More from MEF
Supporters wave Iranian, Lebanese, and Hezbollah flags during a pro-Iran demonstration in South Lebanon on June 29, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
It’s a Matter of When, Not If, Israel Steps up Its War on Hezbollah
The Available Choices in Lebanon Are That Hezbollah Will Be Permitted to Gradually Re-Arm, or That Israel Will Prevent It from Doing So
January 8, 2026
 · 
Jonathan Spyer
Middle East Forum Online
Decapitating the Axis of Resistance from the Caribbean to the Maghreb
January 8, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
The port in Berbera, Somaliland, located on the Gulf of Aden, is a key strategic seaport positioned along major global shipping lanes.
Middle East Forum Observer
Recognizing Somaliland Won’t Cause War; It Will Prevent One
Appeasing Somali Irredentists Today Will Mean a Far Broader War Tomorrow, One That Could Involve Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya
January 8, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
MEF in the Media
Death Throes of Iranian Regime? | Gregg Roman on The Ed Morrissey Show
January 8, 2026
Middle East Forum Online
Anti-Hamas Armed Groups in Gaza: Interview with Hussam al-Astl
Why Some Palestinians Are Turning Against Hamas’ Rule in Gaza
January 8, 2026
 · 
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
For more than two decades, Venezuela functioned as a strategic hub for foreign regimes and militant networks far beyond Latin America. With the collapse of the Maduro system, a covert alliance spanning gold, drones, and terror finance is now under unprecedented strain.
Middle East Forum Online
The Fall of the Tropical Caliphate
How Venezuela Became a Forward Operating Base for Iran, Hezbollah, and Erdogan—and Why Its Collapse Matters
January 8, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
Middle East Forum Online
Turkey’s Intelligence Agency Expands as Erdogan Centralizes Power
Budget Surges, Opaque Funding, and Eroding Oversight Are Consolidating Intelligence Power at the Center of Erdogan’s Rule
January 8, 2026
 · 
Abdullah Bozkurt
Dead almond trees in Iran, where over-extraction has burned through the country’s water reserves.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Water Crisis Highlights the ‘Day After’ Problem for Regime Change
Investigations Suggest Some Water Was Diverted Away from Communities to Support Industrial and Security Sites, Including Nuclear Facilities
January 8, 2026
 · 
Nik Kowsar
Sunset bathes Aleppo, Syria, in golden light in August 2025.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Fate of Two Kurdish Neighborhoods in Aleppo Could Determine Syria’s Stability
If the Situation in Aleppo Spirals Out of Control, It Could Trigger Large-Scale Violence in Syria, Further Inflaming Ethnic Tensions
January 8, 2026
 · 
Sirwan Kajjo
The Geneva headquarters of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international medical humanitarian nongovernmental organization, which Israel banned from Gaza.
Middle East Forum Observer
Israel Bars Hamas-Controlled NGOs, Clears Top Christian Charities For Gaza
Major Restructuring Follows Exposé of Hamas Inserting Operatives into Western Charities
January 8, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes