India Seizes Shadow Fleet Tankers — and BRICS Begins to Break
In an historic realignment, India quietly tilts toward America — and Moscow, Tehran, and Beijing feel the heat. The consequences could reshape the balance of power for the rest of the century.
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by Rod D. Martin
February 24, 2026
Sometimes, major historical shifts are virtually invisible. That’s what just happened in India, and it upends 80 years of geopolitical calculus.
80 years is a very, very long time.
So here’s what happened. The Indian Ministry of Defense posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Indian Navy has been carrying out raids and capturing Shadow Fleet vessels in India's Exclusive Economic Zone, starting on February 5th. About an hour later, someone deleted the post.
Hardly anyone noticed: Peter Zeihan, me, a handful of others. But then Reuters and the Wall Street Journal (neither of which gave it serious coverage) confirmed the key details. It’s really happening, in the plural.
Why should you care? A little background will help.
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