In a rare double-whammy, I have two new articles out today, the first examining the durability of the Russia-Iran alliance (at Prospect Magazine), the second looking at the surprising drop in civilian casualties in Afghanistan last year (at National Review).

Read my latest, which argues that Pakistan has gravitated away from the US and its allies, cultivating stronger ties with China and other countries outside the western bloc. This deprives the US of leverage and might undermine President Trump’s desire to pressurize Pakistan into changing its policies. (Thanks to the Center for Research & Security Studies in Islamabad, which also ran the piece on their website here).