January, 2026

• 14 January

  Iran’s Deepening Crisis: Economy, Power, and Protest

  

  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 …

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• 14 January

  Iran Update, January 10, 2026

  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” …

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• 14 January

  Syrian Ministry of Finance Seizes the Assets of the Country’s Leading Shia Figure – The Syrian Observer

  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 …

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• 14 January

  Syrian Army Pushes Toward Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh; Civilian Casualties Mount

  

  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, …

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• 14 January

  Middle East Forecast for 2026

  

  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 …

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• 14 January

  Trends in Terrorism: What’s on the Horizon in 2026?

  

  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 …

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• 14 January

  Eruption of Iran Unrest Scrambles U.S. and Regional Calculations

  

  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 …

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• 14 January

  Clashes persist in Aleppo as Syrian security forces enter Sheikh Maqsoud

  

  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 …

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• 14 January

  Iran : Le chef du Parlement menace les bases US et Israël si son pays est attaqué. Les Iraniens manifestent contre les émeutiers

  

  Le président du Parlement iranien a prévenu que Téhéran visera des sites de l’armée américaine dans la région ainsi qu’Israël s’ils bombardent l’Iran. «En cas d’agression contre l’Iran, les bases américaines dans la région ainsi que les territoires occupés seront à notre portée de tir», a déclaré Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, …

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• 14 January

  Asayish announces two commanders killed in Aleppo clashes

  

  The Internal Security Forces, Asayish, affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), announced the deaths of two of its most prominent commanders in Aleppo, amid military clashes in the city’s predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods. Hawar News Agency, affiliated with the Autonomous Administration, reported on Sunday that Asayish said Ziyad Halab (Ziyad …

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