By Wesam Bahrani

Bombing and coming winter worsen plight of Gaza survivors

TEHRAN — Israeli strikes and bitter cold are driving Palestinians into deeper hardship as humanitarian needs surge.

By Sondoss Al Asaad

Fortresses of fear: Israel’s walls and the myth of security

BEIRUT - Since its establishment, the Israeli entity has relied on walls, both physical and ideological, as central pillars of its security doctrine. The project itself emerged from the logic of “preventive isolation”:  fortifying settlements against an Arab environment portrayed in Zionist discourse as inherently “hostile.” 

By Shahrokh Saei 

Decoding the deception: How Trump’s ceasefire blocks Palestinian statehood

TEHRAN – U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan for Gaza has been promoted as a pathway to Palestinian self-determination and eventual statehood. Yet Israeli officials have made clear that such statehood will never be accepted, exposing the truce plan as a diplomatic pretense designed to advance U.S. and Israeli agendas under the guise of peace.

By Sondoss Al Asaad

Lebanon’s central bank bows to Washington

BEIRUT — When Banque du Liban (BDL) unveiled Circular No. 3, it dressed it up in the usual technocratic jargon—“compliance,” “monitoring,” and “risk mitigation.” 

By Shahrokh Saei 

BBC at a crossroads: From Trump dispute to Gaza bias allegations

TEHRAN – The recent dispute between US President Donald Trump and the BBC has drawn renewed attention to the broadcaster’s editorial practices, highlighting questions of accountability and internal oversight. 

By Wesam Bahrani 

U.S. blueprint envisions divided Gaza

TEHRAN – The future of Gaza is being shaped by external powers rather than the people who live there.

By Shahab Sarmadi

U.S. proposal for Gaza: ‘Board of Peace’ or cover for occupation?

TEHRAN – President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, presented by Washington as a blueprint for stability and reconstruction, has drawn significant criticism for functioning as political cover for Israel’s ongoing military campaign. 

By Sondoss Al Asaad

How Lebanese actors empower Israel

BEIRUT — Washington’s pressure campaign against Hezbollah is not new, but its latest tone is unmistakably sharper.

By Wesam Bahrani

Post-election Iraq review

TEHRAN – As Iraq concludes a hard-fought election, attention is now turning to the challenge of forming a new government.

By Wesam Bahrani

Sudani scores “major victory” in Iraq elections

TEHRAN – A coalition led by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani reportedly comes first in Iraq’s parliamentary elections.

By Shahrokh Saei

Imperial ambitions at sea: U.S. military escalation against Venezuela

TEHRAN – The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean has marked a dangerous escalation in U.S. military activity and sharply heightened tensions with Venezuela. 

By Sondoss Al Asaad 

Israel escalating assault on Lebanon’s environmental security

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s forests, farmland, and green expanses are once again under siege. The recent wave of wildfires sweeping across the country recalls the devastation of 2010, when hundreds of hectares of pine and oak vanished in smoke and ash.

Iraq votes

Elections stand as reaffirmation of democratic resilience and reminder of struggle for sovereignty

TEHRAN – Iraq’s parliamentary elections have been more than a routine exercise in democracy. The elections unfolded against a backdrop of regional wars, shifting alliances, and the enduring weight of foreign interference that has shaped Iraq’s modern history. While the vote will determine the composition of parliament for the next four years, the deeper contest is over sovereignty itself — whether Iraq’s future will be decided by its people or constrained by external agendas.

By Shahab Sarmadi 

Sharaa–Trump summit: U.S.–Israeli interests at play

TEHRAN – Monday’s meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Syrian leader Ahmed alSharaa in Washington has been described as a milestone and historic. For the first time since Syria gained independence from France in 1946, a Syrian head of state was welcomed into the Oval Office with full honors.

By Sondoss Al Asaad

Lebanon and secret side of Egypt’s initiative

BEIRUT — The so-called initiative presented by Egypt’s head of general intelligence agency, Major General Hassan Rashad, has been framed as an Arab-international attempt to stabilize southern Lebanon. 

By Shahab Sarmadi

Confessions of carnage: Israeli soldiers admit to war crimes in Gaza

TEHRAN – The war in Gaza, which erupted on October 7, 2023, has become a defining crisis of our time — not only for its staggering human toll, but for what it reveals about the erosion of ethical boundaries in modern warfare. More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed, many of them women and children. Despite a ceasefire announced last month, Israeli military operations have continued unabated. What began as a response to a Hamas attack has evolved into a campaign that many international observers now describe as genocidal.

By Sondoss Al Asaad 

US putting pressure on Lebanon’s politics and economy

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s future is increasingly dictated by external powers, particularly the United States, as its embassy in Beirut and visiting delegations from its Treasury and State Departments are exerting decisive political, financial, and diplomatic influence. 

By Wesam Bahrani 

Promising high turnout in Iraqi election

TEHRAN – The first phase of Iraq’s 2025 parliamentary elections officially ended, marking an important milestone ahead of the general vote. With a participation rate exceeding 82%, the process witnessed smooth operations and high voter engagement among members of the security forces and displaced persons.

By staff writer

War or peace: What Hegseth and Trump signal

TEHRAN – U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered a speech on Friday that left no ambiguity: the United States is not seeking to avoid war — it is actively preparing for a global confrontation. Speaking at the National War College, Hegseth compared today’s world to 1939, the year World War II began, and 1981, when Cold War tensions surged. These weren’t just historical references — they were warnings. And more than that, they were a roadmap.

By Shahab Sarmadi

Ceasefire as camouflage: Israel’s continued assault on Gaza

TEHRAN – The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the United States and officially put into effect on October 10, was intended to pause the violence in Gaza. However, recent developments suggest the truce may have served as a strategic cover for Israel to continue its military operations with reduced international scrutiny.

By Layla Saad 

Rising tensions in Syria’s northeast: What is driving US military activity?

BEIRUT – More than seven months after the March 10 agreement between Syria’s de facto ruler Ahmad al-Sharaa (al-Jolani) and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi, the deal lies in tatters.

By Wesam Bahrani 

Iraqis to vote amid tension with Washington 

TEHRAN – Iraq’s November 11 election will test whether a new government will challenge U.S. control over oil revenues and sovereignty.