The United States should temper its expectations as to what it can achieve in Central Asia. The October 19 C5+1 summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan advanced the diplomatic framework for US-Central Asian cooperation. Trade, critical minerals, transport links,...

Former PKK fighters could join Iran’s Kurdish insurgency, strengthening PJAK and threatening to destabilize the Iran–Iraq–Türkiye border region. Iraq and Türkiye face growing security risks, as renewed Kurdish militancy could undermine Ankara’s peace process, Iraqi sovereignty, and regional energy infrastructure. Washington faces a strategic dilemma, as supporting Kurdish militants against Iran could alienate NATO ally...

A U.S. ground invasion of Iran could become a military catastrophe, with difficult terrain, entrenched defenses, and the risk of prolonged guerrilla warfare. An invasion could send oil prices toward $200 per barrel, worsening inflation and imposing enormous economic and military costs. Diplomacy offers a less destructive alternative. The ghosts of Baghdad and Kabul should...