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Strategic Signaling: Is Damascus Positioning Itself as a Mediator in Lebanon?

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has effectively ended weeks of speculation over whether Damascus might deploy troops to Lebanon, following repeated public calls by U.S. President Donald Trump urging Syria to “resolve the Hezbollah issue.” The proposal had stirred widespread political unease in Lebanon, reviving memories of Syria’s decades-long military presence. …

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Iran’s ‘Deal’: What Happens After Trump?

The Iranian regime’s strategy is clear: survive the pressure of President Donald J. Trump’s second term by any means necessary, secure breathing room through negotiations, and position itself for a far more aggressive posture once his administration is over. Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — Tehran’s …

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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 26, 2026

Toplines Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 25 that he authorized a 40-day intermediate- and long-range strike campaign to influence Russia to end the war in Ukraine.[1] The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) reported on June 26 that Ukrainian drones continued strikes against occupied Crimea as part of the 40-day …

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Iran’s economic catastrophe

On February 28, 2026, American and Israeli forces launched Operation Epic Fury. The country they targeted was already in economic crisis: inflation had topped 50%, the currency was in free fall, merchants had shuttered their shops in protest, a major private bank had just collapsed. When the bombs began to …

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Albania, the fence as a structure of power

As the demonstrations in favor of the Pishë Poro-Narta protected area go on, local communities in other parts of Albania are also in turmoil. The symbol of this new wave of protests is the barbed-wire fencing surrounding the areas where new projects are planned. The fence represents power and exclusion; …

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