More from MEF
A soldier with the Syrian Democratic Forces trains in a live-fire exercise with U.S. troops.
Middle East Forum Observer
Syria Puts a Boot on the Neck of the Kurds
The Oil Fields in the Kurdish Region and Much of the Land Is the Next Target of the Al-Sharaa Government
January 18, 2026
 · 
Jim Hanson
Iran exports more than 90 percent of its oil through the Kharg Oil Terminal.
Middle East Forum Observer
After Trump Takes Kharg, He Should Set up a Free Iran Sovereign Wealth Fund
A Post-Islamic Republic Iran Will Need Billions of Dollars to Rebuild After Nearly a Half-Century of the Ayatollahs’ Mismanagement
January 18, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
The Islamic Republic's internet shutdown of 2026 is different from those imposed during past protests.
Middle East Forum Observer
How Iran Augmented Its Internet Shutdown Strategy in 2026
Unlike in the Past, This Time the Regime Did Not Sever Access but Instead Degraded Internet Function
January 17, 2026
 · 
Umud Shokri
Middle East Forum Online
Israel Cannot Afford a Hamas ‘Victory Picture’ During Ramadan
Preventing Symbolic Triumphs on the Temple Mount Is Central to Deterrence and Postwar Stability
January 17, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
Middle East Forum Online
Why Libya’s Water Crisis and Military Exercises Won’t Cure Its Fragmentation
Water Scarcity and Security Cooperation Are Being Weaponized by Rival Elites and Foreign Powers
January 17, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in April 2025.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Denies Trump’s Claim That It Halted Hangings
Tehran Dismissed Trump’s Remarks as ‘Nonsense and Baseless Talk,’ Promising a ‘Decisive, Deterrent, and Swift’ Response
January 17, 2026
 · 
Mardo Soghom
Middle East Forum Online
An ‘SDF-Regime Remnants’ Alliance in Aleppo?
Contacts Between Displaced Alawite Fighters and the Syrian Democratic Forces Reflect Survival, Not Strategic Coordination
January 17, 2026
 · 
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Activists gather with Palestinian flags and "Hands Off Iran" signs during a protests near the U.S. Embassy in London in June 2025.
Middle East Forum Observer
Western Progressives’ Selective Silence on Iranians’ Quest for Rights
Progressives Hesitate to Criticize a Regime, Fearing Accusations of Islamophobia or Alignment with Imperialism
January 17, 2026
 · 
Mehrdad Marty Youssefiani
Middle East Forum Online
Why Iran Is Not Repeating 1979
Today’s Protests Lack the Elite Defections and Institutional Collapse That Toppled the Shah
January 16, 2026
 · 
Saeid Golkar
Middle East Forum Online
Iran’s Regime Still Looks Likely to Survive Protests but Has No Answers for Public Anger
Widespread Unrest Has Revealed the Islamic Republic’s Inability to Address Economic Collapse or Public Anger
January 16, 2026
 · 
Lazar Berman