IINA: Weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz: Naval Mines and the Spread of Economic Coercion

The United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran in late February 2026, prompting Iran to retaliate with attacks on US military bases and infrastructure in neighboring countries. A ceasefire remains in place as of May 21, but the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues, inflicting major damage to the global economy.

By Yasuhiro Kawakami, Director and Senior Research Fellow, General Affairs ＆ Networking Program, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

SPF China Observer: Satellite Imagery Analysis - China’s Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Facility Begins Operation — Progress Toward Establishing a Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Satellite imagery has confirmed that the first plant of a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility under construction in inland Gansu Province, China, has likely commenced operation.

SPF China Observer: A Concert of Free Nations and the CPTPP ―A Vision of World Order in the Era of Post-unipolar U.S. Hegemony―

1. Introduction: A concert of free nations and Trump’s diplomacy U.S. President Donald Trump’s diplomacy has caused Western allies’ long-held concern about over-dependence on unipolar U.S. hegemony to become reality.