Major General (Dr) S B Asthana, SM,VSM,PhD

Major General (Dr) S B Asthana, SM,VSM,PhD is Globally acknowledged Strategic and Security Analyst, Ph.D. from JNU, has authored over 450 publications. Veteran Infantry General with 45 years of experience at national and varied international fields. Former Director General Infantry in Indian Army. Held various key appointments in Army and United Nations. Director Courses, USI of India, the oldest think tank of India. TV commentator having participated in over 2000 TV shows globally. Speaker in various Strategic, Military forums, UN Organisations, Think tanks and Universities.Interviewed by various National and International news channels/newspapers/organisations on strategic, military and UN related subjects. Currently On Governing/Security Council Confederation of Education Excellence CEE, International Organisation of Education Development (IOED), and other UN Organisations. On Advisory Board of Global Advisors Consultants Corporation, IOED representative in UN Headquarters, Vienna, Austria. Distinguished Expert, Bharat Centre of Canada. Advisor Amity University, Bharat Media LLC, USA, former member Expert Group Challenges Forum, Sweden. Awarded twice by President of India, twice by UN, CEE excellence award for Nation building by Governor of Haryana. Awarded for “International Diplomacy and Global Conflict Resolutions” by IOED twice, a Consultative body for ECOSOC and International Police Commission – IPC India, by former Prime Minister of Moldova.

Joined: February 21, 2016
Articles: 247
Comments: 1

Articles/opinion, Defence Strategy and Operational Art, Hybrid Warfare, Internatioanl, International Affairs, Land Warfare, Middle East, Military History and Conflict Studies, Multi Domain Warfare, Publications, Strategic & Defence Analysis, United States

The Iran Deal Mirage: From Switzerland and Beyond!

The US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2026 and subsequent negotiations in Switzerland have generated cautious optimism. However, beneath the diplomatic headlines lies a deeper strategic reality. In this analysis, Major General (Dr.) S B Asthana examines why the fundamental objectives of Washington, Tel Aviv and Tehran remain irreconcilable, making any future agreement inherently fragile. Drawing upon military strategy, geopolitical realities and regional dynamics, the article explores the JCPOA-plus paradox, the role of Hormuz, the Lebanon fault line, and the implications for India. Sharing the latest analysis from the author.

Major General (Dr) S B Asthana, SM,VSM,PhD
June 25, 2026

Articles/opinion, Defence Strategy and Operational Art, Indo-Pacific, International Affairs, Military History and Conflict Studies, Publications, Strategic & Defence Analysis, UN and International Organisations, United States

Xi, Trump, Kim and the New Nuclear Normal

"North Korea is no longer merely a nuclear challenge. It risks becoming the precedent."
North Korea has evolved from an isolated security concern into a central player in twenty-first century geopolitics.

As strategic competition between the United States, China and Russia intensifies, Pyongyang has leveraged nuclear deterrence, geopolitical balancing and economic adaptation to transform itself from a sanctioned outlier into a consequential actor within an emerging multipolar order.

This article examines why Donald Trump adopted a comparatively restrained approach towards Kim Jong Un, how Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have reshaped North Korea's strategic environment, whether the country's economy is more resilient than commonly perceived, and why the Korean precedent may encourage future nuclear ambitions in Iran, Japan and South Korea.

Most importantly, it explores whether the international community has quietly shifted from preventing nuclear proliferation to merely managing it.

Major General (Dr) S B Asthana, SM,VSM,PhD
June 17, 2026

Articles/opinion, Defence and Military Affairs, Defence Strategy and Operational Art, Domestic Affairs, Hybrid Warfare, Internatioanl, International Affairs, Interviews & Media, Land Warfare, Middle East, Military History and Conflict Studies, Multi Domain Warfare, National Strategy, Publications, Strategic & Defence Analysis, UN and International Organisations, United States

The Iran War & Global Disruption: Interview of Major General Dr. S B Asthana by FPRC, India, Issue 66.

Read the verbatim FPRC Journal 66 interview with Major General Dr. S B Asthana on the Iran War, Trump’s coercive diplomacy, Netanyahu's political survival, and the realistic compulsions behind India's strategic silence after the tragic MT Settebello strikes.

Major General (Dr) S B Asthana, SM,VSM,PhD
June 16, 2026

Articles/opinion, Books, China, Defence and Military Affairs, Defence Strategy and Operational Art, Domestic Affairs, Hybrid Warfare, Indo-Pacific, International Affairs, Multi Domain Warfare, National Policies, National Strategy, Publications, South Asia, Strategic & Defence Analysis

From Sea Lanes to Strategic Fault-lines: Big Power Contestation and Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean

A strategic geopolitical map of the Indian Ocean Region highlighting key maritime transit routes, regional nations, and critical security zones discussed in the research.

How the Indian Ocean is transforming from a vital transit zone into a complex arena of great-power competition—and what it means for India’s strategic future.

Major General (Dr) S B Asthana, SM,VSM,PhD
June 10, 2026

Articles/opinion, China, Defence and Military Affairs, Defence Strategy and Operational Art, Domestic Affairs, Hybrid Warfare, Indo-Pacific, Internal Security, Internatioanl, International Affairs, Interviews & Media, Land Warfare, Middle East, Military History and Conflict Studies, Multi Domain Warfare, National, National Policies, National Strategy, Publications, South Asia, Strategic & Defence Analysis, Talks

From Shivaji’s Ganimi Kava to the Strait of Hormuz: How Asymmetric Warfare Shapes Modern Conflict

A podcast video screenshot of Maj Gen Asthana gesturing with a raised claw-hand, demonstrating the hidden 'Wagh Nakh' (tiger claw) tactic of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to explain asymmetrical and grey-zone warfare strategies in the Indian Ocean.

From Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's 'Wagh Nakh' tactic to modern grey-zone operations: Maj Gen Asthana breaks down the new rules of engagement in the Indian Ocean on @AsthanaWrites.