Geostrategic Media Political Commentary, Analysis, Security, Defense
Dimitra Staikou On August 11, 2026, the World Bank expressed serious dissatisfaction with how Pakistani authorities were managing funds linked to housing reconstruction for flood victims in Balochistan. According to Pakistan’s Dawn, the dispute emerged after funding for resilient housing was capped and resources redirected toward infrastructure projects. …
August, 2026
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20 August
Setting the Record Straight: Al Mayadeen’s Misrepresentation of the PKK and Komala
Hadi Elis Al Mayadeen should correct what appears to be a significant misidentification in its recent reporting concerning the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Iranian Kurdish political organizations. The article, “PKK Digs Trenches Along Iran Border After Redeployment,” appears to conflate the PKK with Komala, an Iranian Kurdish …
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19 August
Trump says no talks with Iran underway or scheduled
Berk Kutay Gokmen and Yasin Gungor US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no talks with Iran were underway or planned, adding the Strait of Hormuz remained open under Washington’s naval blockade. “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” …
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19 August
Israel issues tender for illegal E. Jerusalem settlement units in breach of promise, rights groups say
Zein Khalil and Mohammad Sio The Israeli government broke a commitment over the controversial E1 illegal settlement project in occupied East Jerusalem by issuing a tender for 1,234 illegal settlement units without notifying petitioners who had challenged the project in court, three Israeli rights groups said Tuesday. In …
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19 August
Tehran accuses US of ‘squeezing Iran’ in effort to wrest concessions that were ‘never part’ of framework agreement
US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of War Hegseth are ‘way out of their league,’ says Iran’s parliament speaker Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf has blasted US officials for “squeezing Iran” with the aim of wresting concessions that he says were “never part” of a framework …
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13 August
CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Iranian threat before Trump switched planes in Türkiye: Report
US intelligence officials had doubts about the credibility of an alleged Iranian assassination threat against President Donald Trump that was relayed by Israel and contributed to an extraordinary security operation during his departure from Türkiye last month, The Washington Post reported Wednesday. Citing current and former US officials …
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13 August
Lula Calls Marco Rubio a “Frustrated Latin American”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized U.S. Secretary of State and Republican Marco Rubio, calling him a “frustrated Latin American.” In a speech at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, the Brazilian president attributed part of the problems …
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13 August
The Guardian: “Israel” Rejects Withdrawal from Gaza
At the end of July, Donald Trump announced that a “monumental” U.S.-backed agreement had been reached on Gaza, asserting that Hamas would be gradually disarmed in parallel with an Israeli military withdrawal. Three days later, another Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip was reported, killing 18 people. Suspicions …
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13 August
Hezbollah is changing the rules of the game in South Lebanon: Maariv
Israeli newspaper Maariv said the explosive blast that killed two Israeli soldiers in Majdal Zoun, southern Lebanon, signals a troubling shift for “Israel”, describing it as evidence that Hezbollah is “changing the rules of the game,” an assessment the paper said has rattled the Israeli military. Maariv said …
