Conflict

  • Iran wants revenge in the longterm

    The Supreme Leader has a prominent position in Iranian society, but current feelings are guided by emotions that come from sources far beyond his own. The felt need for revenge runs deep now and Iranians will no doubt be plotting for a long time to come.

    Their revenge will take the form of restrictions on civilian activity in the Middle East where Iran has a role to play; diplomacy limited to friendly states; and challenges to leadership that backed such a strike on the late Ali Khamenei.

    A broadcast by a TV channel in Iran about revenge for assassination (Credit: MEMRI TV/Original).

    In Iran there are also forces at play to destabilise world affairs, and in particular, to interfere in domestic political affairs. These are hard to track and have potential in places where people work against others to end their careers.

    In future, the likelihood of Iranian interference is particularly high in Washington, because America backed Israel to kill their Supreme Leader in the first place. This puts the Atlantic power on high alert. It also implicates the UK because of our special relationship there.

  • Iranians can’t be forgotten in this chapter

    Interventions on a scale of the US and Iran conflict can cause fear for those that don’t understand military matters. For example, the war in Afghanistan and Iraq raised fears of a reverse invasion that did not come to be actualised.

    In fact, reports I’ve read say there have been remarkable improvements in living conditions and in educational environments since the end of fighting. This is due to freedom of movement and much better business prospects.

    The welfare of people after a conflict determines the value of any action that was taken. This is included in modern planning. It’s not helpful for those who say no war, but that isn’t advice for those that consider these issues in reality.

    Iran has struggled to understand freedom by itself. There’s a strong psychological element of control in the country that leads people to be upset about a leader who actually did little to improve their local living arrangements.

    The struggle Iranians have is put on them artificially by those in leadership. There’s a lack of redress for abuses and shortfalls in care that’s expected. This is a fundamental matter. If any liberation comes, it can help to alleviate these matters for many people.

    The protest movements of the world are unhelpful therefore in this regard. They don’t support the removal of those that harm people. They don’t support responsible governance afterwards. They don’t support seeing people’s lives get much better by it.

    It’s not likely that Iran will have the capability to invade the UK soon. It’s not a part of the UK’s defence planning to believe so. It means we have a responsibility to contribute to reconstructive efforts. It’s our way of making peace work.

  • Nuclear weaponry is now a different field of play

    The proliferation of nuclear weapons happened in different ways in separate parts of the world.

    In the West nuclear technology was of course known as more stable and while nuclear weapons were developed they weren’t really included in much real planning. It wouldn’t necessarily see the light of day even if somebody wanted to use one.

    In the Middle East, the situation was very different because not only would the development of such technology be prone to security risks but also the storage of such volatile material would come under constant pressure from problematic elements such as terrorism.

    While this didn’t deter some at a lower level of a regime to pursue it, most at the leadership level considered it to be a nonstarter in their way of life.

    Another trend is a belief of some countries that nuclear weapons as they are shouldn’t be in the possession of any nation and their policy is to quietly advocate for their elimination.

    Therefore, nuclear weaponry is now seen to be an issue in terms of instability but also criminal activity, and in the latter sense its worth in threatening people.

    While no crime gang is likely to be able to develop a nuclear weapon by itself, if at all, the remaining uncertainty over the location of materials, facilities, and capacity means people continue to work on it until the science stops.

  • Khamenei’s leadership is gone with the wind

    Ali Khamenei was driven more by a personal philosophy than was reported in his lifetime, showing that hot political topics are more likely to overshadow prescient points until the details are able to come through. To understand his life is an effort to get to grips with how he saw things everyday, because what he created in Iran is the state it’s in today.

    The nerve centre of his operation is said to have been a planning committee that functioned as his active core. It had the business of preserving the national heritage of the Persian power while building on it with modern innovations. This was to keep the status quo active for as long as his regime was going. It defined his philosophy of being while doing, illustrated by a fusion of religion and modern duties.

    This focus on deliberation actually leaves much of it as a mystery, maybe preserved or maybe having disappeared with his life, because the meetings were kept private. It has a similarity to the meetings that happen between high level personnel, but Khamenei wanted his leadership to be at the crux of what it was about, and so limited its coverage by military secrecy. He defined an era of modern Iran and his leadership cannot easily be forgotten.

  • Iran has divides that cannot be overcome

    Iran is usually spoken of as being one single and whole country. While this is true – and is useful in a business sense – in terms of its leadership this couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s the belief of many academics that there are artificial divisions that are somehow run through Iranian society to keep people separate.

    These were built up by its former Supreme Leader and is believed to be a large part of the inheritance of the new Supreme Leader, who has to manage this new status quo.

    It’s likely these lines are obvious and that many people are aware it involves more than stating facts and enforcing it by Policing. This means that while some countries have sought to develop upward, Iran has moved to press outwards. It follows in a long period of overtly proud planning and behaviour.

    This causes Iran to be an increasing mystery on the world stage. As a State in the Middle East that’s choosing to be ever more introverted in its way of politics and life, it presents a threat through not being understood, but this is now built-in to its approach to being both a country and a regional power.

    The challenge from outside to Iranian leadership is therefore not seen as being relevant. It’s also more and more difficult to challenge a human rights record where their social setup is fragmented in such a way to make it difficult to know who is responsible and how life works there.

    Their opinions are probably going to be singular but their action is not going to be as predictable as we’d like it to be. It’s also not a forgone conclusion what Iran wants or what more they want to achieve.

    

  • Israel has a stronger claim than a fake terrorist state

    The concept of Aliyah is a much stronger practice of will than the belief by Arabs who say they too have longed for a nation of their own in the same place as Jews.

    The return of Jews to the Middle East to occupy a place that’s historically their own is embedded in their religion, and in their history. It’s their identity to believe so.

    The same is not true of a small proportion of Muslims who have zero claim to a further historical site of special significance to the other religious influence there. The political goal, propelled by terrorist activity, is just simply not the same and cannot be seen as so.

    Israel has not denied the rights of Muslims to be present in places that matter significantly to a religious leaning, but has set conditions on territorial control that has gone badly wrong in times past.

    The State of Israel perceives Islam to be what it is today, not a remastered academic version that tells stories of peace and stability. The democracy Israeli’s have is a more real story than a vain hope that only ends in glory for murderers and Jew haters, such as Hamas et al. are.

    The history being written by Israel is a much better tale than the one strived for by a bloodthirsty street regime in Gaza that has a hold but no real interest in the wellbeing – or status – of the people there. It controls a destiny because its future promises more gains for plunder.

  • Iran suffers huge blows to its detriment

    If regime change were on the cards for Iran, a lot more would be presently underway than we’ve seen so far. In context, Israel and America have managed to nearly completely destroy the capability of the former Supreme Leader. This doesn’t imply the fall of Iran is on its way, and neither is it an indication of any sort of plan or purpose.

    Shots of explosions – purportedly in Iran – posted to the Internet in early March 2026 (Credit: ISRAEL gaza NEWS/Telegram).

    As things go in the Middle East it’s usually those defending and that which is being defended that is targeted. It can result in missiles falling in the wrong places, but it can also be the fault of a bad state actor who is trying to repel action to deescalate and dismantle their illegal, centralised form of power.

  • Israel annihilates Iran’s Supreme Leader in shocking blow

    In footage verified by international sources, it’s believed that Iran’s Supreme Leader has been assassinated by an air strike coordinated by the State of Israel and from the State of Israel.

    The shot is a startling reminder of Israel’s firepower, and a stunning victory for the Jewish power still resident in the Middle East.

    It restores the sovereignty of Israeli’s in their own country, and powers a new drive for assertiveness in many of its regional players.

    However, the act is an extremely provocative moment for the State and makes it that much more unpopular in international terms.

    It’s believed UN sources are planning yet more retaliatory discussions against it. These include high-level lawyers and many of its key staff across the world.

    Israel is also struggling to maintain its leadership position due to extensive protests in the country that make it to be unstable.

  • Remembrance at Westminster Abbey

  • Europe is not a warmonger

    The Ukraine-Russia conflict is entirely the fault of Russia. Ukraine and its allies did not start it. The often combative Russian state descended into its own malaise.

    It feels like it’s a way out, but this is a false belief. Whatever the security concerns of the closed state, this is not a path to resolution. It opens it up to outright warfare.

  • Russia’s war shows it lacks clarity

    Russia’s war is something to behold in these current, modern times. It’s not easy to understand, but this is where Russia comes in. Most of Russian life and history has been difficult to decipher for many people.

    It’s pursued a policy of intimidation for too long. It’s led to a thinning of relations and a cultural ‘drift’ that’s resulted in much misunderstanding. It hasn’t necessarily stopped interchange, but at this point the story is bare.

    There’s a thin line of interaction and no further. The results of failed diplomacy and broken attempts to reach out across a divide shows it. It’s also indicated in sparse news reporting. It’s a legacy of distrust that’s lasted for decades.

  • Ukraine has a right to win

    Ukraine’s need for safety is not the same as ours. Theirs is a need for territorial integrity. It includes a promise of no Russian boots on their soil. It also means no land is lost to its illegitimate claims. There can’t be a stronger Ukraine with a lesser strategic position. Finally, no vital infrastructure can be open to cursory destruction.

    President Zelenskyy is aware that Putin bargains for more than he’s worth. It’s why he fights back so hard. He orders his country to do so too. He knows the illegality of this war. He already gets that a Russian tyrant can’t win, for the sake of the world too. His effort is to hold out against an enemy that is sabre rattling at us.

  • Russia and Cuba pal up again

    The Russia-Ukraine war is striking deep divisions into the soil of international relations, and yet Russia is striving to make further incisions.

    The recent ratification by Russia’s Federation Council of an agreement for an exploration of strategic ties with Cuba is a haunting echo of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

    It’s also a show of contempt for the efforts of world leaders to make peace today. The old Russia makes new waves in a modern facade of a warmongering nation.

  • Journalists’ work in Gaza is to state it

    The Journalists at work in Gaza know the local situation. They also see the destruction of war every single day. They’re known for keeping contact with each other. They also have a reputation for speaking on the ground with their eyes open.

    A video report (believed to be made earlier this year) by a Journalist in Gaza (Credit: GAZA1_NEWS/Telegram).

    The multimedia is a mixed bag of opportunities for insights into life on the Gaza Strip. It’s not a good time to be alive, of course, but its history is unfolding and its story is still being told. This is one further step necessary in it.

  • Putin is aiming for a perfect settlement

    Russia says its invasion of Ukraine is to stop a threat to its own national security. However, it’s not just a violation of sovereign territory, but it’s also a call for the cessation of a democratic Ukraine. To many Ukrainians, democracy is still new there and it threatens it.

    Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says the Russian invasion is a national security effort.

    It’s accepted the uncertainty of it is far removed from the problems of other Western powers. The bombardment isn’t like a volley of awkward questions from reporters. It’s more of a fundamental test of resolve. It challenges – and reshapes – national character.

    Putin’s challenge in the effort is a zero-sum game in his eyes. He doesn’t see compromise as necessary to a victory, and agreements may threaten to diminish potential outcomes. It’s a war of perfect returns. He wants a safer Russia and this is how he gets it.