Irrespective of whether a deal is reached to end the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, it seems likely that Tehran will continue to cultivate a network of proxy groups, including terrorist organizations, criminal entities, and so-called “disposable agents” both in the Middle East and abroad. Iran views its use of …

While the Islamic State (IS) remains territorially defeated in Iraq and Syria, emerging gaps in the region’s security landscape have incentivized the group to change its modus operandi. When looking quantitatively at IS operations, attack numbers have hit a historic low thus far in 2026, with two spikes in IS …

US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about a potential Syrian role in addressing the “Hezbollah file” in Lebanon have reopened one of the most sensitive chapters in the shared political memory of both countries. The question extends far beyond whether Damascus can—or should—intervene militarily against Hezbollah. It raises a deeper …

The U.S. military launched a second round of airstrikes Saturday targeting Iran at President Donald Trump’s direction as Tehran hit both Bahrain and Kuwait, underscoring rising tensions that threaten the interim deal between the two nations to stop the war. The attack on Kuwait early Sunday was the first since …

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. …

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 …

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 …

Key Takeaways Iran is using force in an attempt to maintain its control over the Strait of Hormuz in the immediate future. Iran is likely attempting to prevent vessels from using non-Iranian shipping channels with force in the immediate term as it continues negotiations with the Gulf Arab states to …

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 …

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; …