February, 2026

• 16 February

  Turkish foreign minister warns of nuclear arms race if Iran gets the bomb

  

  On February 9, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested that Turkey would begin developing nuclear weapons should Iran obtain them. During a televised interview with CNN Turk, Fidan warned that Iranian nuclearization would upset the “balance of power” in the Middle East and likely initiate a regional nuclear arms race, …

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• 16 February

  Democracy Digest: Brussels Takes Hungary, Slovakia to Task

  

  The EU’s ‘awkward squad’ – namely, Hungary and Slovakia – were both targets for criticism this week by European institutions angry at how those two governments are subverting the rule of law and stymieing anticorruption efforts. On Thursday, a senior legal adviser to Europe’s top court, the ECJ, said that …

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• 16 February

  al-Hol camp “empties out”, foreign families of Islamic State members leave

  

  Sources at humanitarian organizations and eyewitnesses told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that most families of foreign members of the Islamic State group have left al-Hol camp in the eastern countryside of al-Hasakah (northeastern Syria), after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew from it in late January and it was taken over …

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• 16 February

  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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• 16 February

  Germany’s “Two-Speed Europe” Proposal Is The EU’s Adaptation To Great Power Geopolitics

  

  German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil recently declared that “Now is the time for a two-speed Europe. Germany, together with France and other partners, will therefore now take the lead in making Europe stronger and more independent. As the six biggest economies in Europe, we can now be the driving force.” …

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• 16 February

  U.S. Evacuates Troops from al-Tanf Base to Jordan Amid Broader Withdrawal from Syria

  

  The United States has evacuated its forces from the al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria, relocating personnel to neighboring Jordan as part of a broader military drawdown from Syrian territory, according to two security sources cited by Reuters on Wednesday. Strategically located at the tri-border junction of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq, …

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• 16 February

  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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• 16 February

  Le Jeu du Nouvel Ordre Mondial

  Depuis la nuit des temps, l’histoire de l’humanité est tissée de secrets, de prophéties et de pactes voilés qui semblent défier toute compréhension. Cette fascination pour l’occulte n’est pas un phénomène récent : sociétés initiatiques, codes cryptés et récits de pouvoirs occultes ont accompagné l’évolution des civilisations, alimentant à la …

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• 16 February

  Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 14, 2026

  

  Toplines Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s willingness to compromise ahead of trilateral US-Ukrainian-Russian talks in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 17 to 18. Zelensky stated on February 14 that Ukraine is ready to hold elections as quickly as possible, provided a sustained ceasefire, and called for a two-month ceasefire and …

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• 16 February

  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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