Lakshmi Iyer has reported from West Asia and North Africa for two decades. Her writing draws on a dense network of sources across the region to explain how its fault lines are moving — and why each tremor matters for India's energy, diaspora, and security interests.
Recent work
Britain Expands Crisis Response Capabilities as India Shapes Global Health Governance
The UK has launched a Multi-Hazard Research Network to strengthen outbreak response and crisis preparedness, committing £5 million for Ebola research. This Western-led initiative emerges as India advances South-South cooperation in global health governance through BRICS and multilateral platforms.
Hiroshima Art Project Confronts Nuclear Memory as India Navigates Deterrence Diplomacy
Eighty years after Hiroshima, artist Sandy Walker's memorial project raises questions about how nuclear powers like India balance historical memory with strategic deterrence doctrines. The artistic work transforms atomic catastrophe into intimate remembrance, creating friction with contemporary nuclear diplomacy.
UN Peacekeepers Face Drone Threats as Lebanon Security Deteriorates
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon reports that drone activity and explosions involving Hezbollah and Israeli forces are endangering peacekeeping personnel in southern Lebanon. India, as a major troop contributor to UNIFIL, faces direct risks to its military personnel while balancing its peacekeeping commitments with personnel safety concerns.
India Elevates Vietnam Partnership as South China Sea Tensions Rise
India has upgraded its relationship with Vietnam to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the highest level of bilateral engagement, during Vietnamese President To Lam's state visit. The elevation reflects India's strategic push to counter Chinese influence in the South China Sea and strengthen maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.