempted strikes in and around Dubai — has produced a torrent of images: shaken skyscrapers, disrupted flights, foreign residents crowding into hotel basements, influencers broadcasting from dimly lit corridors as sirens wail over the desert. For many in the Gulf this is the first exp

Wednesday 11 March 2026 There is a particular illusion, fostered by cinema and sometimes by bravado, that driving in a war zone is a matter of speed and courage alone — foot hard to the floor, engine screaming, the road a blur between incoming rounds. In truth contemporary conflict has rendered that mythology obsolete. Modern war zones are not defined only by artillery and ambush, but by drones, electronic surveillance, precision munitions and ubiquitous digital traceability.