Arab states no longer need Israel recognition to secure US ties; Washington now increasingly weighs narrower interests first.

Direct U.S.-Hezbollah contact faces resistance in Beirut, as Washington escalates pressure and Hezbollah weighs strategic guarantees before deciding.

Egypt weighs strategic caution as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan test a new mutual defence pact without US dominance

Baghdad’s fiscal pressure and intra-Kurdish rivalries are reshaping the KDP–PUK bargain, reconfiguring Kurdistan Region federalism without systemic collapse.

The 2026 Global Muslim Travel Index reveals a $310 billion shift driven by AI visibility and regional travel.

Qatar’s non-hydrocarbon economy grew faster than gas output in 2025, but the LNG expansion will test how durable diversification is

Khamenei’s wartime appointments elevate hardline security figures while Iran’s economic crisis and the US blockade deepen internal factional tensions.

US-Iran standoff shifts from strikes to blockade as Washington bets on economic pressure and Tehran digs in longer.

Tehran’s leadership is split over whether an Iran Nuclear Breakout secures survival or invites a more destructive war.

Iraq’s omission from US-Iran talks reveals a quiet shift in how Tehran maintains influence inside Baghdad’s political system.