Middle East

After the successful US regime-change military action in Venezuela, it appears Washington is aiming for a similar endeavor again—this time in the Middle East against Iran. Mass mobilization of US military assets—most notably the deployment of a naval armada in the Arabian Sea, the forward deployment of the …

Sandra Bullocci The second round of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran concluded in Geneva on Tuesday under the rhetoric of “guiding principles,” as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi phrased it. A U.S. official confirmed that “progress was made,” yet cautioned that “a lot of details …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh There are moments in history when the world does not advance—it holds its breath. Such is the present hour between the United States and the Iran: an interval suspended between thunder and silence, where war is not declared, yet peace is not confessed. The air …

Robert Boston In Geneva this week, the United States and Iran returned to a familiar table—though not to familiar ground. Indirect nuclear negotiations began Tuesday under Omani mediation, bringing together U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. President Donald Trump signaled he …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh There are moments in protracted conflicts when the vocabulary changes before the maps do, when administrative adjustments quietly outrun diplomacy, and when legal instruments become more decisive than armored brigades; February 13, 2026 may prove to be such a moment, as the Israeli Security Cabinet …

Mohammed Ayoob Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in a close-up photo. The Saudi royal’s relationship with his counterpart UAE president Mohammed bin Zayed has deteriorated over the last half-decade. (Shutterstock/Fotofield) While the chances of direct conflict between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are slim, the …

Stavros Atlamazoglou British Secretary of Defense John Healy recently announced that the British military contingent in Norway would double in the next three years from 1,000 troops to 2,000. A Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) of the UK’s Royal Marines conducting Live Firing Tactical Training during Winter Deployment …

Omar H. Rahman President Donald Trump’s maximalist demands on Iran are making the chances of US intervention more likely. A US F-35 fighter jet takes off. F-35 fighter jets may be used in a US strike on Iran ( Shutterstock/Gece333). Escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran appear to …

While the world fixates on tariffs, sanctions, and military posturing, a quieter shift is reshaping international influence. At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, Brand Finance launched its 2026 Global Soft Power Index and the results tell a story that runs counter to almost everything dominating …