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...
In the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region—areas whose security and strategic importance for Israel have grown significantly over the past two years—lies Somaliland, an independent and pro-Western state that has yet to be recognized by the international community. Its primary objective is to secure recognition and to build alliances with states that can support it vis-à-vis its rival, the Somali government in Mogadishu. In recent years, Somaliland has cultivated close ties with the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan. Its leadership...
The main foreign policy issue that has preoccupied Egypt recently has been the war in the Gaza Strip. Egypt’s policy toward the war in particular, and toward Israel in general, should be assessed in light of two central factors: first, the prolonged war and its severe consequences in the Gaza Strip—an area that directly borders Egypt; and second, the war’s contribution to the growing prominence of the Palestinian issue on Egypt’s national agenda, which resonates deeply within Egyptian public opinion. In this sense, this current...
The concept of victory has become increasingly politicized, particularly the notion of an “absolute victory.” At the same time, the term “decisive defeat” is widely used but rarely defined with precision. This article examines the concept of victory through a professional, military-strategic lens, differentiating it from decisive defeat. The distinction is essential for understanding Israel’s achievements in the war against Hamas and for framing public expectations, especially regarding scenarios in which Hamas may continue to exist...
