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Iran Tests the New Administration
On 18 January, Iran detained businessman Emad Sharghi, preventing his alleged attempt to “flee” the country. Sharghi, a dual Iranian-American citizen who works for a UAE-based aviation brokerage firm, has been harassed by Iranian authorities in the past, and was imprisoned previously in 2018. In November 2020, Sharghi was convicted without a trial of espionage by Abdolqasem Salavati, a controversial Iranian judge who has convicted numerous dissidents. Salavati is part of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Courts system, a parallel judiciary that handles cases relating to regime security. Established in 1979, the Revolutionary Courts have overseen numerous domestic purges, acting akin to the Soviet Union’s NKVD-operated secret court system during the 1930s. Although Sharghi was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison in November and arrested in December, he was soon released on bail.
Considering the Continental Dimension of the Indo-Pacific: The Mongolian Precedent
The Indo-Pacific is now the site of global great-power competition and contestation. And, as a reflection of its growing importance in international discourse, a number of extra-regional actors adopted the concept last year. Among those adoptees, Mongolia set a unique precedent for the regional security discourse to actively consider the continental dimension of the Indo-Pacific by highlighting geopolitical convergences with other regional actors, and the strategic threat posed by Beijing’s “Silk Road Economic Belt”.
Mongolia in the Indo-Pacific
Actors who have adopted the Indo-Pacific concept vaguely define it as beginning in the Arabian Sea and ending in the Western Pacific Ocean. Much of the discourse is also driven by the US-China strategic competition in Southeast Asia, and the US’ attempt to counter Chinese influence in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, along with its regional partners an
Pakistan Navy conducts fleet annual efficiency competition parade upon culmination of operational year
Islamabad, December 31, 2020 (PPI-OT):Pakistan Navy Fleet Annual Efficiency Competition Parade was held at Pakistan Navy Dockyard, Karachi. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Upon his arrival, the Chief Guest was received by Commander Pakistan Fleet, Rear Admiral Naveed Ashraf.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff expressed complete satisfaction over operational readiness of Pakistan Navy Fleet and lauded the dedication and professionalism of officers and men for successfully achieving significant operational objectives and milestones. The Admiral commended PN Fleet’s efforts and contributions towards regional maritime security and protection of Pakistan’s Sea Lines of Communication.
Tread warily on Maritime Theatre Command – Indian Defence Research Wing idrw.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from idrw.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Group Captain Murli Menon (retd)
Defence analyst
THE historical backdrop to India’s penchant for theaterisation goes back to the 1999 Kargil war and the two committees that followed headed by K Subrahmanyam and Naresh Chandra which made a slew of recommendations to the government regarding higher defence management. The creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was prime among those recommendations and the incumbent can be seen at work now, the latest salvo being the Integrated Maritime Theatre study by the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) that is due for submission shortly. This study supposedly recommends the creation of the Maritime Theatre Command (MTC), earlier referred to as the Peninsular Theatre Command. Be that as it may, the ongoing border stand-off with China threatens to reinforce India’s land-oriented war focus.