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September 3, 2025 Xi’s military parade showed just how dangerous China has become With the leaders of Russia, Iran, and North Korea watching, Beijing conducted a massive parade on Wednesday, demonstrating the results of a years-long effort by the Chinese Communist Party to build a military... September 3, 2025 Turkey’s Quiet Relationship with ISIS On June 29, 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State in al-Sham (ISIS), was recorded on video speaking at the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, Iraq. (“Al-Sham” is the traditional Arabic... September 3, 2025 Cutting Cyber Intelligence Undermines National Security America’s cyber intelligence capabilities are being eviscerated while the threats to national security emanating from cyber space are increasing. The latest cuts to the cyber capabilities within the... September 3, 2025 Israel kills 12 top officials in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled government On August 28, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen, killing Prime Minister Ahmed al Rahawi, along with nine ministers and two other top officials... September 3, 2025 Iraqi intel busts Islamic State financial network in West Africa The Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) announced yesterday that it rolled up an Islamic State (IS) financial network that spanned three unspecified West African countries. According to Iraqi media... September 3, 2025 Slain nephew of senior Hamas official was involved in kidnapping Israelis on October 7 The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on September 2 that it had eliminated Hamas member Hazem Awni Naim, who it alleged previously held the now-released Israeli hostages Emily Damari, Romi... September 3, 2025 The fake energy revolution “A clean energy revolution is helping to save this planet.” Thus spoke President Barack Obama in 2015. “The age of fossil fuel is coming to an end. The rise of renewable energy... September 2, 2025 Hezbollah continues exploiting Canadian vehicular theft and money-laundering schemes Last week, the Canadian government issued its 2025 report assessing money laundering and terrorist financing risks in Canada. The report noted that Hezbollah was using both illicit and otherwise... September 2, 2025 Israel prepares for wider Gaza City battle with reservist call-up Israel is preparing to widen its offensive in Gaza to take over parts of Gaza City. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is calling up 60,000 soldiers as part of the preparations for extended fighting.... September 2, 2025 What if Israel Was Right and the Arabs Were Wrong? For over five decades, many Arab leaders have blamed Israel’s alleged intransigence, belligerence, and unfulfilled promises for the persistent failure to achieve Arab-Israeli peace. Yet, Lebanon’s... September 1, 2025 China Is Winning the AI Race With America’s Own Manhattan Project Lessons As both China and the United States commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the close of the Second World War, the echoes of its end reverberate on both sides of the Pacific. While the United... September 1, 2025 Using Human Rights as a Weapon Against Iran The uprising began because of an Iranian woman’s hair. In September 2022, Iran’s morality police arrested and then killed 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Her murder... September 1, 2025 By Tying Ukraine’s Hands, the Pentagon Undermines Trump Excerpt Vladimir Putin’s intransigence isn’t the only problem President Trump faces as he tries to bring peace to Ukraine. He must also deal with an uncooperative Defense Department that undermines... August 31, 2025 The West must back Reza Pahlavi’s Iran transition plan For more than four decades, the Islamic Republic has survived by spreading fear and terror. The lie was simple: if the regime falls, Iran falls into chaos, as the regime’s opponents have no... August 31, 2025 Israel says longtime Hamas spokesperson killed in Gaza City Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Sunday that the military eliminated Hudahaifa al Kahlout, better known as Abu Obeida, the previous day. Obeida was Hamas’s spokesperson and one of the group’s... August 30, 2025 Tehran threatens snapback retaliation, raises fears of war with Israel The United Kingdom, Germany, and France, known as the E3, triggered the “snapback” process on August 28 by sending a letter to the UN Security Council. This move gives Tehran 30 days to... August 29, 2025 Now is not the time for a new nuclear deal with Iran Canada says it wants a new nuclear deal with Iran. Tehran says it wants one too. But their goals are not the same. Iran seeks only an agreement that would enable the regime to advance a nuclear weapons... August 29, 2025 Israel strikes Sanaa amid continuing Houthi missile launches against Israel As the Houthis have continued to launch missiles at Israel, including firing a cluster munition for the first time on August 22, Israel responded with strikes in Houthi-controlled territory on... August 28, 2025 Israel builds new aid centers in Gaza while troops target Hamas On August 28, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that two new humanitarian aid centers are being constructed in Gaza. The method of building these large open-air sites is similar to that used... August 28, 2025 Iran and Terrorism: Empty Gestures or Genuine Change? In a world grappling with persistent threats of terrorism and financial crimes, the international community must not be swayed by superficial gestures. While Tehran’s recent ratification of... August 28, 2025 Qatar’s growing footprint in Africa Qatar has spent the summer of 2025 expanding its financial and political involvement in the African continent. On August 26, Qatari royal Sheikh Mansour bin Jabor bin Jassim al Thani visited Mozambique... August 27, 2025 US allies can halt Iran’s nuke rebuilding scheme NOW — but face a ticking clock President Donald Trump can keep Iran from rebuilding its nuclear weapons program — but he’ll have to act fast. By Friday, the president must spur Britain, France and Germany to trigger the “snapback”... August 27, 2025 Can Syria’s New Leaders and U.S.-Backed Forces Unite to Defeat ISIS? US Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led a delegation to Syria that met with Syria’s transitional President, Ahmed al-Shara’a, on... August 27, 2025 Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: August 18–24, 2025 The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous operations throughout Lebanon against Hezbollah between August 18 and August 24, 2025. While IDF activities were considerably fewer than in previous weeks—perhaps... August 27, 2025 IDF conducts inquiry into strikes near Gaza’s Nasser Hospital On August 25, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted two strikes on an area near Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis. After it emerged that civilians were likely killed in the strikes,... August 27, 2025 The U.N.’s long war against Israel As a foreign correspondent roving around Africa years ago, I often met United Nations personnel. Most were pleasant dinner companions. What they were achieving was usually a mystery. To understand... August 26, 2025 IDF raids West Bank financial institution over links to terrorism The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that a money exchange business in the West Bank city of Ramallah was the target of a counter-terrorism operation under the direction of the Shin Bet intelligence... August 26, 2025 Iran faces a perfect storm of domestic failures Blackouts and dry water taps are nothing new for Iranians, but this year the country’s infrastructure problems have become a true crisis, one that is gripping 90 million people at once. Water scarcity,... August 26, 2025 Turkey’s Push for Regime Change in Syria: The Jihadi Highway Syria’s civil war broke out in March 2011, in reaction to the brutal crackdown by the regime of Bashar al-Asad of popular protests that were part of the wider Arab Spring. In supporting the Syrian... August 26, 2025 Syria’s Agreement with Israel Is Not as Promising as Advertised The world is celebrating the anticipated signing of a security agreement between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Israel, hailed as evidence of Sharaa’s moderation and a departure from his radical... August 25, 2025 Oil holds the key to Ukraine war’s end — if Trump plays hardball President Donald Trump wants to stop the killing in Ukraine, but Russia’s foot-dragging is making it abundantly clear that he’ll need to apply far more pressure before any serious negotiations... August 25, 2025 Turkey implements barriers to prevent shipping to and from Israel The Turkish government is moving to enforce what officials describe as a “full ban on maritime traffic connected to Israel, prohibiting both Israel-flagged or Israel-owned vessels from entering... August 25, 2025 Russia Criminalizes User Searches for ‘Extremist Materials,’ Expanding Digital Repression In mid August, Russian censorship agency Roskomnadzor started “partially restricting” calls on Telegram and WhatsApp. Alongside attempts to completely ban WhatsApp and series of social media... August 25, 2025 Sudanese military chief restructures command, engages US envoy Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) leader General Abdel Fattah al Burhan has announced a major reorganization of senior military officers as he seeks to consolidate control over the military. Meanwhile,... August 24, 2025 Why we should still be terrified of Putin’s rewriting of Russian history While the Alaska summit last week between president Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was brief, the Russian president was sure to make several lengthy references to World War II. While many in the West may roll their eyes and yawn, Putin’s seemingly innocuous remarks were an attempt to manipulate the American leader. August 24, 2025 US-led raid kills senior Islamic State ‘official’ in Syria US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that a raid by US forces killed a “senior ISIS [Islamic State] member” in Atmeh in northwest Syria’s Idlib province on August 19. “Combined Joint... August 23, 2025 Iran Reshuffles the Deck. Will it Matter? What’s old is new again in Iran. Over the course of just one week in August, the Islamic Republic established a new body dubbed the Defense Council, echoing a similarly named entity from... August 22, 2025 US forces begin withdrawal from Ain al Asad airbase as US presence in Iraq transitions Arab media reported on August 18 that a US military convoy departed Ain al Asad airbase, a military facility hosting US forces in western Iraq, on its way to Syria. An Iraqi security source speaking... August 21, 2025 Behind Khamenei’s post-war shake up: Salvaging the remains of the ‘Axis of Resistance’ In his first foreign trip as the new head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani visited Iraq and Lebanon to salvage what remains of the regime’s “axis of resistance.”... August 21, 2025 Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula donates aid to Gaza residents The Shahada News Agency, a propaganda arm of Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, reported on August 19 that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) successfully sent aid to needy Palestinians... August 21, 2025 Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: August 4–17, 2025 The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous activities throughout Lebanon against Hezbollah between August 4 and August 17, 2025. From August 4 through 10, the IDF carried out several targeted... August 20, 2025 Israeli military begins new offensive targeting Gaza City On August 19, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) began the opening maneuvers of a new offensive aimed at uprooting Hamas from Gaza City. The first moves, with tanks and infantry, began after the... August 20, 2025 The single negotiation goal with Iran should be complete dismantlement of nuclear program After the 12-day US-Israel campaign that demolished much of Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure, there is only one acceptable objective for any future negotiations: the total dismantlement... August 20, 2025 Turkey’s Neo-Ottoman Moment Turkey’s Syria policy didn’t materialize in a vacuum. Rather, it was a reaction to the Arab uprisings that began in January 2011, known as the Arab Spring, which Turkish policymakers interpreted as... August 20, 2025 Northern exposure Last Friday’s summit meeting in Alaska was short on substance but long on symbolism. For example, following the talks, Russian President Vladmir Putin laid flowers on the graves of Soviet... August 19, 2025 Donald Trump’s Tariffs Can Cripple Russia—If Done Right ... August 19, 2025 Trump’s narrow road to Ukraine peace has three milestones for success — or failure When it comes to peace in Ukraine, President Donald Trump has said it takes “two to tango” — but while Vladimir Putin continues Russia’s attacks, only Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky looks... August 19, 2025 Iran’s web of terror and propaganda: The case of Al Mustafa University Last July, Israel’s ambassador to Argentina gave an interview to Latin America’s leading news platform, Infobae, where he named Edgardo Ruben (aka Suhail) Assad, Abdallah Cerrilla, and Abdul... August 19, 2025 Syria’s Deadly Wrong Turn War-ravaged Syria appears to be on the brink of fracturing again. Various rebel groups, united only in their hatred for deposed President Bashar al-Assad, are now looking at each other not as allies, but... August 19, 2025 Donors Alone Can’t Reform the United Nations Excerpt Netta Barak-Corren deftly explains why the large-scale diversion of humanitarian aid has become a standard feature of multibillion-dollar United Nations-led operations (“How Humanitarian...

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