• Israel strikes military airbase in Syria while warning Turkey

    Israeli airstrikes on Syria’s Abu al Duhur military airbase overnight between August 17 and 18 highlighted growing tensions between Israel and Turkey over Ankara’s expanding role in Syria. Syria condemned the strikes, while the US continued efforts to de-escalate the situation.

    Israel strikes military airbase in Syria while warning Turkey
  • Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi meets President Trump, Secretary Hegseth in Washington

    Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met US President Donald Trump and other US officials during his first official visit to Washington since taking office. The talks focused on security cooperation, investment, and Iraq’s plans to bring weapons held by Iranian-backed militias under state control. While Trump praised Zaidi’s leadership, the visit also drew criticism from pro-Iranian factions in Iraq and skepticism from some US lawmakers.

    Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi meets President Trump, Secretary Hegseth in Washington
  • Analysis: The Israel-Lebanon framework agreement explained

    On June 26, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement, mediated by the United States, to permanently end their state of conflict and address its root causes—primarily, Hezbollah’s arms. While the deal is promising on its face, significant parts of it may be difficult or impossible to implement under Lebanon’s current domestic conditions.

    Analysis: The Israel-Lebanon framework agreement explained
  • Analysis: Netanyahu pushes for US military aid drawdown

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to promote a plan to move his country away from American foreign military financing, but that comes at a time when Israel’s military requirements are increasing, and it is already spending an extraordinary percentage of gross domestic product on defense.

    Analysis: Netanyahu pushes for US military aid drawdown
  • Iran downs US fighter jet, 1 crew member recovered, rescue operation ongoing for second

    A pilot of an F-15E Strike Eagle reportedly shot down over Iran was rescued on April 3, while the second crew member remains missing. The downing of an F-15E is the first American fighter jet to be shot down by Iran since major combat operations began in Iran on February 28.

    Iran downs US fighter jet, 1 crew member recovered, rescue operation ongoing for second
  • International Union of Muslim Scholars criticizes Iranian strikes on Arab states but says Israel is main threat to region

    A senior leader of the Qatar-based Muslim Brotherhood-aligned International Union of Muslim Scholars condemned Iran’s recent retaliatory strikes against Middle Eastern countries while also urging Muslims to unite against a broader ‘Zionist-American project.’ Despite criticizing Tehran, the group remains focused on Israel as the primary adversary of the Islamic world.

    International Union of Muslim Scholars criticizes Iranian strikes on Arab states but says Israel is main threat to region
  • Analysis: US and Israel race to defeat Iranian missiles and drones following early campaign successes

    The United States and Israel demonstrated unprecedented coordination and delivered impressive blows against Iranian military capabilities in the early stages of the current conflict. Now, as Tehran lashes out against US forces and regional partners, Washington and Jerusalem face the immediate challenge of striking Iranian ballistic missiles, drones, and their launchers on the ground before they can be fired, along with intercepting any projectiles that Iran has successfully launched before they hit military and civilian targets.

    Analysis: US and Israel race to defeat Iranian missiles and drones following early campaign successes
  • Analysis: Hezbollah: We will not remain neutral if Islamic Republic endangered

    Hezbollah has yet to deploy operatives to protect the Islamic Republic of Iran’s regime from ongoing protests. However, the group has stated that it will not remain neutral if the United States or Israel attack the Tehran regime and threaten its existence. Hezbollah also claims the current Iranian authorities actually enjoy widespread domestic support and that calls for regime change are being instigated by Washington and Jerusalem.

    Analysis: Hezbollah: We will not remain neutral if Islamic Republic endangered
  • Houthis arrest alleged members of Saudi-American-Israeli spy ring

    On November 8, the Houthis announced the arrest of members of an alleged espionage network that they claim was operated by Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Israel. The Yemeni terrorist group accused these individuals of identifying and providing information on sensitive sites and residential areas in Houthi-controlled territory.

    Houthis arrest alleged members of Saudi-American-Israeli spy ring
  • United States reportedly eyes military foothold in Damascus, Syrian official denies the claim

    A Reuters report claims that the United States will establish a military presence at an airbase in Damascus, Syria, “to help enable” a security agreement between Syria and Israel.

    United States reportedly eyes military foothold in Damascus, Syrian official denies the claim
  • Analysis: Iran threatens nuclear weaponization ambitions

    Senior Iranian officials have openly hinted at Tehran’s shifting nuclear posture. A nuclear scientist confirmed Iran’s capacity to build nuclear weapons, while a military official reflected that Tehran should have pursued them in the 1990s—exposing how the regime’s rhetoric now edges closer to weaponization.

    Analysis: Iran threatens nuclear weaponization ambitions
  • Iran launches missile attack on US base in Qatar

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked US forces at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in response to the June 21 US airstrikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities.

    Iran launches missile attack on US base in Qatar
  • US strike inflicts “severe damage and destruction” on 3 Iranian nuclear facilities, CJCS Caine states

    Operation Midnight Hammer, planned and practiced in near secrecy for several weeks, was “designed to severely degrade Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine stated. The US Air Force hit the Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz with 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators launched from B-2 bombers. Separately, a US Navy submarine struck the Esfahan site with “dozens” of cruise missiles.

    US strike inflicts “severe damage and destruction” on 3 Iranian nuclear facilities, CJCS Caine states
  • US strikes Iranian nuclear facilities

    Just two days after US President Donald Trump said he would decide about striking Iran’s nuclear program within two weeks, US B-2 bombers hit Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Attacking the hardened Fordow facility via air is a mission only the US Air Force could execute.

    US strikes Iranian nuclear facilities
  • Iran-backed Shiite militias attack US forces based in Iraq

    The Islamic Resistance of Iraq has carried out more than 180 such attacks against US forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan since October 7, 2023. The most recent attack risks drawing US forces into an offensive role in Israel’s war with Iran. Thus far, the US has attempted only to provide defensive support for Israel in the conflict.

    Iran-backed Shiite militias attack US forces based in Iraq
  • Two Israeli embassy employees murdered in DC shooting attack

    Two Israeli Embassy staffers were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, by Elias Rodriguez on May 21. Law enforcement authorities are investigating the attack as a potential antisemitic hate crime. The incident reflects a broader pattern of incitement by Hamas and its affiliates, who have increasingly exported their rhetoric and symbolism into Western discourse through propaganda and pro-Hamas demonstrations.

    Two Israeli embassy employees murdered in DC shooting attack
  • Afghan national pleads guilty over Islamic State-inspired terror plot in US

    Abdullah Haji Zada, an 18-year-old legal permanent resident living in Oklahoma, pled guilty to conspiring to receive firearms intended for an election-day terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State. Six other individuals have been detained for their connection to the Islamic State since Zada’s arrest, underscoring a persistent threat to the US.

    Afghan national pleads guilty over Islamic State-inspired terror plot in US
  • Analysis: A decade of Saudi-Iranian relations: from rivalry to re-engagement

    From 2015 to 2025, Tehran-Riyadh ties shifted from confrontation to cautious engagement. Prince Khalid bin Salman’s visit to Tehran marks a historic step in de-escalation amid rising regional tensions. Riyadh appears intent on avoiding entanglement in a broader conflict between Iran and the West.

    Analysis: A decade of Saudi-Iranian relations: from rivalry to re-engagement
  • Iran braces for possible US attack amid proxy setbacks

    Amid mounting proxy losses and a major US military buildup across the Middle East, Iran has placed its armed forces on high alert and warned neighboring states against facilitating a potential American strike. Tehran is suffering setbacks in Iraq and Yemen while ramping up deterrence through inflammatory propaganda.

    Iran braces for possible US attack amid proxy setbacks
  • Analysis: From Afghanistan to America: the rising reach of the Islamic State Khorasan Province

    Four years after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the threat posed by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has expanded beyond the region, now endangering both America and Europe. With the group actively recruiting and transferring fighters across borders, regional actors such as the Taliban, Iran, Tajikistan, and Pakistan have proven unable to curb its growth.

    Analysis: From Afghanistan to America: the rising reach of the Islamic State Khorasan Province
  • Syria appoints new president amid widespread diplomatic engagement efforts

    On January 29, Ahmed al Sharaa was declared the new president of Syria in the transitional government that came into power after the collapse of the Assad regime on December 8. This declaration led to congratulations from several Arab states in the region, and the Qatari emir arrived in Damascus on January 30, the first head of state to visit the new ruler. These developments are part of a broad diplomatic outreach by Sharaa and his new foreign minister.

    Syria appoints new president amid widespread diplomatic engagement efforts
  • Shabaab strikes American, Italian forces in Somalia

    No casualties were reported in either attack, however.

    Shabaab strikes American, Italian forces in Somalia
  • US Special Forces soldier killed in Shabaab ambush

    At least four other US Special Forces personnel, as well as a Somali special forces soldier, were also wounded. The Special Forces soldiers were ambushed in an area that is a known Shabaab stronghold.

    US Special Forces soldier killed in Shabaab ambush
  • Tuareg alliance claims recovery of US Special Forces vehicle from Niger ambush

    The Tuareg alliance says the vehicle, which was reportedly used by US troops in last October’s deadly ambush in Niger, was recovered after recent raids on Islamic State-loyal militants in northern Mali.

    Tuareg alliance claims recovery of US Special Forces vehicle from Niger ambush
  • US Special Forces troops killed during joint patrol in Niger

    US AFRICOM has confirmed that three US Special Forces troops have been killed in an ambush near Mali. The three are the first American soldiers to die in combat in the country.

    US Special Forces troops killed during joint patrol in Niger
  • Photos show US joint patrols with rebels in southern Syria

    The photos and videos show the extent of the US presence in southern Syria near the border with Iraq. This comes as the Tanf area of southeastern Syria has largely become a flash-point between US and Iranian-controlled forces.

    Photos show US joint patrols with rebels in southern Syria
  • Iran

    Khamenei: Iran will never give up its nuclear program

    Iran