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Balancing on the Brink: Pakistan’s Mediating Role in the US-Iran Conflict

Sadia Sulaiman - 29 Apr 2026

Decision-Making in Crisis: Trump, Iran, and the Risks of Escalation

Dr. Kristian Alexander - 29 Apr 2026

The Double-Edged Sword of Decentralization in Contemporary Warfare

Sinduja Umandi W. Jayaratne - 28 Apr 2026

Access to the Straits of Hormuz, transit fees, and the International Law of the Sea

Dr. Stephen Blackwell - 23 Apr 2026

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Featured Publications

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Balancing on the Brink: Pakistan’s Mediating Role in the US-Iran Conflict

Sadia Sulaiman

Sadia Sulaiman

Decision-Making in Crisis: Trump, Iran, and the Risks of Escalation

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

The Double-Edged Sword of Decentralization in Contemporary Warfare

Sinduja Umandi W. Jayaratne

Sinduja Umandi W. Jayaratne

Access to the Straits of Hormuz, transit fees, and the International Law of the Sea

Dr. Stephen Blackwell

Dr. Stephen Blackwell

Strategic Restraint in a Volatile Ocean: Sri Lanka’s Neutrality Dilemma amidst the US & Israel Vs Iran War

Sinduja Umandi W. Jayaratne

Sinduja Umandi W. Jayaratne

How Technology is Changing Strategic Intelligence: Ancient Espionage to Modern Cyber-Physical Surprise

Dr. Petros Violakis

Dr. Petros Violakis

The Rise and Demise of Iran’s Shahid Soleimani-Class Corvettes

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

Insurability as Power: Reframing Control in the Strait of Hormuz

Dr. Jessica Kate Simonds

Dr. Jessica Kate Simonds

Long Memories And Deep Grievances: The State Of Diplomatic Relations Between France And Algeria In Light Of Demands For Reparations.

Sinduja Umandi W. Jayaratne

Sinduja Umandi W. Jayaratne

Iran's Military Operations at the Next Level: Decentralised Coercion and Transnational Destabilisation Threat

Dr. Petros Violakis

Dr. Petros Violakis

Chokepoint Under Pressure: Maritime Security, Legal Ambiguity, and Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Counter-Drone Measures and Gulf Security: Lessons from the War in Ukraine against Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Mohamed Nabil El-Bandary

Mohamed Nabil El-Bandary

US – ISRAEL VS IRAN: LONG MEMORIES, HARD POWER, AND THE LOGIC OF ESCALATION

Sinduja Umandi W. Jayaratne

Sinduja Umandi W. Jayaratne

Dr. Jacob Thomas-Llewellyn

Dr. Jacob Thomas-Llewellyn

When Insurers Closed the Gulf: What the Hormuz Crisis Means for the UAE

Dr. John Hatzadony

Dr. John Hatzadony

Calm Under Fire: What the UAE Gets Right About Total Defence

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Introduction of Drones to Militants: Changing Tactics of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

Sadia Sulaiman

Sadia Sulaiman

Reforming Process, Ignoring Economics: the Limits of Trump’s Latest Defense Acquisition Reform.

Martin Novella

Martin Novella

A Strategic Sea of Change for ASEAN’s Maritime Security?

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Charting a Credible Course for Malaysia’s Naval Modernisation

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Germany’s Military Service Reform: A Recalibration of Defence and Society

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Setting the Regional Agenda for ASEAN in 2026: Can Manila Advance the Conclusion of the South China Sea Code of Conduct?

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Hard Power Returns: Strategic Lessons from the World Economic Forum 2026 in a Fragmenting Global Order

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

The Changing Character of War: What it Means for Small States

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Call them Remotely Commanded Aircraft Systems

Dr. Olli Pekka Suorsa

Dr. Olli Pekka Suorsa

Reserve Forces and Strategic Depth in the Gulf

Dr. John Bruni

Dr. John Bruni

Towards a Joint Gulf Defence Shield – The GCC’s New Security Calculus after the Doha Strike

Francesco Salesio Schiavi

Francesco Salesio Schiavi

Terrorism and Artificial Intelligence: A Rapidly Evolving Threat

Dr. Pierre Boussel

Dr. Pierre Boussel

New Security Architecture: South Caucasus’ Expanding Ties with the Middle East

Emil Avdaliani

Emil Avdaliani

Understanding Canada's Defence and Security Policy in the Middle East

Hippolyte Eric Djounguep

Hippolyte Eric Djounguep

Below the Military Threshold: How Legal Terrorism Tools Reshape U.S.-Mexico Security

Dr. Francisco Javier Rojas

Dr. Francisco Javier Rojas

A Region Defined by Unfinished Conflicts Rather Than Resolution

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Total Defence and the UAE: Building a Whole-of-Nation Shield for an Uncertain Era

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Shadow Fleets: How a Parallel Shipping System Became a Strategic Security Risk

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

A Shock to the International System: What does the Capture of Venezuela’s President mean for Global Security?

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Greenland and the Remaking of Arctic Security

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Winning the First Act: Why Suppressing Venezuelan Air Defences isn’t Enough

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob

Recent Patterns of Online Radicalization Since October 7: Comparative Case Studies from Europe and the U.S., with a GCC Policy Dimension

Dr. Nicolas Stockhammer

Dr. Nicolas Stockhammer

Venezuela, “Absolute Resolve,” and the Return of Coercive U.S. Statecraft in the Western Hemisphere

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

The Expanding Role of the Combined Maritime Forces in the Middle East’s Maritime Security

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

Prospects of Armenia- Azerbaijan Lasting Peace

Dr. Anna Dolidze

Dr. Anna Dolidze

Iran and Emerging New Security Order in the Horn of Africa

Emil Avdaliani

Emil Avdaliani

The Complexities Behind a Gulf Energy Transition: Declining Fossil Fuel Export Revenues and Security Implications

Fares Arafat

Fares Arafat

Heat Waves and Security in a Warming Century: Reframing a Systems Threat

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

From Mimicry to Guardianship: Rethinking Russia’s Conflict Management through an Evolutionary Perspective

Dr. Giulio Levorato

Dr. Giulio Levorato

The DRC-Rwanda Peace Deal: A Pathway to Peace in Central Africa

Dr. Samuel Ramani

Dr. Samuel Ramani

Non-State Actors with Tech and Tactics: A Case Study of Houthis in Yemen

Sadia Sulaiman

Sadia Sulaiman

Contested Logistics and its Criticality for Operational Effectiveness in Major Conflict Zones

Dr. Ronald Ti

Dr. Ronald Ti

The Rise of the Satellites: How Geospatial Intelligence is Transforming The Security Sector

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

The Geostrategic Dimensions of Egyptian-Chinese Military Cooperation in a Turbulent Middle East

Mohamed Nabil El-Bandary

Mohamed Nabil El-Bandary

The Case for Interagency-Cooperation: With Rising Security Threats, Agencies Must Overcome Rivalries

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Stability and Strategic Engagement: Managing Foreign Fighters and China-Syria Relations in a Post-Assad Era

Dr. Alessandro Arduino

Dr. Alessandro Arduino

AI Gaps in Countering Extremism: Limitations of Arabic Monitoring Tools and Implementation Challenges

Mahra AlNeyadi

Mahra AlNeyadi

How the Israel-Iran hostilities shaped Africa’s Geopolitics, Markets and Security – Opportunities and Enduring Lessons

Hubert Kinkoh

Hubert Kinkoh

Security Strategy in the Context of Shifting Power Sources

Ryan R. Swan

Ryan R. Swan

How Ukraine’s Unmanned Surface Vessels Have Reshaped Modern Naval Warfare in the Black Sea

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

The International Law of the Sea, the Straits of Hormuz and regional security

Dr. Stephen Blackwell

Dr. Stephen Blackwell

Geopolitical implications of the GCC-Central Asia partnership

Dr. Fabio Indeo

Dr. Fabio Indeo

Seeing What We Want to See: How Cognitive Biases Distort Security Assessments

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Iran’s military-industrial complex: weaponizing constraints

Martin Novella

Martin Novella

Aviation Security 24 Years After 9/11: Are the Skies Safer?

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Beyond Barriers: Rethinking Border Security through a Multi-Dimensional Lens

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Evolution of Türkiye’s Defense Industry: Drivers and its Nexus with Foreign Policy

Dr. Saban Kardas

Dr. Saban Kardas

The Next Battlefield: Why Space Terrorism is No Longer Fiction

Dr. Pierre Boussel

Dr. Pierre Boussel

Fighting from the Shadows: The Strategic and Tactical Significance of Underground Networks in Modern Warfare

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Reimagining Air Superiority: Collaborative Combat Systems for a Contested Battlespace

Mark Allworthy

Mark Allworthy

Intelligent Immersion: Integrating AI and XR for Enhanced Military Training and Decision-Making

Jeremy Dalton

Jeremy Dalton

Top Geopolitical Trends in 2025: A world with more confrontation?

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

The Menace from Above – Lessons on Evolving Missile Defense for the Gulf

Francesco Salesio Schiavi

Francesco Salesio Schiavi

RSDI builds global bridges while advancing regional security dialogues

Sara Alzaabi

Sara Alzaabi

Terrorism Without Borders: Global Trends, Digital Tools, and Regional Hotspots

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Securing the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Risks, Realities, and Mitigation in a Tricontinental Mega Event

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

UAE’s ‘Balanced’ Diplomacy in the Resurgent BRICS

Dr. Ron Matthews

Dr. Ron Matthews

Maritime Engagement and Persistent Presence: Rethinking Naval Strategy and Effects in the UK’s Indo-Pacific Posture

Dr. Yee Kuang Heng

Dr. Yee Kuang Heng

China’s Aerospace Industry on the March: A Report From China’s International Airshow and Aerospace Exhibition 2024

Dr. Olli Pekka Suorsa

Dr. Olli Pekka Suorsa

The Strategic Significance of Mid-Range One-Way Strike UAVs: Lessons from the War in Ukraine

Ik Joon Min

Ik Joon Min

The Illicit Trade in African Wildlife: Scale, Drivers, and Global Security Implications

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Ports as Critical Gateways for Illicit Trade: The Convergence of Trade Hubs and Criminal Networks

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

The New Economics of Defence Industrial Policy

Martin Novella

Martin Novella

When the Stingers Get Stung: Effective Interoperability during Cyber Scam Mass Arrests

Prof. Dr. James Patrick Welch

Prof. Dr. James Patrick Welch

Defense Transformation: Prospects for Localizing and Developing the Defense Industries in the United Arab Emirates

Mohamed Nabil El-Bandary

Mohamed Nabil El-Bandary

Tropical Cyclones in the South-West Indian Ocean – assessing societal readiness and post-disaster recovery

Ryan Adeline

Ryan Adeline

Belligerent Sanctuaries and Small Nuclear Weapons

Peter Layton

Peter Layton

Chinese Private Security Companies and Infrastructure Resilience in China’s Near-Abroad: Pakistan and Myanmar

Dr. Alessandro Arduino

Dr. Alessandro Arduino

Anaklya Port and Great Powers: Competition Over the New Eurasian Gem

Dr. Anna Dolidze

Dr. Anna Dolidze

The Complexities of the EU-Gulf Energy Relations: Divergent Energy Strategy Pathways

Dr. Farkhod Aminjonov

Dr. Farkhod Aminjonov

Dr. Fabio Indeo

Dr. Fabio Indeo

The United States and the Russia-China Military-Security Partnership

Emil Avdaliani

Emil Avdaliani

A New Technology Game with Old Warfare Rules: How AI and Quantum Computing will Impact War in the 21st Century

Dr. Luigi Martino

Dr. Luigi Martino

Orbiting Uncertainty: The Risks and Realities of Space Security

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Arctic Crosscurrents: Greenland in the Era of Strategic Realignment

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Fake News, Hate Speech, and Extremism: Digital Threats to Security

Eitan Charnoff

Eitan Charnoff

Top Geopolitical Trends in 2025: A World With More Fragmentation

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Navigating Hazards: How Maritime Incidents Challenge U.S. Navy’s Operations in the Middle East

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

The Rise of Digital Diplomacy: Navigating Influence in a Hyper-Connected World

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Egypt’s Growing Role in Somalia: Implications for Red Sea Security and Regional Balance

Dr. Federico Donelli

Dr. Federico Donelli

From Natural Disaster to National Security: California Wildfires and a Crisis of Climate, Policy, and Politics

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Touring the Zoo of Risk in Times of Trump

Dr. Rasmus Dahlberg

Dr. Rasmus Dahlberg

The Current Terrorist Threat Matrix in Europe: A Trend Overview

Dr. Nicolas Stockhammer

Dr. Nicolas Stockhammer

Elements of Attrition: Traditional vs. outsmarting doctrines

Dr. Hasan Yükselen

Dr. Hasan Yükselen

Trump’s Game: Game Theory and the Trump 2.0 Trade Doctrine

Dr. John Hatzadony

Dr. John Hatzadony

Dr. Mohamad Husam Helmi

Dr. Mohamad Husam Helmi

From Cartels to Terrorists: The U.S. Reframes Mexico’s Security Crisis

Dr. Francisco Javier Rojas

Dr. Francisco Javier Rojas

Somaliland’s bold gamble: Recognition, regional security, and the reordering of the Horn of Africa

Dr. Brendon Cannon

Dr. Brendon Cannon

Threat From the Depths: Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles

Dr. Sitki Egeli

Dr. Sitki Egeli

Gaza’s First Losers: ISIS and Al-Qaeda

Dr. Pierre Boussel

Dr. Pierre Boussel

Threat Inflation and the Politics of Security: From Cold War to Modern Conflicts

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Post Davos 2025: Collaboration For the Intelligent Age

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Leveraging the Trade Policy Component of Energy Security

Ehtesham Shahid

Ehtesham Shahid

Shaping the Future of Peace: The African Union’s Expanding Influence on Global Security Governance

Hubert Kinkoh

Hubert Kinkoh

Southeast Asia Regional Security Outlook in 2025: A Perspective

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Air force resilience planning in this dangerous time

Peter Layton

Peter Layton

From Campaign Rhetoric to Policy Action: Trump’s WHO Withdrawal Explained

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

The Red Sea Shipping Crisis: A Window into the Strengths and Vulnerabilities of Today’s Naval Defense

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

A Sea of Plastic: Navigating the Global Security Implications

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Heterogeneous Airpower Emerges: Implications for Air Forces

Peter Layton

Peter Layton

Trump’s Greenland Gambit: Resources, Geopolitics, and Controversy

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

What does Trump Mean for Africa’s Wars?

Marcel Plichta

Marcel Plichta

The Key Role of Manufacturing in Defence Industrial Policy. What’s Old and What’s New in 2025?

Martin Novella

Martin Novella

Building and deconstructing three levels of undersea cable security in a rivalrous world

Dr. Brendon Cannon

Dr. Brendon Cannon

World Needs to Make Bad Situations Better

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Weaponising Innovation: How Civilian Technologies Fuel Modern Warfare

Dr. Petros Violakis

Dr. Petros Violakis

BACK IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT: AS ASEAN CHAIR, CAN MALAYSIA GET ASEAN BACK ON TRACK?

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

From the Margins to the Mainstream: The Case for Mental Health in Security Studies

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Threats in the Ocean Seabed: Critical Underwater Infrastructure’s Evolving Security

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco

Yahya Sinwar’s Assassination: Evaluating the Impact of Decapitation Strategy on Hamas and Regional Stability

Dr. John Hatzadony

Dr. John Hatzadony

Dr. John Harrison

Dr. John Harrison

Fusing Deontic and Devops: What AI Can Do and Undo in the Security Sector

Ehtesham Shahid

Ehtesham Shahid

The Coming Quantum Revolution in Defence Affairs

Dr. Ashley Andrew Rossiter

Dr. Ashley Andrew Rossiter

Russia’s Africa Strategy: Stagnant or Successful?

Marcel Plichta

Marcel Plichta

The Strategic Imperative of Developing Local Autonomy in Weapons Manufacture

Dr. John Bruni

Dr. John Bruni

Explaining Ethiopia’s Red Sea Gamble: Security, Identity, Economics, and Politics

Dr. Federico Donelli

Dr. Federico Donelli

Securitisation in the South China Sea: Scenario Plotting Analysis based on Indonesia’s Presidential Election in 2024

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Dr. Wan Zokhri Bin Wan Idris

Alliance Knowledge Defence Capabilities: A View from Northern Europe

Dr. Nils Arne Norlander

Dr. Nils Arne Norlander

Rabdan Security and Defence Institute Outlines Busy Agenda for 2025

Sara Alzaabi

Sara Alzaabi

The Resurgence of Mass: Lessons from Modern Warfare

Dr. John Bruni

Dr. John Bruni

Is the public health approach the next policing paradigm? A Case Study from United Kingdom Violence Reduction Units

Dr. Jacqueline Ann Grace Sebire

Dr. Jacqueline Ann Grace Sebire

Securitizing the Paris Games: An Olympian Task

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Dr. Kristian Alexander

Air Combat between Drones Will Soon Be a Reality But it may not look like what you think

Dr. Olli Pekka Suorsa

Dr. Olli Pekka Suorsa

Submit your pitch or inquiries to rsdi@ra.ac.ae. We look forward to collaborating!

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