The author argues that the economic fallout is being driven by a deliberate shift away from Western financial systems, noting that Iran’s Shetab network was integrated with Russia’s Mir card system, making Visa, Mastercard irrelevant.

The author argues that over the past decade, the UAE, especially Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has evolved into more than an oil-backed monarchy. It has positioned itself as a global logistics crossroads, financial hub, technology centre, and crucially, a low-tax, high-security destination for global capital.

The author argues that western multilateralism is an order led by the United States and the West, based on alliance systems and characterised by value exclusivity.