On 13 November 2025, my family and I were breathlessly awaiting the results of my sister Aya’s high school exams, or tawjihi. We put up some decorations in an apartment we had rented after relocating from Gaza City to Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, in September. We bought sweets, so excited …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concluded his visit to the United States, returning home after reportedly securing yet another round of political backing from Donald Trump. As with previous encounters, the meeting provided Netanyahu with diplomatic cover and strategic reassurance, reinforcing Israel’s ability to sustain its military posture in …

As of January 2026, Iran is confronting one of the gravest crises since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A sharp collapse of the national currency, soaring inflation, declining oil revenues, and renewed U.S. sanctions have combined to trigger widespread unrest across dozens of cities and provinces. Protests have escalated rapidly, with …

Key Takeaways Intensification of the Iranian Regime’s Crackdown on Protests: The Iranian regime has shifted from labeling protesters as “rioters” to describing them as “terrorists,” which signals that the regime has taken an uncompromising stance toward the ongoing protests. The regime will likely use its characterization of protesters as “terrorists” …

The Syrian Ministry of Finance has issued a decision imposing strict provisional seizure on the assets and establishments of prominent businessman Abdullah Nizam, along with a wide network of his partners and family members. The measure comes as part of ongoing investigations into money laundering and illicit enrichment, with the …

Violence in Aleppo escalated sharply on Thursday, January 8, 2026, as Syrian government forces launched a major offensive targeting the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods—following the apparent collapse of last-minute efforts to de-escalate tensions with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The surge in fighting has led to rising civilian deaths, …

The Middle East region could transition in 2026 to peace and stability or, perhaps more likely, backslide into regional conflagration.Conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen, as well as political divisions in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, are unlikely to fully resolve in 2026 and will require consistent attention from …

It is clear that the counterterrorism focus of the past two decades has become deprioritized in favor of great power competition, reflected in the dwindling resources for kinetic and non-kinetic counterterrorism and prevention efforts and shifting of personnel and bandwidth to other national security priorities.In 2026, al-Qaeda (AQ) and Islamic …

More than a week of protests in Iran reflects not only worsening economic conditions, but longstanding anger at government repression and regime policies that have led to Iran’s global isolation.Regime security forces have thus far failed to quell the unrest with limited use of violence, but leaders have signaled they …

Syrian government Internal Security Forces entered the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood in Aleppo city (northern Syria) on Saturday, 10 January, in coordination with army units, to continue search and inspection operations in the area. Official media outlets quoted a military source as saying that a fighter from the Syrian Democratic Forces …