In 1837, Hans Christian Andersen penned The Emperor’s New Clothes, a tale of a vain ruler blinded by his own arrogance, surrounded by sycophants who praised his nonexistent garments. Today, the modern empire of Istikbar (global arrogance), led by Washington and its Zionist proxies, is staging its own grand procession. Donald Trump parades American might before the world, flanked by generals and lobbyists applauding his every decree. Yet, stripped of its manufactured illusions, the reality of the American empire is laid bare.

In Andersen’s tale, the truth was finally spoken by a child who refused to be complicit in the collective deception. In West Asia today, that honest voice rises from the rubble of Gaza, the defiant streets of Beirut, the steadfast mountains of Yemen, and the mourning families of the Minab school. It is the voice of the Muqawama (Resistance). It declares what the courtiers in Washington and Tel Aviv dare not admit: the American empire is entirely naked. Its garments of “victory” and “moral authority” are mere fictions, stitched together by war profiteers from the blood of innocent children.

Begging for Fuel, Burying the Dead

The spectacle of American decline is evident in its most recent humiliations. Trump, posing as a master strategist, recently boasted of a deal to import Russian diesel to the United States, quietly easing sanctions to secure the fuel. But this is no triumph of statecraft. The American war machine consumes millions of barrels daily; this Russian shipment barely covers a week. The empire that spent years trying to strangle Russia and Iran is now extending a beggar’s bowl to Moscow just to keep its own domestic economy breathing, leaving its farmers and working families to bear the crushing weight of inflation.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon attempts to bury its human cost in fine print. The official death toll of US troops in the confrontation with the Islamic Republic has been quietly revised upward, confirming the very casualty figures the military previously dismissed as “lies.” The architecture of Istikbar is built on deceit: it lies to the world, and when the bodies pile up, it lies to its own people.

The Symptom of a Decaying System

While observers point to Trump’s accelerating mental decline and erratic behaviour as the source of Washington’s unravelling, the truth runs much deeper. The man threatening the annihilation of ancient civilisations is merely a symptom. Trump is the logical endpoint of a corrupt system that has spent decades convincing itself of its own divine virtue while committing unspeakable atrocities across the Muslim world.

The current confrontation was not born overnight. It is the culmination of a long-standing Zionist-American project, operationalised through military command shifts and fuelled by the bloodshed in Gaza. But this imperial project has hit an immovable object: the Axis of Resistance. As long as Tehran refuses to bow, as long as Hezbollah defends Lebanon, and as long as Ansarallah stands guard over Yemen, the Zionist map remains incomplete and the American dream of regional hegemony remains a nightmare.

The Inevitable Truth

The tragedy of the American emperor is not merely his delusion, but the cowardice of the sycophants who continue to applaud his disastrous march. No amount of propaganda can clothe a hollow giant that is bloated on bombs yet starving for fuel. No revised statistics can erase the humiliation of a superpower trembling before the very nations it swore to destroy.

The parade of American power continues, but the crowd is thinning. The arrogant empire marches forward in its naked delusion, while the truth, carried by the steadfast Resistance, marches faster. As promised by the Divine, falsehood is destined to vanish, and the truth, no matter how fiercely suppressed by the courtiers of Istikbar, will ultimately prevail.

Reference: Tehran Times

Holding democratic elections within a crumbling colonial regime amidst a native uprising is an event of little historical consequence. As Israel approaches its October 27 elections, the political theatre unfolding in Tel Aviv will do nothing to alter the terminal trajectory of its colonial project. History shows us that settler-colonial states in decay—whether apartheid South Africa or French Algeria—do not vote their way toward reform. Instead, facing existential threats from indigenous populations, they invariably shift toward extremism and heightened savagery to protect their accumulated privileges. Israel is no exception.

To understand the irrelevance of the upcoming ballot, we must distinguish between the internal squabbles of the Israeli political class and the existential stakes facing the entity itself. For Israel, there are only two possible futures: slow decomposition or rapid disappearance. Neither will be decided at the polling stations.

The path of slow decomposition is already underway. The myth of Israel’s eternal military invincibility was shattered on October 7, 2023. Despite the subsequent, horrific massacres and the devastating bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon, the initial military debacle exposed the deep vulnerabilities of the Zionist state. The indigenous Palestinian resistance, alongside allied forces in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran, remains unyielding.

For the settlers, the psychological toll of this shattered illusion is profound. It is increasingly difficult to maintain the settler mindset when the colonial army can no longer guarantee absolute dominance over a resistant demographic majority. Consequently, a steady exodus is already hollowing out the state. With an estimated one million settlers having already left and nearly a third of those remaining openly considering emigration, the demographic foundation of the colony is collapsing from within. Historically, no settler colony has survived in the face of an unyielding native demographic majority.

The alternative path—rapid disappearance—looms as a terrifying possibility driven by regional geopolitical failures. Following a string of strategic defeats by Washington in its attempts to subdue Iran in 2026, the US-Israeli alliance is out of conventional options. This desperation has sparked dangerous murmurs of breaking the nuclear taboo. If Washington continues to normalise existential threats, a cornered Israel might resort to a nuclear strike against Iran. Such an act of ultimate atrocity would not secure Israel’s survival; rather, it would trigger its rapid, forced dismantling by the international community—or plunge the entire region into a catastrophic nuclear winter.

Amidst these apocalyptic stakes, the Israeli elections are little more than a macabre spectacle. The political deadlock between Benjamin Netanyahu and his rivals is not a debate over the nation’s salvation, but a grim contest to see who will be forced to take the wheel of the Titanic. Netanyahu embodies the organic, extreme nature of the settler project, and his rivals know that stepping into his shoes means inheriting an unmanageable disaster: the administration of extermination camps, failed ethnic cleansing, unwinnable regional wars, and the terrifying prospect of pressing the nuclear button. Consequently, his opponents are likely to let him remain at the helm, preferring to critique from the sidelines rather than serve as the regime’s official liquidators.

Ultimately, the era of false compromises is over. The colonial “emergency exit” that allowed white South Africans to maintain economic power post-apartheid, or the capitulation of the Oslo Accords, is no longer on the table. There is no longer a “Frederik De Klerk” figure in Israel capable of guaranteeing settler privileges, nor is there a Palestinian leadership willing to sign away their indigenous rights for a hollow peace.

The complete political, judicial, and territorial decolonisation of Palestine is inevitable, likely within the next five years. Until that day arrives, the world will be forced to watch the grotesque spectacle of settlers democratically voting on who gets to operate the human shredder, blissfully ignoring the fact that the ship is already going down.

Holding democratic elections within a crumbling colonial regime amidst a native uprising is an event of little historical consequence. As Israel approaches its October 27 elections, the political theatre unfolding in Tel Aviv will do nothing to alter the terminal trajectory of its colonial project. History shows us that settler-colonial states in decay—whether apartheid South Africa or French Algeria—do not vote their way toward reform. Instead, facing existential threats from indigenous populations, they invariably shift toward extremism and heightened savagery to protect their accumulated privileges. Israel is no exception.

To understand the irrelevance of the upcoming ballot, we must distinguish between the internal squabbles of the Israeli political class and the existential stakes facing the entity itself. For Israel, there are only two possible futures: slow decomposition or rapid disappearance. Neither will be decided at the polling stations.

The path of slow decomposition is already underway. The myth of Israel’s eternal military invincibility was shattered on October 7, 2023. Despite the subsequent horrific massacres and the devastating bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon, the initial military debacle exposed the deep vulnerabilities of the Zionist state. The indigenous Palestinian resistance, alongside allied forces in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran, remains unyielding.

For the settlers, the psychological toll of this shattered illusion is profound. It is increasingly difficult to maintain the settler mindset when the colonial army can no longer guarantee absolute dominance over a resistant demographic majority. Consequently, a steady exodus is already hollowing out the state. With an estimated one million settlers having already left and nearly a third of those remaining openly considering emigration, the demographic foundation of the colony is collapsing from within. Historically, no settler colony has survived in the face of an unyielding native demographic majority.

The alternative path—rapid disappearance—looms as a terrifying possibility driven by regional geopolitical failures. Following a string of strategic defeats by Washington in its attempts to subdue Iran in 2026, the US-Israeli alliance is out of conventional options. This desperation has sparked dangerous murmurs of breaking the nuclear taboo. If Washington continues to normalise existential threats, a cornered Israel might resort to a nuclear strike against Iran. Such an act of ultimate atrocity would not secure Israel’s survival; rather, it would trigger its rapid, forced dismantling by the international community—or plunge the entire region into a catastrophic nuclear winter.

Amidst these apocalyptic stakes, the Israeli elections are little more than a macabre spectacle. The political deadlock between Benjamin Netanyahu and his rivals is not a debate over the nation’s salvation, but a grim contest to see who will be forced to take the wheel of the Titanic. Netanyahu embodies the organic, extreme nature of the settler project, and his rivals know that stepping into his shoes means inheriting an unmanageable disaster: the administration of extermination camps, failed ethnic cleansing, unwinnable regional wars, and the terrifying prospect of pressing the nuclear button. Consequently, his opponents are likely to let him remain at the helm, preferring to critique from the sidelines rather than serve as the regime’s official liquidators.

Ultimately, the era of false compromises is over. The colonial “emergency exit” that allowed white South Africans to maintain economic power post-apartheid, or the capitulation of the Oslo Accords, is no longer on the table. There is no longer a “Frederik De Klerk” figure in Israel capable of guaranteeing settler privileges, nor is there a Palestinian leadership willing to sign away their indigenous rights for a hollow peace.

The complete political, judicial, and territorial decolonisation of Palestine is inevitable, likely within the next five years. Until that day arrives, the world will be forced to watch the grotesque spectacle of settlers democratically voting on who gets to operate the human shredder, blissfully ignoring the fact that the ship is already going down.

This opinion piece is adapted from an original article by Daniel Lobato, “Who wants to take the wheel of the Israeli genocide?”, published on Al Mayadeen.

The facade of American economic supremacy is crumbling under the weight of its own imperial overreach. Recent reports confirm that the United States’ national debt has surpassed a staggering $40 trillion, an unprecedented surge from the $36.2 trillion recorded when Donald Trump began his second presidential term in January 2025. This catastrophic financial haemorrhage is directly tied to Washington’s prolonged and disastrous military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran—a war that is not only failing on the battlefield but is actively bankrupting the American homeland.

The True Cost of “America First”

Under the banner of “America First,” the US administration has instead perfected the art of sending the bill directly to its own citizens. The US-Israeli war on Iran has cost the US Treasury tens of billions of dollars, diverting critical public funds away from domestic services and into the bottomless pit of the military-industrial complex. Today, the US government spends more on interest payments for its existing debt than it does on national defence or public healthcare.

However, the pain extends far beyond abstract government accounting; it has infiltrated the daily lives of everyday Americans. The Iranian Resistance’s defensive strikes and the subsequent disruptions to vital global supply chains have triggered severe domestic shortages. A single defensive strike damaged a Qatari plant producing essential synthetic lubricants, sending US base-oil prices skyrocketing to record highs and forcing oil-change services to hike their prices.

At the pump, the situation is equally dire. Gasoline prices have surged to $4.33 a gallon—a 45% jump from pre-war levels—while diesel has spiked by 68% to $6.33 a gallon. This inflationary shockwave is further exacerbated by the administration’s aggressive tariff policies, which have added nearly 3 percentage points to inflation on non-oil consumer goods. From the cost of commuting to the price of groceries, which are threatened by disrupted fertiliser supplies, the American working class is bearing the brunt of a war fought thousands of miles away.

Elite Wealth Amidst Public Ruin

Perhaps the most glaring indictment of the American political system is the disparity between public sacrifice and private gain. While millions of American households struggle to afford basic necessities and pay their monthly bills, the political elite are profiting immensely. Reports indicate that President Trump’s personal wealth has ballooned by roughly $2.2 billion during his current term. His sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., have secured lucrative positions in investment firms, while his youngest son, Barron, has reportedly amassed a $150 million fortune through cryptocurrency.

This grotesque accumulation of private wealth against the backdrop of national bankruptcy highlights the true priorities of Washington: the enrichment of the ruling class at the direct expense of the populace. To sustain this debt, the government faces a grim choice—either slash vital domestic services like medical research, infrastructure, and emergency relief, or print more money, which will only further erode the purchasing power of the American people through hyperinflation.

The 2026 Midterms: A Referendum on Imperialism

As the US approaches the critical November 2026 midterm elections, the economic fallout of the war on Iran has become the central, if unspoken, theme of the political battlefield. Surveys reveal a deeply frustrated populace: an overwhelming 86% of US adults believe the war on Iran is directly harming their cost of living, and 79% disapprove of the administration’s handling of the economy.

Yet, the grip of partisan propaganda remains strong. Despite recognising the financial devastation, a significant portion of the Republican base still views the aggressive war as “worth fighting,” blaming external factors rather than the administration’s disastrous policies for their empty wallets. Democrats are capitalising on this vulnerability, spending millions on campaign advertisements explicitly linking the war to the cost-of-living crisis. However, whether a shift in congressional power will actually halt the imperial war machine remains highly doubtful, as both parties historically share a commitment to foreign aggression.

The Axis of Resistance: Strategic Victory

For the Axis of Resistance, these developments underscore a profound strategic truth: steadfastness against imperialism inflicts fatal wounds on the aggressor from within. The Islamic Republic of Iran and its allies have not only defended their sovereignty against overwhelming odds but have forced the American empire into a quagmire that is accelerating its internal decay.

The US believed it could dictate terms to the region through sanctions and military threats. Instead, it is finding that the true cost of its hegemony is being paid by its own citizens at the checkout counter, the gas pump, and the ballot box. As the debt ceiling shatters and the economy buckles, the message from the front lines of the Resistance is clear: the era of unchecked American imperialism is ending, and the American people are finally receiving the invoice.

Reference: Al-Mayadeen | ABNA24

As the United States limps toward the crucial November 3, 2026 midterm elections, the facade of American invincibility is crumbling on three simultaneous fronts: a hollowed-out military, a desperate propaganda machine, and a furious electorate. President Donald Trump’s unprovoked aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran—and his continued complicity in the Zionist genocide in Gaza—has triggered a cascading crisis that now threatens to strip the Republican Party of its congressional majority.

The Arsenal of Defeat: Running on Empty

The foundation of America’s midterm nightmare is a stark material reality: the US war machine is literally running out of bullets. During its failed campaign against Iranian assets earlier this year, the Pentagon burned through its most advanced air defence stockpiles to counter the Axis of Resistance’s cost-effective drones and ballistic missiles. According to strategic assessments, US forces squandered roughly 45% of their Patriot interceptors and an alarming 50% of their Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) interceptors in just seven weeks.

Trapped in an unsustainable cost-exchange ratio, the US defence industrial base—optimised for corporate peacetime profits rather than wartime resilience—has proven entirely incapable of replenishing these stocks. With deliveries for new interceptors not expected until 2029, American commanders have been forced into a humiliating strategy of “selective countering,” leaving their forces vulnerable. This logistical exhaustion has shattered any illusion of a decisive military victory, trapping Washington in a perpetual war of attrition it cannot win.

The Theatre of Desperation: ‘Wonder Weapons’ and Hollywood Propaganda

When material strategy fails, spectacle fills the gap. Recognising that their hollowed-out arsenals project weakness, the Pentagon has resorted to desperate information management campaigns. This week, American media outlets began leaking carefully placed stories about draft options to use the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb—the so-called “Mother of All Bombs” (MOAB)—against Iran.

But this narrative is pure theater, reminiscent of the late-war German doctrine of the Wunderwaffe (wonder weapon). The MOAB is a surface-level thermobaric weapon designed to disperse fuel aerosols in the open air. It cannot penetrate the more than 100 meters of solid granite protecting Iran’s deeply buried strategic facilities, such as the Pickaxe Mountain bunker. The function of leaking this propaganda is not military; it is entirely political. It is a desperate attempt by a failing empire to project an illusion of strength to a domestic audience and wavering allies, masking the reality of its logistical collapse.

The Kitchen-Table Revolt: Imperial Hubris Hits Home

The geopolitical fallout of America’s strategic failures has rapidly metastasized into a domestic economic crisis. West Asia remains the central artery of global energy markets, and the US Navy—lacking the munitions to secure vital shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf—can no longer guarantee the safety of commercial vessels. This disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has sent global energy prices soaring, with Brent crude settling above $104 a barrel.

For the American public, this imperial overreach translates directly into a kitchen-table crisis. In September alone, US gasoline prices jumped 9.1% in a single month, and consumer inflation climbed to 3.7%. With 61% of Americans believing the country is effectively in a recession, voters are punishing the architects of this disastrous campaign. Trump’s approval rating has plummeted to a dismal 30%, with 44% of registered voters explicitly viewing their midterm ballot as a vote against the President.

Furthermore, the empire is fracturing along demographic lines. Trump is hemorrhaging support among Black and Hispanic voters, but the most critical blow is coming from Arab and Muslim American communities in swing states like Michigan. Enraged by the war on Iran and the administration’s unconditional support for the ongoing genocide in Gaza, these voters are turning out in force to dismantle the political establishment that enabled these atrocities.

The End of the Line: A Lame-Duck Presidency

The political consequences of this multi-front collapse are catastrophic for the Republican Party. Despite gerrymandering and massive campaign spending, Democrats are projected by the Cook Political Report to gain between nine and 19 House seats—enough to seize control of the chamber. More shockingly, Republicans are being forced to play defense in deep-red strongholds. Democratic challengers are polling competitively in Senate races in states Trump won handily in 2024, including Alaska, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, and even Texas.

If Democrats capture Congress, Trump will face a legislative blockade during the final two years of his presidency. A hostile House would launch aggressive investigations, subpoena administration officials, and use the power of the purse to restrict further military offensives in West Asia. The congressional rubber-stamp for the war on Iran and the arming of the Zionist entity would be permanently severed.

Conclusion

The November 2026 midterms are no longer just a routine electoral cycle; they are a referendum on the survival of American hegemony. The Axis of Resistance has not only outmanoeuvred the US military on the battlefield and exposed the emptiness of its arsenals, but they have also broken the American economy and its political system from the inside. As Washington resorts to Hollywood propaganda to hide its defeats, the American voter is delivering the final, decisive blow at the ballot box.

Reference: Al-Mayadeen | PressTv

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Greetings to all freedom-loving people across the globe.

Today, the global community is fully awakened to a stark reality: the hegemonic order—spearheaded by the United States, imperialist European powers, and the illegitimate, bloodthirsty Zionist regime—has historically pursued, and continues to relentlessly pursue, the colonial subjugation and exploitation of sovereign nations. Using every means at its disposal, this machinery seeks to bring the independent nations of the world under its absolute dominion.

The Façade of Western Hegemony and Unilateralism

Relying on the hollow image of power they project, these regimes have institutionalised unilateralism, arrogance, and exceptionalism. By continually violating international frameworks and legal norms, they have appointed themselves the “world’s police.” Under the deceptive pretext of establishing a global order and defending human rights, they purport to hold others accountable for unfounded crimes while unilaterally issuing—and often extrajudicially enforcing—extraterritorial directives against sovereign nations.

Against a backdrop of passivity and appeasement by certain governments, these ruling establishments operate on the dogmatic assumption that other nations are either their subordinates or their adversaries. Consequently, they resort to every conceivable measure to obstruct genuine progress and full independence. They make no secret of this predatory approach, as demonstrated by recent remarks from US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in New Delhi, the capital of India, where he brazenly stated:

“India should understand that we are not going to make the same mistakes with India that we made with China 20 years ago in terms of saying, we are going to let you develop all these markets, and then, the next thing we know, you are beating us in a lot of commercial things.”

Their true objective is complete hegemony over nations, their populations, assets, and resources, while systematically hindering their development and, where possible, annexing the lands of others. This ideological premise has been openly acknowledged by Zionists and echoed by figures such as Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, and reiterated without reservation in recent addresses to the United Nations General Assembly.

A Legacy of Blood, Slavery, and Endless Wars

The direct and indirect involvement of Western powers is evident in nearly every war and armed conflict across the globe over the past few centuries. From the devastation of World War I and World War II—which left millions dead and wounded—to Saddam’s imposed war against Iran, and the subsequent conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, and Lebanon. From the genocidal wars against the Palestinian people to the atrocities committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Western powers have not merely fueled unrest across all five continents; they have been the architects and instigators of numerous crimes against humanity.

Such conduct is backed by a long, well-documented history of transgression. It ranges from the open practice of slavery in centuries past to modern forms of human trafficking, the illegal harvesting of human organs, arms smuggling, illicit narcotics distribution, and large-scale money laundering. It includes the creation of terrorist groups such as Daesh (ISIS)—a role explicitly acknowledged by their own officials—and hundreds of other documented crimes over the past century alone.

All this unfolds while the United States, a bellicose state established only about 250 years ago, exists upon the displacement, mass killing, and land seizure of Indigenous peoples. Likewise, the illegitimate and criminal Zionist regime emerged roughly seven decades ago through the massacre of Palestinians and the seizure of their ancestral homeland.

Iran’s Unwavering Stance and Historical Neutrality

In stark contrast, the Islamic Republic of Iran is perhaps the only country that, since the Islamic Revolution, has consistently supported the oppressed and dispossessed peoples of the world while refusing to submit to the domination of these arrogant powers. For this very reason, since the Revolution’s early days, Iran has faced a barrage of accusations—including warmongering, supporting terrorism, seeking nuclear weapons, and violating human rights—as well as hundreds of conspiracies involving war, riots, sanctions, sabotage, assassinations, and cultural warfare.

Meanwhile, Iran harbours no enmity toward any nation except the illegitimate and usurping Zionist regime, whose criminal nature is known to the world. As history testifies, Iran has not initiated a war in at least the past 300 years and has posed no threat to any country, particularly the US and Europe. Unlike hegemonic powers, Iran has never launched military campaigns of aggression against other nations.

Iran is among the few countries that, despite declaring neutrality during both World War I and World War II, was occupied by Western powers and the former Soviet Union, its territory repeatedly partitioned by enemy conspiracies. In the most recent conflict, too, Iran was attacked by the United States and the Zionist regime in two distinct phases.

The Shattering of Invincibility and Desperate Threats

The hegemonic system has once again deployed forces from the other side of the world to our region, only to suffer heavy blows at the hands of a powerful Iran. Faced with Iran’s resolve, the enemy has been rendered helpless, and its façade of invincibility has been shattered. It is now seeking to use every available means to remove what it regards as the principal obstacle to its global hegemony: our country, which has become a firm fortress and a model for humanity’s liberation from evil forces.

Unable to tolerate the comprehensive progress and courageous resistance of the Iranian people, the enemy seeks to enlist domestic mercenaries, separatist groups, counter-revolutionaries, and remnants of terrorist organisations it once nurtured. It has also threatened our beloved country—which has become a beacon of hope for the world’s oppressed—with the unthinkable: the use of nuclear weapons and the total destruction of its infrastructure.

A Call to Global Solidarity and Resistance

Nevertheless, the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, relying on divine providence and guided by the leadership of the Islamic Revolution, remain steadfast, resolute, and strong. While accelerating national development and scientific progress, Iran has developed comprehensive defensive and deterrent capabilities to deliver decisive responses to any existential threats.

Yet, the time has come to mobilise the solidarity of popular resistance networks around the world.

Accordingly, we issue an urgent appeal to popular resistance networks and conscience-driven groups worldwide: Should the enemies of humanity perpetrate such an unprecedented atrocity, you must mobilise through every available means. This includes comprehensive boycotts of the enemies’ consumer goods, targeted cyber actions, and disruptive operations designed to challenge the interests and assets of the hegemonic powers—foremost among them the imperialist US regime and the criminal Zionist regime—across all global regions.

We remain steadfast in our hope for the ultimate triumph of Truth over Falsehood.

Reference: A Letter from the People of Iran to the Peoples of the World

Introduction

For years, the arrogant powers and the Zionist entity have waged a multi-front war against the Islamic Republic of Iran, relying on brute military force, proxy terror networks, and crippling economic sanctions. Yet, as the imperial hegemon finds itself increasingly isolated and strategically exhausted, a glaring reality is emerging from the geopolitical battlefield: Washington’s strategy to contain the Axis of Resistance has not only failed but is actively precipitating the collapse of its most vital regional proxies—the Gulf monarchies.

The Myth of Military Dominance

Recent analyses by geopolitical experts, including former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter and prominent Iranian academic Dr. Mohammad Marandi, underscore a fatal miscalculation by the US and its allies. The conventional military solution, championed by the Zionist entity and enabled by Washington, has proven entirely ineffective. Despite the deployment of advanced missile defense systems and the exhaustion of US ammunition reserves, Iran’s deterrence capabilities have only grown. As Ritter candidly admitted, “Iran is stronger. We’re weaker.”

The Islamic Republic has absorbed the blows of the imperial war machine and adapted, rendering the prospect of a decisive US military victory a dangerous illusion. The US-Israeli war on Iran has failed to achieve its strategic objectives, leaving Washington entirely dependent on failing economic pressure to secure concessions from a resolute Tehran.

Economic Warfare and the Asymmetric Stranglehold

Having failed on the battlefield, Washington pivoted to its favorite weapon: economic warfare. The imperial gambit was to starve the Iranian economy into submission before the global energy market buckled. But this strategy has spectacularly backfired. Instead of capitulating, the Axis of Resistance has leveraged its strategic geography to choke the arteries of global energy.

Through the enforcement of Iranian maritime sovereignty in the Strait of Hormuz, and the relentless, precision-targeted operations by the Yemeni Armed Forces (Ansarullah) against Saudi energy infrastructure, the flow of hydrocarbons has been severely disrupted. Shortages in crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and critical petrochemicals are now biting the very economies that sought to sanction Tehran. The US is now racing to secure temporary diesel supplies, exposing the vulnerability of an empire that thought it could weaponize global trade without facing the consequences. As Dr. Marandi noted, the predictions of Iran’s imminent economic breakdown have failed to materialize; instead, the economic pressure is recoiling onto Washington and its allies.

The Inevitable Fall of the House of Saud

The most devastating consequence of this failed imperial strategy is the existential threat it poses to the US-backed monarchies of the Persian Gulf. The Saudi regime, heavily reliant on US military protection and hydrocarbon revenues, is currently buckling under the dual pressures of Iranian economic counter-sanctions and Yemeni military escalation.

The fragility of the House of Saud is no longer a secret whispered in diplomatic corridors; it is a glaring reality acknowledged even by Western analysts. Ritter has warned that the destabilization of the kingdom is not a question of “if,” but “when.” Mohammad bin Salman’s reckless decision to escalate aggression against Yemen has left the kingdom’s infrastructure highly vulnerable to Ansarullah’s proven asymmetric warfare.

As Dr. Marandi accurately warned, “If Saudi Arabia falls, none of these tiny regimes in our region will survive.” The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are entirely dependent on the security umbrella provided by a fading superpower. Once the House of Saud collapses, the artificial borders and illegitimate monarchies of the Gulf will inevitably follow, fundamentally redrawing the map of West Asia.

Escalation or Capitulation?

Washington now faces a dire strategic dilemma. While a diplomatic off-ramp exists—requiring the US to accept mutual understandings (MoUs) and guarantees against renewed aggression—the current political climate in Washington makes a graceful exit difficult. Dr. Marandi warns that the desperation of a failing empire could push the Trump administration toward further military escalation as a last resort, as economic pressure fails to yield political results ahead of domestic midterm pressures.

However, as Ritter warns, prolonging this confrontation guarantees global economic collapse. The Axis of Resistance has successfully shifted the balance of power. The US can either negotiate a face-saving withdrawal from its hegemonic posturing, or it can continue a path of escalation that will ultimately see its Gulf proxies consumed by the very fires of war they helped ignite. The era of unquestioned imperial dominance in West Asia is over, and the collapse of the Gulf monarchies may well be its final epitaph.

Reference: Al-Mayadeen

The Paradigm Shift in West Asia

For decades, Washington has attempted to dictate the geopolitical fate of West Asia, relying on a fragile network of subservient monarchies, military installations, and manufactured crises to project power. Today, that imperial architecture is fracturing. As highlighted in recent geopolitical analyses featuring prominent Iranian scholar Professor Mohammad Marandi and former US State Department officer Matthew Hoh, the Islamic Republic of Iran is no longer merely resisting the American agenda—it is actively dismantling the US-led regional order and replacing it with a framework of true indigenous sovereignty.

Yemen: The Mirror of Imperial Hypocrisy

The most glaring exposure of American weakness lies in the ongoing war on Yemen. Tehran has repeatedly signalled its readiness to facilitate a just and lasting end to the aggression. However, as Marandi astutely points out, the primary obstacle to peace is not the resistance, but Saudi Arabia’s refusal to recognise the sovereignty of Yemen and negotiate directly with the legitimate authorities in Sana’a.

For years, the Western propaganda machine attempted to paint Ansarullah as a mere extension of Tehran. Yet, as even former American insiders like Matthew Hoh are now conceding, the exact opposite is true. The brutal reality of the war has laid bare the truth: the real puppets, vassals, and proxies sit comfortably within the American imperial camp. These client states are entirely dependent on Washington’s military and economic lifelines for their survival. In stark contrast, the Axis of Resistance operates on ideological conviction, independent political agency, and a pursuit of genuine regional independence.

Tehran: The Undeniable Honest Broker

If Iran successfully mediates a settlement in Yemen, it will deliver a fatal blow to Washington’s diplomatic relevance in West Asia. An Iranian-brokered peace would force the international community to confront uncomfortable realities: Who is the honest broker? Who seeks stability, and who thrives on endless bloodshed?

Hoh notes that this prospect is deeply terrifying for the Washington establishment. An Iranian diplomatic triumph exposes the contradictions within the US-led order and shatters the illusion of American indispensability. It forces regional nations to realise that true security and prosperity can only be achieved through cooperation among sovereign actors, rather than serving as junior partners to an erratic and declining empire.

The Collapse of the Western Narrative

Beyond the battlefield and the diplomatic arena, a profound ideological shift is sweeping the globe. Marandi emphasises that the genocidal war on Gaza and the subsequent military confrontations with the Zionist entity have permanently shattered the credibility of Western narratives. The lies of Global Arrogance (Istikbar) have been laid bare for the entire world to see.

Consequently, the global mood has decisively shifted. Academics, intellectuals, writers, and activists from across the globe are increasingly travelling to Iran, bypassing the media blackouts of the West to witness the resilience, culture, and strategic depth of the Resistance firsthand. The intellectual isolation of Iran has failed; instead, it is the West that is suffering a severe crisis of legitimacy.

The Inevitable Decline of Empire

The US military strategy in West Asia has yielded nothing but exorbitant economic costs, political embarrassment, and strategic overreach. Paralysed by internal divisions and a lack of coherent strategy, Washington is losing its grip. The vacuum is being rapidly filled by the steadfastness of the Wilayah. Iran’s challenge to the US regional order is not merely a diplomatic manoeuvre; it is the inevitable march of sovereign nations reclaiming their destiny from the dying grasp of empire.

Reference: Al-Mayadeen

In the high-stakes geopolitical theatre of the Persian Gulf, Washington has long relied on the projection of naval supremacy to assert its dominance. However, the strategic reality at the Strait of Hormuz tells a vastly different story. According to prominent geopolitical analysts, Iran’s tightening grip on the world’s most critical maritime chokepoint is laying bare the severe limitations of American power, turning the US military presence into a liability rather than an asset.

The Myth of US Naval Supremacy

Iranian Professor Mohammad Marandi highlights a stark operational truth that contradicts Washington’s narrative: Iran, not the United States, dictates the terms of navigation through the Strait. Far from being a passive actor, Tehran has established a robust framework of maritime control, authorising passage, restricting non-compliant vessels, and effectively regulating transit.

“The more we see escalation on the American side, the more escalation we’re going to see on the Iranian side,” Marandi notes, emphasising that the vast majority of oil shipments moving through the waterway do so strictly under conditions established by Tehran. This operational control serves as a direct counter to US economic warfare, sending an unequivocal message: Iran will not tolerate economic strangulation while leaving its primary leverage untouched. Should US-Israeli aggression persist, Tehran possesses both the capability and the will to bring maritime traffic to a grinding halt.

The Information War and Market Realities

While Tehran leverages hard power and strategic geography, Washington has been forced to rely on psychological operations and erratic messaging to maintain the illusion of stability. US geopolitical analyst and journalist Patrick Henningsen points out that recent American statements regarding the free flow of oil are part of a desperate information campaign aimed at soothing energy markets and sustaining public confidence.

Despite presidential assurances and aggressive social media posturing, the reality on the water remains tense and heavily restricted. Henningsen argues that Washington’s long-term strategy has been to periodically attack and degrade Iran’s ability to administer the Strait. However, this approach has manifestly failed, only serving to prolong uncertainty for global shipping companies, insurers, and energy markets. As Henningsen bluntly assesses, “Business as usual is not happening now, and I don’t see it happening for the foreseeable future.”

Gulf States in the Crosshairs

The shifting balance of power in the Gulf carries severe implications for the regional monarchies hosting US military assets. Analysts warn that by facilitating American operations and supporting aggression against Iran and Yemen, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states—particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar—are making themselves prime targets for retaliation.

The presence of US bases in the region no longer guarantees security; rather, it acts as a magnet for Iranian deterrence. Washington’s strategy of utilising Gulf soil to launch economic and military pressure campaigns against Tehran has effectively drawn Riyadh and Doha deeper into a confrontation that weakens their own strategic standing. As Marandi and Henningsen both emphasise, countries that host American forces and facilitate attacks on Iran cannot reasonably expect their economies and critical infrastructure to remain insulated from the fallout.

A New Strategic Paradigm

The narrative of uncontested American hegemony in the Middle East is fracturing against the shores of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran’s demonstrated ability to control maritime traffic, combined with Washington’s inability to secure the waterway despite its massive naval footprint, underscores a profound geopolitical shift. For the US and its regional proxies, the message from the Axis of Resistance is clear: the era of dictating terms to Iran is over, and any attempt to enforce economic or military warfare will be met with crippling disruptions at the world’s most vital energy artery.

Reference: Al-Mayadeen

The withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Iraq marks the end of a highly visible military chapter that began with the 2003 invasion. However, while uniformed troops depart, the architecture of foreign influence often remains deeply entrenched. Recent leaks have brought to light an elaborate, long-running British covert influence campaign in Iraq, revealing how London transitioned from overt military occupation to sophisticated psychological operations (psyops) and media manipulation to maintain strategic leverage in Baghdad.

The Illusion of Editorial Independence

At the centre of this covert apparatus is “Yalla,” a youth-oriented news and social media platform founded in 2015. Publicly, Yalla brands itself as an editorially and financially independent voice for young Iraqis, boasting millions of followers across the country and the wider region.

However, leaked submissions to the British Foreign Office detail a different reality. Far from being an independent entity, Yalla served as a primary vehicle for British state messaging. Documents reveal that advertising giant M&C Saatchi, acting as a government contractor, funnelled millions of pounds into the platform—£4.3 million in the 2019/20 fiscal year alone, with a further £4 million budgeted for the following year.

To maintain the illusion of local autonomy, the contractors employed strict operational security measures. The files detail the use of intermediary payments, shell business entities, and VPNs associated with the Iraqi and Kurdish diaspora to obscure the chain of command. The objective was to implement “sensitive unattributable programming” that would shape Iraqi attitudes while keeping London’s involvement entirely hidden from the audience.

Engineering Consent Through “Behaviour Change”

The strategy deployed by M&C Saatchi went far beyond traditional propaganda; it was rooted in modern behavioural psychology. The contractor proposed a “far-ranging influence campaign” designed to promote “personal agency, community cohesion, and national unity,” particularly in areas previously held by ISIS.

Rather than broadcasting overt political messaging, the campaign utilised a “mentoring” approach. By employing local influencers, comedians, and youth psychologists, the operation created lifestyle content, travel series, and “evergreen modules” designed to resonate with the daily realities and grievances of the target demographic.

The internal strategy acknowledged that masking the harsh realities of life in Iraq would undermine credibility. Instead, the content was engineered to embrace those difficulties while subtly steering the audience’s emotional and intellectual responses. By cross-promoting this material through a network of trusted micro-influencers and repackaging it for national TV and radio, the campaign ensured its messaging permeated the Iraqi media ecosystem without audiences ever knowing its foreign origin.

Strategic Fault Lines and Geopolitical Objectives

While the stated goals of community cohesion appear benign on the surface, the broader intelligence objectives reveal a calculated geopolitical agenda. Underpinning the media operations was a 2015 British intelligence “target audience analysis” designed to map and exploit Iraq’s societal divides.

A significant focus of this psychological warfare apparatus was the perception of Iran’s role in the region. The 2015 analysis found that while a majority of Iraqis rejected the premise that Tehran held undue influence, there was a stark demographic exception: 68 percent of surveyed Sunni Arabs agreed with the statement. British planners identified this divergence as a strategic opening.

The leaks indicate that the covert campaign extended beyond digital media to include the cultivation of tribal leaders and religious clerics to act as organic amplifiers for specific narratives. This aligns with previously exposed operations, such as efforts to influence sermon materials via platforms like “Imams Online,” as well as regional psyops efforts—such as the staging of fake celebration videos in Syria following the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani—aimed at shifting regional narratives against Tehran and its allies.

The Enduring Legacy of Cognitive Warfare

The exposure of the Yalla operation highlights a fundamental shift in how foreign powers project influence in West Asia. As the physical footprint of Western militaries recedes in the face of domestic political pressure and agreements with Baghdad, the battle for narrative dominance has moved into the cognitive domain.

The machinery constructed by London to “drive attitudinal and behaviour change” was built to outlast the coalition’s military presence. For Iraqi policymakers and regional analysts, the leaked files serve as a stark reminder that in modern geopolitical competition, the most potent instruments of foreign policy are often those that remain entirely invisible to the public eye. The withdrawal of troops does not equate to the withdrawal of influence; it merely changes the battlefield.

Reference: The Cradle

On the morning of October 8, 1990, the Al-Haram al-Sharif compound in occupied Al-Quds became the scene of one of the most defining massacres of the First Intifada. More than twenty Palestinians were killed and over 150 injured by the occupation forces at the Al-Aqsa Mosque — a brutal reality later documented by the United Nations Security Council.

A Calculated Provocation at the Holy Sanctuary

Tensions had been deliberately manufactured for weeks. Extremist Zionist organisations had announced plans to hold a ceremony related to the laying of a cornerstone for a mythical “Third Temple.” For the Palestinian people and the broader Islamic Ummah, this was a strategic ideological assault. Any action perceived as threatening the existing status of Al-Aqsa was viewed as a direct attempt to erase Islamic history. Because proponents of this agenda link their ambitions to the very ground on which Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock stand, such initiatives are universally recognised by the Resistance as attempts to destroy Islamic holy sites.

The Morning of Blood and Occupation Arrogance

Thousands of steadfast Muslims gathered to defend Al-Aqsa that morning. While the occupiers attempted to distort the narrative, the events that followed are well documented. Palestinians threw stones to defend their sanctuary; the Zionist occupation forces responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition. Even the Red Cross confirmed the indiscriminate use of live rounds against unarmed worshippers.

The Zionist regime’s own human rights organisations, such as B’Tselem, were forced to admit that 21 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 injured, concluding that the occupation forces had employed lethal force extensively against the defenceless.

International Complicity and Defiance

On October 12, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 672, condemning the actions of the Zionist regime. Yet, international condemnation was met by familiar arrogance. When the UN Secretary-General moved to dispatch a fact-finding mission, the Zionist regime refused to receive it, declaring the Security Council resolution “unacceptable.” The UN mission was never able to conduct its inquiry, proving once again that the occupation operates entirely above international law with the complicity of Western powers.

The Compass of the Resistance

October 8 cannot be understood in isolation. It occurred in the third year of the First Intifada, cementing Al-Aqsa as the intersection of faith, land, and armed resistance. Ten years later, history repeated itself when Ariel Sharon entered the Al-Haram al-Sharif compound flanked by a massive military contingent. The clashes that erupted escalated into the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

More than three decades on, October 8, 1990, endures as a stark reminder of the price paid in resisting occupation. It proved that Al-Aqsa is not merely a place of worship, but the central ideological symbol of the Palestinian struggle and the eternal compass of the Axis of Resistance.

Reference: Shia News

Three years have passed since the historic Al-Aqsa Flood operation, a defining moment that forever altered the geopolitical landscape of West Asia. In the immediate aftermath of that October 7 uprising, the Martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei (may Allah elevate his noble station), delivered a profound assessment that the arrogant powers of the world desperately tried to ignore.

On October 10, 2023, the Martyred Imam declared the condition of the Zionist regime to be “irreparable.”

He described a devastating defeat that had inflicted structural damage on the regime’s military, security, and intelligence apparatuses—damage so severe that no amount of Western backing or internal commotion could easily fix it.

“I would like to say that after Saturday, October 7, the Zionist regime will no longer be the regime it used to be, and they cannot easily compensate for the blow that has struck them,” he stated.

Today, as we mark the third anniversary of Al-Aqsa Flood, the prophetic clarity of his words is undeniable. The question we must ask is no longer if the regime was damaged, but whether it was ever truly repaired. The signs confirm the Martyred Leader’s vision: what began as a security breach in Gaza has cascaded into a total systemic failure, shattering the myth of the “invincible Israel” across political, social, and regional spheres.

The Death of the “Invincible” Narrative

Before Al-Aqsa Flood, the Zionist regime projected an image of absolute security and impenetrability. It claimed that its sophisticated intelligence networks saw everything and controlled every variable. Operation Al-Aqsa Flood didn’t just breach physical borders; it shattered the psychological foundation of the regime’s existence. The resistance bypassed the supposedly impenetrable security fences, catching the occupiers entirely off guard and proving that divine reliance and revolutionary will can dismantle the most arrogant of technological fortresses.

Internal Collapse: The Defeat Behind the Walls

Perhaps the most profound dimension of this irreparable defeat is occurring within the society of the occupiers themselves. A regime that once marketed “security” as its primary guarantee for its settlers is now drowning in internal crises. Deep political polarisation, massive social protests, a collapsing economy, and a catastrophic loss of public trust have hollowed out the regime from the inside. The walls built to keep Palestinians out have instead become the walls of a prison for a terrified, fracturing society.

The World Awakens to Palestine

The Martyred Leader’s insight extended beyond military tactics; he understood the tectonic shift in global consciousness. Today, the ideology of resistance is no longer confined to the battlefields of Gaza or Lebanon. From the universities of the West to the streets of Europe and the halls of international law, Palestine has become an inescapable global reality. The illegitimate security walls, heavily subsidised by imperialist and colonial powers, have failed to erase the historical reality of Palestine or silence the cries of the oppressed.

As we reflect on the immense legacy of our Martyred Leader, his timeless words, spoken just weeks after the dawn of Al-Aqsa Flood, continue to guide the Ummah toward ultimate victory:

“The future world belongs to Palestine. It does not belong to the usurping Zionist regime.”

The regime’s wounds are indeed irreparable. The dawn of liberation, by the grace of Allah and the blood of the martyrs, is closer than the Zionists could ever imagine.

Adapted from the analysis by Sayyid Muhammad Kazemi.

Reference: Khamenei.ir

Europe — For decades, European capitals have positioned themselves as the global arbiters of human rights and democracy, lecturing the Global South while funding conflicts and destabilising sovereign nations. Today, the “civilised” West is watching its own streets burn. A massive wave of unrest, initially sparked by student protests in France, has rapidly spread across the continent, exposing the deep rot and inherent cruelty of the Western capitalist-imperialist model.

The French Eruption and State Hypocrisy

The current crisis began on September 17 in the suburbs of Paris, where students mobilised against deteriorating public services, teacher shortages, and dilapidated schools. What started as an educational struggle quickly engulfed hundreds of high schools and 30 universities, forcing mass closures as the youth demanded a future.

The response of the French state—a nation that frequently champions the “rules-based international order”—has been brutally authoritarian. In a desperate bid to crush the dissent, French police deployed an iron fist, utilising tear gas, batons, and riot-control grenades against unarmed students. Over 5,000 people, the vast majority of whom are teenagers, have been detained, with 1,800 facing prosecution.

The most harrowing display of state terror occurred in the city of Lens, where a 15-year-old boy lost his hand and part of his forearm during a police confrontation. While Paris is quick to condemn police actions in foreign nations to advance its geopolitical interests, it offers no apologies for maiming its own youth.

The Contagion Spreads: Belgium and Spain

The decay of the European project cannot be contained by borders. In neighbouring Belgium, the contagion of dissent has already taken root. In Liège and Brussels, thousands of students have faced off against police, blocking school entrances to protest education reforms, budget cuts, and skyrocketing tuition fees.

Meanwhile, in Spain, the crisis has manifested as a profound rejection of late-stage capitalist exploitation. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets across 50 cities to protest a devastating housing crisis and inadequate wages. The brutal eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid has become a potent symbol of a system that prioritises corporate profit and banking interests over the basic human dignity of its citizens.

The Root Cause: Militarism at the Expense of the Masses

Why is the European welfare state collapsing? The answer lies in the geopolitical subservience of European nations to Washington’s imperial agenda. European governments are currently “squeezed” by an energy crisis, soaring inflation, and ballooning defence spending.

Instead of investing in the education and housing of their youth, European vassal states are pouring billions of euros into the military-industrial complex to fund NATO proxy wars in Ukraine and sustain the Zionist entity’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. The austerity measures being forced upon the European working and middle classes are the direct financial cost of Western imperialism. The youth of Europe are realising that their governments care more about projecting hegemony abroad than providing a liveable future at home.

A Looming Political Collapse

Europe is sitting on a powder keg. As the ruling neoliberal and centrist parties fail to balance extreme austerity with basic social needs, radical factions on both the far-right and left are gaining unprecedented momentum.

What the Western media dismisses as scattered protests is, in reality, a profound political crisis. The era of Western domestic stability is ending, and the very tools of repression exported by the West to control the Global South are now being turned against its own citizens. Europe’s internal fractures are a clear sign that the imperial core is beginning to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions.

Reference: ABNA24

Introduction

The events of Karbala forever etched in history the eternal truth: the spirit inevitably triumphs over matter. These are battles where, at first glance, material superiority seems absolute, but in the infinite dimension, falsehood is defeated even before the battle begins.

A direct reflection of this eternal struggle between truth and falsehood in the 21st century is the Gaza Strip. The “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation did more than just shake the region; it reminded all of humanity of a fundamental law of the universe: the collapse of tyranny and systems of injustice is inevitable.

How did a small, blockaded enclave manage to stir the world with its call, a world mired in materialism and spiritual decline? How did the actions of Gaza initiate an irreversible process of restoring global justice? And why are these events becoming one of the key signs and steps on the path to the long-awaited arrival of Imam Mahdi (AS)?

“Forgotten” Palestine and the Conspiracy of Normalisation

Until October 7, 2023, the collective West, led by the “Great Satan” (the United States), was diligently trying to impose the illusion on the world that the Palestinian issue no longer existed. Despite understanding the falsity of this claim, they nevertheless made methodical attempts to bring this concept to reality.

To completely eliminate the Palestinian issue, everything was put into play: creeping annexation and systematic appropriation of Palestinian lands, diplomatic pressure, and the creation of an illusion of complete control over the situation. The Zionist regime diligently broadcast its confidence that all was under its control, and the Gaza Strip was securely locked down and neutralised.

The main pillar of this dangerous illusion was supposed to be the “Abraham Accords”—an attempt to build an artificial, illusory “normalisation” between the Arab world and the Zionist regime. This was an attempt to mix the incompatible: to force Muslim peoples and free people to accept the authority of tyranny.

The Collapse of the High-Tech Idol and the Spiritual Awakening of Gaza

The illusion of a “managed conflict” collapsed in an instant when the much-vaunted high-tech and defence systems proved to be a helpless burden. The blind confidence of the Zionist regime in its own perfection was the cause of its deafening fall.

The morning of October 7th became a day of military and spiritual breakthrough. A deeply planned tactic by the Resistance fighters tore through the multi-layered defence of the enemy: a massive barrage of rockets, effective drones, and the immediate neutralisation of communication systems plunged the regime’s army into chaos, tearing away the mask of “invincibility.” The world saw: tyranny is vulnerable, and its power is only a fragile web.

However, the main breakthrough occurred in the minds and hearts. The West, mired in indifference, complacency, and spiritual decline, saw people who, having lost everything—their homes, loved ones, property—did not curse fate, but said “Alhamdulillah” (Praise be to God) amidst the ruins of their homes.

This unwavering patience became a spiritual shock to the slumbering world. Just as the actions of Imam Hussein (AS) awakened the Islamic community from the hypnosis of tyranny, the resilience of the people of Gaza stripped away the false masks from “Western values.” The small enclave showed that true dignity is not bought with visas or broken by weapons. It was a call for sincerity that prompted millions of people on all continents—from Asia to universities in the United States—to take to the streets and seek the truth.

Geopolitical Shift: The Collapse of the World Order and the Response of the “Axis of Resistance”

The “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation launched an irreversible process of truth triumphing over darkness, shifting the confrontation with the Zionist regime to a fundamentally new level.

For the first time in history, the Islamic Republic of Iran, previously refraining from direct attacks, along with the movements of the “Axis of Resistance,” began to launch systematic, asymmetric, and devastating strikes against the occupation entity.

The geopolitical noose began to tighten around the aggressor’s neck: the disruption of key maritime arteries—the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea—not only inflicted damage on the occupiers but also paralysed the economic interests of their main patron, the United States. Direct clashes on the northern front with Hezbollah and regular attacks by the Iraqi Resistance transformed what was once a “safe rear” of the regime into a continuous zone of attrition.

Western support for Zionism has finally stripped it of its mask of “defender of human rights.” Countries of the Global South directly accused Washington and Brussels of blatant hypocrisy and double standards. Moreover, the West itself has deeply fractured: a series of official recognitions of the State of Palestine by countries such as Spain, Norway, and Ireland became a symptom of a diplomatic rift.

South Africa’s lawsuit in the International Court of Justice accusing the regime of genocide, and arrest warrants issued by the ICC for the regime’s leadership, exposed the pus-filled nature of international jurisprudence. And the endless US vetoes in the UN Security Council finally buried the authority of this body, demonstrating to the world that the old legal order is dead.

But the most striking surge was the spiritual rebellion of young people around the world. University campuses of the Ivy League—Harvard, Columbia—and leading universities in Europe were engulfed in flames of protest. These were not just political rallies, but a hunger for truth that broke through censorship and exposed the profound failure of the Western propaganda machine.

Conclusion: “Al-Aqsa Flood” and the Approaching Era of Imam Mahdi (AS)

The main meaning of the events of October 7th lies far beyond military tactics and geopolitical calculations. The process of the approaching arrival of Imam Mahdi (AS) requires the spiritual readiness of humanity, and this readiness could not have formed without a great trial and awakening, which the “Al-Aqsa Flood” became.

In a world sinking into the abyss of Satanic materialism and submission to tyranny, the Gaza operation became a resurrection of faith in the fact that the human spirit, illuminated by Divine Truth, is capable of crushing any system of oppression. The absolute embodiment, the pinnacle, and the guarantee of victory of this sacred hope is Imam Zaman (AS).

The cry of the Palestinian people, which erupted on October 7, 2023, from the besieged enclave, was heard not only on all continents of the Earth—it resonated in the very structure of the universe. This feat showed that the courage and patience of Gaza tore the web of Taghut. And that means that the arrival of the Saviour (AS) and the final triumph of justice are not just a distant promise, but an inevitable and natural conclusion to human history.

Reference: Shia News

The US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran has exposed the deep moral and economic rot at the core of the American empire. Far from a noble crusade for security, this conflict has proven to be nothing more than a massive wealth transfer from the pockets of ordinary citizens to the bank accounts of the military-industrial complex, corrupt politicians, and Zionist-aligned elites.

According to the US Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the direct cost of American combat operations against Iran reached approximately $38 billion by August 1, 2026. This staggering sum covers expended munitions, lost equipment, and military operations, yet it barely scratches the surface. Meanwhile, the American working class has been forced to foot the bill at the gas pump. Democratic members of the Joint Economic Committee estimate that US households have haemorrhaged an additional $71.5 billion on gasoline since the war began—an average of $604 per household.

Unsurprisingly, the American public sees through the deception. A June 2026 Quinnipiac poll revealed that 60 percent of voters believe the military action against Iran is entirely unjustified and not worth the cost. Yet, as public opposition grows and President Trump’s approval rating plummets to 34 percent, the architects of this war continue to cash in.

The Defence Industry: Monetising Bloodshed

For the American defence industry, every missile fired and every air-defence system deployed translates directly into record-breaking profits. Companies that manufacture weapons of mass destruction are thriving on the replenishment contracts necessitated by the war effort.

RTX (formerly Raytheon) reported $24.7 billion in sales in the second quarter of 2026 alone, with its defence-related backlog swelling to a massive $119 billion. Similarly, Lockheed Martin posted $20.1 billion in sales and a record $230 billion backlog, driven heavily by missile-defence systems. While the American public suffers, executives like RTX CEO Chris Calio and Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet see their personal wealth skyrocket through massive bonuses and equity awards tied to the bloodshed in West Asia.

The Trump Family’s War Economy

The corruption extends to the very top of the US administration. Unlike previous presidents, Donald Trump has maintained substantial personal investments that directly benefit from the chaos of war.

Trump held up to $45.6 million in oil and gas stocks at the end of 2025. As the US-Israeli war disrupted regional energy markets and caused prices to surge, the value of his personal holdings ballooned to $61.1 million—a paper profit of $15.5 million. He even doubled down, purchasing an additional $3.6 million in oil and gas stocks in early 2026.

The profiteering is a family affair. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have deeply embedded themselves in the defence and technology sectors through their respective investment firms, 1789 Capital and American Ventures. Their portfolios are packed with drone, AI, and military-tech startups—precisely the sectors flush with US government war money. In fact, at least 15 companies linked to the Trump sons’ investments have secured roughly $3.2 billion in direct federal contracts and loans since the administration took power.

Perhaps the most glaring conflict of interest involves Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Through his firm, Affinity Partners, Kushner heavily invested in Phoenix Financial, a major Israeli financial conglomerate tied to the Zionist regime’s security economy. In July 2026, amidst the height of regional conflict, Kushner cashed out a quarter of his stake for over $340 million—a return of more than five times his initial investment—while retaining a stake worth over $1 billion. Kushner’s ability to leverage his political proximity to power for massive financial gain from Israel’s war economy highlights the deeply entrenched corruption of the American political elite.

Big Oil and Congressional Insider Trading

The disruption of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz—vital global energy corridors—has predictably enriched Big Oil. Executives at ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Cheniere Energy have seen their stock values soar, allowing them to cash out millions while US refiners like Marathon Petroleum and Valero rake in an estimated $32.4 billion in combined profits over just two quarters.

This blatant profiteering is further enabled by a complicit US Congress. Lawmakers who vote on foreign policy and defence spending have been caught trading stocks in the very companies benefiting from the war. Republican Senator Alan Armstrong and Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz bought shares in Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, while other representatives sold off defence stocks for hefty profits.

Even more sinister are the anonymous traders who have gamed the system. Reuters uncovered up to $7 billion in mysterious oil futures trades placed just before major Trump announcements regarding Iran. On prediction markets like Polymarket, anonymous insiders—such as an account named “Magamyman”—made hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on the exact timing of US-Israeli strikes, strongly suggesting the use of illicit, insider information.

Conclusion

The US-Israeli war on Iran has laid bare the ultimate hypocrisy of the American system. While the working class is burdened with $38 billion in combat costs and crippling inflation, the political and corporate elite—including the Trump family, Zionist-aligned investors, and defence contractors—have turned regional instability into a multi-billion-dollar goldmine. For the architects of this unjust war, bloodshed in West Asia is simply another lucrative business opportunity.

Reference: Tehran Times

More than a decade since the inception of the Saudi-led aggression, the geopolitical calculus in the Arabian Peninsula has undergone a profound shift. Far from achieving its maximalist objectives, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia finds itself ensnared in a protracted conflict that has severely degraded its strategic standing. Recent assessments from geopolitical experts, including University of Tehran Professor Mohammad Marandi and US commentator Karen Kwiatkowski, underscore a glaring reality: the war in Yemen has not weakened the Yemeni Armed Forces (Ansar Allah); rather, it has exposed the existential vulnerabilities of the Saudi regime.

The Shifting Battlefield and Morale Deficits

Contrary to the narratives propagated by Western-aligned and Saudi-funded media outlets, the ground realities in Yemen point to a steady consolidation of power by the Yemeni Armed Forces. Ansar Allah has not only defended the nation’s sovereignty but has advanced on multiple fronts, reclaiming strategic territories.

Crucially, the ideological and moral dimension of the conflict has decisively tilted in Yemen’s favour. The Saudi-backed mercenary factions suffer from a profound crisis of morale. They are increasingly unwilling to fight and die against a battle-hardened national movement that has gained widespread regional admiration for its steadfast defence of Palestine and its operations in support of Gaza. This asymmetric motivation ensures that Riyadh’s financial investments in proxy militias continue to yield diminishing military returns. As analysts note, the Saudis have effectively already lost the war; the expansion of Yemeni territorial control is a reality Riyadh will simply have to accept.

The Oil Trap and Economic Exposure

Saudi Arabia’s most glaring vulnerability lies in its monolithic economic structure. Despite its vast wealth, the Kingdom possesses only one critical strategic asset: its oil industry. As regional tensions ripple through vital maritime chokepoints like the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, the cost and viability of Saudi energy exports are under immense pressure.

The deterrence equation has fundamentally changed. Yemen possesses the advanced military capabilities to paralyse Saudi energy infrastructure, yet exercises calibrated restraint. Its objective is not the total destruction of the Kingdom, but the coercion of the Saudi leadership into ending the blockade and aggression. However, should Riyadh choose to escalate the conflict, the Yemeni response could drive Saudi oil exports to absolute zero, triggering an immediate internal economic and political crisis for the regime.

Furthermore, Riyadh’s financial lifeline is heavily tethered to Western markets. With Saudi bonds and stocks deeply embedded in US financial institutions, the Kingdom’s economic sovereignty is compromised. In an era of shifting American political priorities, there is no guarantee that Washington would allow the Gulf states to freely withdraw their capital to save their own economies during a crisis.

Washington’s Role and the Risk of Regional Conflagration

The United States remains deeply enmeshed in the war in Yemen, providing the intelligence, logistical backing, and political cover necessary for the Saudi war machine. However, Washington’s strategic vision remains fractured. Commentators warn that the US political leadership risks conflating the various independent fronts of resistance into a single, monolithic “war.”

This approach—lumping Yemen, Iran, and parts of Iraq into a unified theatre of operations—serves only to justify broader US-Saudi military coordination and deeper American meddling. Yet, this strategy is inherently flawed. Integrating Saudi territory and military facilities into a broader US-led confrontation with the Axis of Resistance does not secure American interests; it merely turns the Arabian Peninsula into a primary target zone, further widening the scope of the conflict and accelerating the Kingdom’s descent into instability.

Conclusion

The prolonged war on Yemen stands as a testament to the failure of coercive diplomacy and military aggression against a self-sufficient, ideologically motivated resistance. Riyadh’s continued pursuit of an unwinnable war drains its financial reserves, alienates its population, and leaves its critical infrastructure perpetually at risk. Unless the Saudi leadership abandons its reliance on deceptive media narratives and American security guarantees, it faces a strategic collapse that no amount of petrodollars will be able to reverse.

Reference: Al-Mayadeen

The mid-air “emergency” aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 on September 30, 2026, was rapidly transformed from a chaotic aviation incident into a geopolitical weapon.

Before any official, independent investigation could conclude, the Zionist regime and its American allies had already packaged, amplified, and repackaged the event into a sinister political narrative. What was initially reported as a physical altercation in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv was immediately spun by the Zionist propaganda apparatus as a thwarted terror attack. However, a closer examination of the facts reveals a glaring web of contradictions, missing evidence, and cinematic absurdities that point directly to a manufactured false-flag operation.

The Dubai Connection: A Plot Finalised Before Takeoff

To understand the FZ1073 saga, one must look at the timeline. On September 27, just three days before the incident, Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unscheduled, highly secretive visit to Dubai to meet with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Accompanied by top military and intelligence officials, Netanyahu reportedly finalised an operation designed to be attributed to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The objective of this manufactured crisis is twofold: to fabricate a pretext for renewed aggression against Tehran, and to drag US President Donald Trump into a direct military confrontation. Domestically, the timing is no coincidence. With the October 27 elections looming and polls showing a dead heat, Netanyahu desperately needs a security crisis to rally voters and save his failing political career. The facts of the flight did not shape the narrative; rather, the narrative was written before the flight even departed.

The Phantom Co-Pilot and Convenient Anonymity

One of the most glaring holes in the official Israeli-American story is the identity of the alleged co-pilot. The narrative claims that an Omani national attempted to crash the plane. This raises immediate operational and diplomatic questions: How was an Omani citizen cleared to operate a flight into Ben Gurion Airport, given that Oman maintains no diplomatic relations with the Zionist regime and strictly regulates such movements?

Furthermore, there is a stark, suspicious asymmetry in how the two pilots have been treated by the media. The Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, was publicly identified and showered with praise by Netanyahu, Trump, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In stark contrast, the Omani co-pilot—the supposed architect of an attempted mass-casualty event—remains entirely anonymous. There is no verifiable identity, no employment history, and no independent evidence of his existence outside of Zionist intelligence leaks. Until these fundamental questions are answered with verifiable data, the “Omani attacker” remains a convenient phantom designed to serve a predetermined script.

Aerodynamic Absurdities and “Cinematic” Claims

The technical details of the official account defy the laws of physics and aviation engineering. According to the regime’s claims, the aircraft plunged between 14,000 and 17,000 feet in less than a minute, reaching speeds of approximately Mach 0.96. This is well above the Boeing 737 MAX 8’s maximum operating limit of Mach 0.82.

Aviation experts note that the aircraft was subjected to extreme aerodynamic loads, enduring an estimated 3 Gs—far exceeding its certified limit of 2.5 positive Gs. Claims that the plane’s rudder was ripped off during the plunge, yet the aircraft somehow managed to fly for over an hour before safely diverting to Saudi Arabia, border on the miraculous.

Most absurd is the claim that a passenger—reportedly a plumber who had watched aviation documentaries—managed to single-handedly pull a near-supersonic Boeing 737 out of a deadly dive while simultaneously subduing an armed attacker in a chokehold. As former crash investigators and veteran pilots have pointed out, such a sequence of events is aerodynamically and physically impossible. It reads less like an aviation incident report and more like a Hollywood script.

Missing Evidence and Shifting Stories

The most damning aspect of the FZ1073 saga is the total absence of independent verification. The so-called “evidence” relies entirely on anonymous intelligence sources. The narrative of the co-pilot’s radicalisation, his alleged meetings in Syria, and his digital footprint have not been independently corroborated.

Even the nature of the “weapon” used by the alleged attacker has inexplicably shifted in media reports, evolving from a knife to an axe. Meanwhile, the flight data recorders (black boxes)—which would definitively prove or debunk the regime’s wild claims regarding the aircraft’s speed, altitude, and structural integrity—have been conspicuously withheld from independent international scrutiny.

Conclusion: Recognising the Pattern

The Flydubai FZ1073 incident bears all the classic hallmarks of a false-flag operation. From the secretive planning in Dubai to the immediate exploitation of the event to frame Iran, the Zionist regime has engineered a crisis to rescue a failing government and incite a broader regional war. The world has seen this deceptive playbook before, and the international community must see through the cinematic claims and manufactured evidence for what they truly are: a desperate bid for war and political survival.

Reference: PressTv

The Political Calculus of Arson

The Zionist regime is currently navigating an unprecedented internal crisis, with its leadership facing severe threats to its political survival. According to recent geopolitical assessments and statements from former US military officials, the entity is reportedly considering a direct military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran to meet domestic electoral pressures. The underlying logic is as cynical as it is dangerous: instigate a massive regional conflagration to force Washington’s hand. By launching a unilateral strike, the Zionist leadership hopes to entrap the US military, compelling the White House to provide direct cover and fight a war of survival to prop up a failing colonial government.

The Collapse of the US Forward-Basing Strategy

A critical factor driving this desperation is the shifting military geography of West Asia. Historically, the US relied on a sprawling network of military bases across the Persian Gulf to project power and threaten Iran. Today, those forward operating bases have been largely neutralised or rendered useless by the precision strike capabilities and deterrence posture of the Axis of Resistance. Consequently, the US has been forced to consolidate its military assets directly within occupied Palestine. This strategic vulnerability means that any aggression against Iran will immediately expose the core of the Zionist entity—and its embedded American forces—to devastating, inescapable retaliation.

The Illusion of a “Limited” Strike

Zionist planners operate under the delusion that they can execute a “limited” strike on Iranian infrastructure and rely on American hegemony to deter a response. However, strategic analysts close to the Resistance axis make it unequivocally clear: if Iranian infrastructure is targeted, all bets are off. The Islamic Republic has spent years fortifying its economy and military apparatus for a protracted, high-intensity conflict. The response will not be confined to the borders of occupied Palestine. Iranian missile and drone forces are fully prepared to obliterate US military installations across the entire region, target American naval assets in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, and dismantle the economic and military lifelines of the Zionist entity.

A Collision Course with Reality

Washington’s unconditional commitment to the Zionist project has blinded its strategists to the new realities of the battlefield. The US is being dragged into a collision course not out of strength, but out of a desperate need to maintain its hegemony through proxy aggression. If the Zionist leadership gambles on a war with Iran to secure its political future, it will not find the swift, decisive victory it seeks. Instead, it will trigger the very nightmare scenario that the Axis of Resistance has meticulously prepared for—a comprehensive regional war that will finally shatter the myth of Zionist invincibility and accelerate the collapse of American imperial dominance in West Asia.

Reference: Al-Mayadeen

Every year on October 1st, Iran observes the Day of Solidarity and Empathy with Palestinian Children and Adolescents—a designation established by the Iranian Council for Public Culture in memory of 12-year-old Muhammad Jamal al-Durra, whose killing at the hands of Zionist soldiers became one of the most searing images of the Second Intifada.

The Boy Behind the Concrete Barrier

On September 30, 2000, Muhammad al-Durra, a fifth-grade student from the Al-Bureij refugee camp near Gaza, accompanied his father Jamal—a carpenter—on a shopping trip. When protests erupted among Palestinian youth and Zionist soldiers opened fire on the demonstrators, father and son took shelter behind a concrete barrel.

Muhammad’s cries, begging the soldiers not to shoot, went unanswered. In full view of a France 2 camera operated by correspondent Talal Abu Rahme, Zionist soldiers fired deliberately. The boy was killed in his father’s arms; Jamal al-Durra was seriously wounded.

Muhammad was born on November 22, 1988. His family originally hailed from the city of Ramla, from which Palestinian residents were expelled during the 1948 Nakba by the Zionist regime.

A Symbol of the Al-Aqsa Intifada

The Second Palestinian Intifada—known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada—erupted on September 28, 2000, after Ariel Sharon made a provocative march to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Sharon was also among the chief architects of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacres in Lebanon.

The Intifada continued until February 2005, when a ceasefire was brokered at Sharm el-Sheikh between Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Sharon. Over those years, 4,412 Palestinians were martyred and approximately 50,000 were injured.

The footage of Muhammad al-Durra’s killing, broadcast repeatedly across the world, transformed the boy into an enduring symbol of Palestinian resistance. His blood became synonymous with the Second Intifada itself.

The Demographic War Against Palestinian Children

Since the occupation of Palestine, one of the Zionist regime’s persistent anxieties has been the demographic balance between Palestinians and settlers. The growth of Palestinian children and adolescents is viewed as an existential threat—the coming generation that will sustain the struggle for liberation.

Consequently, a central pillar of Zionist policy has been the systematic reduction of the Palestinian population through killings, arrests, detention, and the expansion of illegal settlements. Palestinian resistance leaders, in turn, have consistently emphasised the importance of maintaining demographic strength as a form of steadfastness (sumud).

Because Palestinian families tend to have more children than settler families, the targeting of Palestinian minors—through killing, imprisonment, and psychological warfare—serves as an unspoken instrument to suppress population growth and weaken the Resistance, even after more than 74 years of occupation.

The Numbers That Speak

According to the Society to Protect the Palestinian People, in 2013 the Palestinian population stood at 5.9 million against 6 million settlers. By 2020, despite decades of targeted violence, the ratio had shifted: 7.2 million Palestinians versus 6.9 million settlers.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that by mid-2022, approximately 2.35 million children under 18 lived in territories under Palestinian Authority administration—constituting 43.9% of the total population (41.7% in the West Bank and 47.3% in Gaza).

Between 2000 and the end of 2021, approximately 3,000 Palestinian children were martyred. Of these:

• 315 were killed during the 2009 Zionist aggression on Gaza.

• 546 were killed during the 2014 aggression.

Tens of thousands more were injured during protests against the ongoing occupation.

Children Behind Bars

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (April 2022), 78 Palestinian children were killed by Zionist bullets in the preceding year alone. Meanwhile, 160 Palestinian children were held in Zionist prisons in conditions violating international law and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child—denied education, denied childhood.

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Information reported that 200 children were in detention at any given time, with the Zionist regime arresting between 700 and 1,000 Palestinian minors annually—a figure that surged to approximately 2,000 in 2016.

Published reports confirmed that even infants were among those imprisoned, forced into detention alongside their mothers.

Rayan Suleiman: Another Stolen Childhood

On September 29, 2022, Zionist occupiers chased several Palestinian children in Bethlehem. Seven-year-old Rayan Suleiman, terrified and fleeing, fell from a height. His heart stopped. He was seven years old.

The Silence of the “International Community”

All of these crimes unfold while the United Nations, its agencies, human rights organisations, and Western governments—chiefly the United States and the United Kingdom—maintain a studied silence. These same powers, which have provided unconditional political, military, and financial backing to the Zionist regime for decades, mobilise every available resource to condemn their adversaries while refusing to name the crimes committed against Palestinian children.

Since October 7, 2023: An Unfolding Genocide

Since October 7, 2023, at least 21,700 Palestinian children have been martyred in the Zionist regime’s aggression on the Gaza Strip. According to UNICEF, this figure—recorded as of June 30, 2026—continues to climb. Thousands more children have been injured, many left with permanent disabilities.

A Day of Remembrance and Resistance

October 1st is not merely a date of mourning. It is a reaffirmation: that the children of Palestine are not forgotten, that their blood is not in vain, and that the ummah stands with them. From Muhammad al-Durra to Rayan Suleiman to the tens of thousands whose names will never make headlines, their memory fuels the resolve of every person who refuses to accept occupation as permanence.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

Reference: Shia News

Since the launch of the Saudi-American aggression on Yemen on March 26, 2015, the blockade and severe restrictions imposed on the nation have constituted one of the most devastating non-military dimensions of the war. While the international media often focused on airstrikes and ground operations, the coalition immediately initiated a complex system of maritime and aerial strangulation. What began as restrictions and inspections quickly evolved into the closure of Sana’a International Airport, the rerouting of commercial shipping, and, ultimately, the total closure of Yemeni entry points.

For the Axis of Resistance and students of geopolitical warfare, the evolution of this siege—and Ansar Allah’s subsequent strategic response—offers a profound case study in asymmetric deterrence and the shifting balance of power in the region.

The Legal Façade vs. The Reality of Collective Punishment

The narrative propagated by Riyadh and its Western backers has consistently relied on the guise of “national security” and international law. The coalition justified its maritime and aerial chokehold by citing the need to prevent the flow of weapons to Ansar Allah and to enforce the arms embargo mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2216 (2015).

However, a rigorous legal and humanitarian analysis dismantles this pretext. While Resolution 2216 mandates a targeted arms embargo against specific entities and calls upon states to inspect suspicious shipments, it does not authorize a comprehensive blockade on food, fuel, and civilian goods, nor does it permit the total closure of sovereign ports and airports to civilian traffic. The weaponization of UNSCR 2216 to justify the mass starvation and economic strangulation of the Yemeni people is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.

Conversely, reports by the United Nations and its Panels of Experts have repeatedly confirmed that the coalition’s restrictions effectively evolved into a mechanism of collective punishment. The UN noted that the comprehensive blockade initiated on November 6, 2017—ostensibly in response to a missile launch toward Riyadh—dealt a catastrophic shock to an import-reliant economy, directly engineering the scarcity of food, fuel, and essential medical services.

The Evolution of the Siege and American Complicity

The blockade was never static; it adapted to the political and military needs of the aggressors and their American patrons. It moved from initial inspections in 2015 to the closure of Sana’a Airport to commercial flights in 2016, culminating in the suffocating total blockade of late 2017.

Following immense international pressure and the steadfastness (Samoud) of the Yemeni people, arrangements saw temporary flexibility via the 2018 Stockholm Agreement and the 2022 UN-brokered truce, which allowed limited fuel shipments and commercial flights. This paved the way for direct Saudi-Houthi negotiations in 2023, which focused on ending the war, addressing public sector salary payments, and reopening vital infrastructure.

Yet, the role of the United States remained the defining variable. Washington transitioned from being the primary logistical and intelligence architect of the coalition’s siege in the early years, to feigning a push for diplomacy under the Biden administration. By 2025, however, the mask slipped entirely: prompted by Ansar Allah’s operations in the Red Sea, the US resumed direct military action against Yemen. Although a cessation of hostilities was reached between Washington and Ansar Allah in May 2025, the underlying architecture of the siege remained intact. By September 2026, the UN confirmed that the risk of a return to full-scale war had risen again, proving that the imperialist agenda to keep Yemen subservient and fractured had not been abandoned.

The Strategic Shift: The “Blockade-for-Blockade” Doctrine

During this new phase of the conflict, a monumental shift emerged in how Ansar Allah responded to the siege. For years, the burden of the blockade was designed to fall exclusively on the Yemeni populace, aiming to break their will through economic attrition. Ansar Allah, however, refused to remain a passive theater absorbing the impacts of imperialist warfare.

A new strategic equation was forged: “Blockade-for-Blockade” and “Closure-for-Closure.”

This doctrine represents an attempt to impose a reciprocal cost on the parties enforcing and supporting the siege. By leveraging Yemen’s unparalleled geographic command over the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Ansar Allah incorporated the security of global navigation, Western trade, and Zionist energy supplies into the conflict’s calculus. The message was unequivocal: the continued economic strangulation of Yemen will no longer be a low-cost measure for the Saudi coalition or its American and Zionist backers.

Altering the Hegemonic Calculus

It is crucial to understand that this reciprocal equation does not imply the two blockades are identical in form, nor does it suggest that counter-pressure is an end in itself. The strategic genius of this approach lies in its objective: shifting the paradigm from a one-sided cost equation to a mutual cost equation.

By making the continuation of the war and the siege deeply costly for regional and international interests linked to the Red Sea, Ansar Allah is forcing the aggressors to recalculate their hegemonic strategies. The political objective is not to prolong the counter-blockade indefinitely, but to alter the negotiating equation—compelling the enemy to ease restrictions, reopen Sana’a Airport and the ports, pay public salaries, and return to negotiations on terms that respect Yemeni sovereignty.

Conclusion: From Endurance to Imposing Peace

Yemen has thus transformed from a mere theatre of war into an active, formidable geopolitical actor. It has successfully weaponised its geography and its capacity to influence global maritime traffic as a supreme bargaining chip against the siege.

However, as the conflict shifts into this advanced phase of “counter-blockade,” the ultimate success of this strategy hinges on translating mutual pressure into sustainable political outcomes. The goal is to reduce the vulnerability of Yemen’s economy to strangulation while raising the cost of the blockade for the enemy, thereby transforming resilience into a decisive negotiating tool.

Any analysis of the Saudi-American siege must recognise that it is no longer just about Yemen’s ability to withstand the blockade. It is about breaking the cycle of imperialist extortion. The success of the “blockade-for-blockade” equation will not be measured solely by the disruption it causes to global shipping, but by its capacity to permanently shatter the siege, end the aggression, and secure the independent future of the Yemeni nation.

Reference: Zeinab Al Saffar

The Fallacy of Paper Promises

American diplomacy has long relied on a strategy of deception—signing agreements on paper while actively violating them in practice. The recent discourse regarding Washington’s desire to impose “new terms” or frameworks on the Islamic Republic has been met with a firm and uncompromising reality check. As highlighted by prominent Iranian analyst Professor Mohammad Marandi, Tehran will not entertain new negotiations or grant unilateral concessions until the United States first honours its existing commitments.

The central obstacle to any diplomatic engagement is not a lack of frameworks, but Washington’s chronic failure to implement them. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and previous frameworks—even those dating back to the Trump administration—were systematically sabotaged or ignored by the US. Tehran has learned the hard way that American signatures on paper mean absolutely nothing. As Marandi emphasised, “Whatever the United States says doesn’t mean anything to Iran... What is important to Iran is implementation.” The Islamic Republic is no longer interested in Washington’s diplomatic theatre; it demands verifiable, concrete action.

Regional Justice: Gaza, Lebanon, and Sovereign Assets

Iran’s demands transcend basic bilateral sanctions relief; they are intrinsically linked to the broader struggle of the Axis of Resistance. Whether referred to as the MOU, the seven-point plan, or any other diplomatic label, the core principles remain non-negotiable and identical.

Tehran demands an immediate halt to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and an end to the occupation of Lebanon. Furthermore, the unconditional return of Iran’s stolen assets—plundered and frozen by Western financial hegemony—remains a baseline requirement. These are not “new terms” invented by Tehran to stall negotiations; they are the fundamental pillars of regional justice and economic sovereignty. Washington cannot expect to stabilise its own failing influence while actively funding the slaughter of Palestinians and the destabilisation of Lebanon.

A New Era of Strategic Leverage

The United States desperately seeks a diplomatic “win” to manage the blowback of its own maximum-pressure campaigns and to stabilise its crumbling regional hegemony. However, the Islamic Republic operates from a position of strategic strength and patience. Tehran has made it clear that once the US fulfils its side of the bargain—implementing its commitments rapidly—reciprocal actions regarding regional leverage, such as the security of the Strait of Hormuz, can be managed swiftly.

But until then, the ball is entirely in Washington’s court. The era of Iran making unilateral concessions to appease an unreliable and hostile empire is definitively over. For the Axis of Resistance, the geopolitical math is simple: no implementation, no deal. Washington must first cease its genocidal support, end its economic terrorism, and prove its capacity to honour its word before Tehran will even consider the pen for a new agreement.

Reference: Al-Mayadeen