Opinion | The Middle East’s High-Stakes Political Stage: The Countdown to 2026
As 2025 draws to a close, the Middle Eastern political theatre is bracing for a seismic shift. At its zenith lies the long-anticipated normalisation between Israel and several Gulf capitals—a process that has remained in the wings since Donald Trump’s
Lebanese Army Commander Rudolf Heikal holds critical security talks in Paris
General Rudolf Heikal, the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces, met with French Chief of Defence Staff Fabien Mandon on Thursday to discuss strategic security challenges as international powers move to formalise a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah. The meeting
Gaza death toll continues to rise as aid access remains severely restricted
The Gaza Ministry of Health said on Monday that the bodies of nine Palestinians were recovered from under the rubble over the past 24 hours, along with one reported injury. This brings the total number of deaths recorded since the
Lebanon’s president calls for smooth formation of new government
Xinhua – Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday called for the smooth formation of a new government to send positive messages to the international community. “No obstacles should be put in the way of forming the government for
Egypt calls for Lebanese-led solution to presidential vacuum
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty emphasised on Tuesday the need for a Lebanese consensus to end the country’s presidential vacuum, “without external impositions.” Abdelatty’s statement came during a phone call with Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French President’s Special Envoy to
Netanyahu’s Victory Claims Debunked: Failure to Achieve Objectives and Ongoing Threats
As we approach the fifteenth month of the ongoing conflict, which began on 7 October 2023, the outcomes are evident and require no extensive analysis. The so-called successes attributed to Israel—such as diminishing Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon, targeting its leader
The Consequences of Syria’s Collapse
Over the past few days, dramatic and unprecedented events have unfolded in Syria. In less than 10 days, Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell to a Sunni-Kurdish alliance—an outcome that was neither anticipated nor imagined. This historic shift is not merely a
Gaza ceasefire talks begin in Cairo as Hamas releases Video of American-Israeli prisoner
Hamas released a video Saturday showing Aedan Alexander, an American-Israeli prisoner, appealing to President-elect Donald Trump to intervene in securing his release and that of other captives held in Gaza. In the video, Alexander stated that guards had informed them
Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire takes effect, Gaza awaits its own
A ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel came into effect at dawn on Wednesday, following an escalation of Israeli attacks across Lebanon, including in the capital Beirut, where the Israeli army conducted dozens of air raids. The ceasefire was announced shortly
Israel greenlights ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah to end Lebanon conflict
The Israeli security cabinet approved an American-mediated ceasefire proposal aimed at de-escalating tensions with Hezbollah on Tuesday evening. The agreement, brokered by US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein, stipulates that Hezbollah will retreat north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon,