Iran
The Makkah Alliance Goes to Tehran
Qatar: How Gulf–Iran Arrangements Are Redrawing the Rules of Undeclared Deterrence
Press reports indicated that Qatar offered Iran a “secret deal” before the outbreak of the Islamic Republic’s war with the United States and Israel, under which it would halt gas production in exchange for an Iranian…
Somalia: The Return of Piracy
The News: Since April 20, 2026, four vessels have been seized in Somali and Yemeni waters: the fishing vessel Al-Khairi 2, the tanker Honor 25 carrying approximately 18,000 barrels of oil, the fuel tanker Soward on April…
Iran and Hormuz: A Map of Gulf Divisions
When Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in direct retaliation for the American-Israeli strikes on its territory that began on February 28, 2026, it did not merely shut down a maritime corridor — it laid bare a deep…
Iran-Port Sudan Military Coordination, and the Channels It Operates Through
The News Federal authorities arrested Shamim Mafi, 44, an Iranian national and lawful permanent resident of California since 2016, at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday, April 18, 2026. She is charged with…
The Iran War and Egypt’s IMF Dilemma
The Story Egypt’s independent outlet Al Manassa reported that Cairo is exploring an emergency IMF loan of $1.5–$3 billion in the wake of the Iran war’s economic fallout. The report surfaced days after President Abdel…
United States & Iran — Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
The Islamabad Talks and Their CollapseWhat Happened? Weekend talks in Islamabad between Washington and Tehran ended without a deal. A source close to the negotiations said the two sides came “very close” to an agreement…
Qalibaf Signals Bab al-Mandab; Houthis “Fingers on the Trigger”
What Happened: Speaker Qalibaf tweeted yesterday: “What share of global oil, LNG, wheat, rice, and fertilizer passes through the Bab al-Mandab Strait?” This was a coded message to Washington: Iran holds the next card…
Fourth Strike Near Bushehr: IAEA Warns of “Nuclear Catastrophe”
What Happened: The IAEA expressed “grave concern” yesterday over a new strike near the Bushehr nuclear plant—the fourth in weeks—noting the death of a guard and damage to an onsite building. Russia’s Rosatom announced…
Trump’s Deadline Expires Tomorrow: Diplomatic Landscape on the Brink
What Happened: Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz—time is running out—48 hours before hell breaks loose on them.” Axios revealed that…
The Bahrain Amazon Strike: The War for the Cloud
What Happened In April 2026, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched missile and drone strikes targeting Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.Iranian officials…