Middle Orient

Iran Update, February 13, 2026

Toplines Iranian officials are rejecting US offers to engage in negotiations over Iran’s ballistic missile program amid increasing US threats. Iranian Defense Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani told al Jazeera on February 13 that Iran’s missile capability is a “firmly established” element of Iran’s defense doctrine and part of its deterrence …

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UN Report Reveals Five Assassination Plots Against Syrian President and Ministers Foiled in Past Year

According to UN assessments, roughly 3,000 ISIS fighters remain active across Iraq and Syria, with the majority operating inside Syrian territory. A newly released United Nations report has disclosed that five assassination attempts targeting Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, along with Interior Minister Anas Khattab and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, were …

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The Uncontrollable Spark: Examining Latent Escalation Parameters in Middle Eastern Conflicts

The Middle East, a region of profound historical depth and strategic significance, remains a geopolitical tinderbox characterized by intricate alliances, entrenched rivalries, and unresolved conflicts. While active hostilities are often contained within certain thresholds, a complex web of latent parameters exists beneath the surface. These factors possess the inherent potential …

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Pro-Hamas Islamist Countries, Such as Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan, Have No Place on Trump’s Board of Peace

As commendable as it may be that US President Donald J. Trump is apparently hoping that he can turn “swords into ploughshares,” the inclusion of avowedly pro-Islamist, pro-terrorist countries such as Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan in his so-called “Board of Peace” has all the potential thoroughly to undermine the American …

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