One year after the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, the Lebanese arena is undergoing changes. These changes are reflected both in the internal balance of power between Lebanon’s new leadership and Hezbollah, as well as in the balance of power between the organization and the IDF, which has not relented and continues to weaken it. However, this opportunity for change is overshadowed by Hezbollah’s determination to recover and by the difficulties facing the Lebanese government, which remains weak as it attempts to compel the...
Despite being subjected to one of the harshest sanctions regimes in the world, Iran has succeeded in building a sophisticated, law-evading mechanism to support its aviation industry, which reflects the broader principles of the shadow economy it has developed. This article maps the operational architecture of that mechanism, based on using front and shell companies in countries with little transparency, layered ownership registries, bursts of activity designed to complete transfers within short timeframes, and flight-path planning...
On December 8, the anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime and the rise of the transitional government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa was commemorated. Despite his jihadi past, al-Sharaa seeks to present himself as a national, pragmatic, and statesmanlike leader. Thus far, the transitional government has advanced stabilization measures and rapid political procedures, including the establishment of a technocratic government and a temporary parliament, as well as an attempt to rebuild the Syrian army. While al-Sharaa has achieved...
In the Red Sea region, significant geo-strategic processes have unfolded over the past decade, manifested in political, security, economic, and technological shifts. This area—stretching between the Middle East in the north, the Arabian Peninsula to the east, the Horn of Africa to the south, and East Africa to the west—has become a focal point of both global and regional power struggles. At the same time, it has also generated opportunities for complex civilian and security cooperation. These developments present Israel with a...
Iran is embroiled in an ongoing crisis with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as Iran does not allow it to inspect the sites struck during the 12-day war with Israel. It is also locked in a standoff with the United States, as Tehran refuses to renew negotiations—despite mediation efforts mainly by actors from the Gulf states—so long as the demand for zero enrichment remains in place. Inside Iran, too, a debate over negotiations is underway; for now, the Supreme Leader Khamenei has determined that the Trump administration...
Summary of the Results
The arena that most concerns the Israeli Jewish public is Judea and Samaria (77%). Fewer than one-third of the Jewish public (28.5%) believes that the security situation in the north provides sufficient security for residents, with almost half thinking that the situation requires a return to limited fighting. A majority of the Israeli public (59%) believes that the decisions made by the political echelon are not based on professional considerations. Notably, 61% of the Israeli Jewish public opposes resolving...
The commemoration of Western holidays and pre-Islamic traditions in Iran, such as Halloween and Cyrus the Great Day, has recently sparked a public debate among conservative circles, who see these practices as a threat to the values of the Islamic Revolution and to religious faith, and those who believe that they reflect processes of change among the younger generation that must be accepted. As this debate unfolds, the authorities in Tehran are attempting to capitalize on Iranian nationalism, which swelled during Iran’s 12-day war...
The 70-year diplomatic relationship between Iran and Thailand has seen ups and downs in recent years. However, Iran’s desire to expand its influence over Thailand’s Shiite population and exploit it for its own interests had not changed over time. In the past year, these efforts have intensified significantly. This paper examines the mechanisms Iran employs to entrench its control over Shiite religious and educational institutions in Thailand, among them sending religious scholars from Iran to ensure that these institutions follow...
The deep trauma left by the October 7 war, along with the large budgets allocated to the defense establishment as a result, may lead the IDF to pursue a whole series of force buildup and procurement programs without clear priorities. Priorities must be set from the top-down by the General Staff, based on expected threat scenarios for the next war, should it occur. The main stresses and gaps in the IDF’s capabilities should be identified, and force-buildup investments directed accordingly. To a large extent, this is already happening....
After three years of being ruled by a coalition of pro-Iranian Shiite parties and militias, Iraq has reshuffled its political cards once again. The recent parliamentary elections gave incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani leadership of the largest bloc, creating a new challenge for the pro-Iranian governing coalition. Although al-Sudani is seeking another term, some coalition members oppose this.
At the same time, an internal confrontation has emerged within the regime’s top echelon between the core leadership of the...
Recent accusations that Israel is committing genocide, enforcing apartheid, and practicing settler-colonialism did not arise in a vacuum. Their intellectual lineage traces back to UN General Assembly Resolution 3379, adopted fifty years ago, which declared that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.” Although repealed in 1991, the resolution’s underlying logic endures. This paper traces how the Zionism = racism formula—conceived in Soviet Cold War propaganda—was institutionalized through UN bodies, NGO networks, and...
The visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington—with the designation of Saudi Arabia as a “major non-NATO ally” at its center—reflected a US effort to lock Riyadh more firmly into the American camp in an era of great-power competition. For the United States, this means deepening the security framework with Saudi Arabia, ensuring major investments and access to advanced technologies, and integrating the move into a regional architecture built around the Abraham Accords and gradual normalization with Israel. This...
