Middle East

  • Tehran runs a closed statehood of many parts

    Tehran is known as both an exclusive and also oppressive place, meaning that it has an allure of being the most cultured experience of Iran, but also being the leadership centre of a country that is rarely understood, even by its own people.

    It’s also said to be a closely guarded place, with much of the infrastructure of the country in terms of its security focusing directly on this one place.

    While there are parts to Iran that are richly cultural and deeply welcoming, most of it is said to be under the control of a political, secular, and religious elite that forms in the capital under various titles.

    This is because its focus is on the population. There aren’t many ambitions for invasion in the region, and it’s believed internal security compromises have more to do with the groups that make up the ethnic and national identity.

    This closed statehood is thought by many to be a unique feature in the Middle East. It’s very different from States in the Western world. It doesn’t make sense to people who aren’t used to living in its reach, or have to work their way around its localities by following its rules.

  • Iran finds its feet in the interim for now

    Iranians have a lot to think over at the moment, and having just lost an iconic figure who played a large part in the meaning and purpose of its religious and political elite in Tehran, there’s a need for time to recover from such a momentous loss.

    Although some contest it’s not a big difference, and another has come to replace him, Ali Khamenei put more into his diary than a retiring professor of Islamic law might do, showing he had a real zeal for power that left a void in the short term.

    As Iranians find their feet in this new interim, a refreshed power structure will kick into action and will put on a much more updated show of leadership and strength than before. It will likely have more of an impact than we can imagine now.

    This is the changeover that Iranians had thought over, but had not planned for in such a way. They also have to keep in mind that Israel followed through on its main threat. Its biggest rival, having eliminated a Supreme Leader, is in a better position than previously.

    There’s no doubt that tensions are high and will remain so for a long time, but pragmatists have helped to stabilise Iran in recent times, and even if they’ve provoked doubt that not everyone really benefits from holding back from outright war, they may help to keep the peace.

  • Lebanon is a target Israel is counting on

    It’s been a long-held belief of many of Israel’s top military chiefs that Hezbollah – owned by Iran – stands in Israel’s way to lasting peace in the wider region.

    The terror network isn’t a peacemaker at all. It holds a grip in Lebanon that suppresses legitimate economic activity and stifles most of its development.

    The network is said to have been cored by the late Ali Khamenei, emptied of its founding doctrines and filled with his own ambition for the end of Israeli security.

    The calculated mentality of its fighters shows a drivenness to expel Jews from the Middle East, a strategic goal now held by Tehran’s political and social elite.

    The focus on its elimination is a military objective that may frighten some, but the daily reality of instability for all its citizens means Israel won’t let go.

  • An Iran war is a matter for Iranian people

    The implications of strikes on Iran are being considered across Western media cycles, and the output seems to be a concern about shipping and something on the cost of living. There’s clearly little to nothing there for evidence to use to back up a significant claim as to the meaning of why it’s happening. These are just things that confirm it’s real.

    The real story is one for the Iranian people, put there for their consideration over the lifecycle of a leader and what it means when other people are threatened. The lesson is sobering, as much as the loss of such an iconic leader is a shock. This must be the point at which thinking starts on its context, and purpose.

    The further escalation of hostilities is a decision that people make with their leader, albeit in Iran it may be a much smaller number that is involved in the process. This is set in the international framework as a necessary response if things are to get worse, or deteriorate into a conflict that runs until it ends, rather than when life stops totally.

    The upswell of support for the new Supreme Leader, or a wave of enrolment for local forces that offer the feeling of patriotism and a cause worth being martyred for, is set in the nervous system of the State of Iran, emerging if it feels compelling and worth doing so. This is also their side of the story, and not ours.

  • Israel has shown self-determination is the key to survival

    The 2005 Gaza Disengagement stunned onlookers across the world as Israeli’s removed Israeli’s from parts of the Gaza Strip, thereby giving Hamas full and total control of a significant piece of land and preparing the ground for its renewed attempts to undermine Israel’s national security.

    It didn’t make sense, from other places, but Israeli leaders contested that it maintained its own position by making such concessions. The belief that people in Gaza would lead fruitless lives afterward is a truth that should concern the single-minded who follow such turns of events to blame Israel.

    The chronicling of the next steps in the Israel-Gaza dialogue is perhaps best epitomised by Hamas’ suicidal incursion into Israel in October 2023, but relations had completely deteriorated far before then. The terror group had already pursued a policy of radio silence, instead arming up and preparing its quasi-police state for a would-be assault that would end in chaos.

    The key to Israel’s existence has long been thought to be self-determination, a basis that is found in policymaking circles across the world. It has a basic instinct however that it wears on its sleeve, also showing it to the world in complete clarity. The fight isn’t nominal. It has the most desperate enemy at its doors, constantly vying for attention, so one misstep is its chance.

    The one effort that led to the resettling of thousands of Israeli’s didn’t grant the ‘freedom’ that crowds chant for at the doors of our Parliament, and at the feet of many more. It helped one country survive because the pressures were enormous, and engaged not a few hardened souls that had believed Israel would never do such a thing. The rest of it is history.

    In forging a future, the Jerusalem power base that forms Israel’s best chance at success is handling matters by how they unfold. The chances are slim for many in Gaza who don’t get the help they need to make Hamas surrender. It would mean they live freely, independently, and with choices ahead of them. This side of the story is incomplete.

  • 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.

  • What Balfour meant matters now more than ever

    In the text of his letter, Arthur Balfour, a former Prime Minister and then Foreign Secretary, managed to epitomise a position on homeland and identity that stands to this day. In recognition that at least a social coexistence was possible, starting with a Jewish nation and the preservation of non-Jewish rights in practice, he sent a clear message to its recipient that he and his country could see a way ahead for justice and historical restitution.

    “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”

    – Arthur James Balfour/Balfour Declaration/1917.

    It’s now believed that this letter setup a real effort to make a genuine place for Jews. They didn’t have one before it, and such an indication from a powerful State meant that a powerless people had a voice again. It also ensured a path to self-determination, giving a unique people group a way do it that didn’t involve the response of the sponsor nation. The rest is history, showing it’s possible for once.

    The ethic involved is lost on those that don’t see planning as an important part of foreign policy. Britain as it was wouldn’t stand in the way. It also had no desire to see anyone else block it either. But a lack of moral backbone is now in international realms, as Israel finds no response among many nations to its claim Hamas is a terror group at war with it constantly. This threatens its state of affairs.

  • 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.

  • President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria is a lone voice

    The attempt to rebuild Syria is a national hope that may take a long time to realise. It’s not an easy place to rebuild, and it’s difficult to make reasonable contact with most people, as its previous leader knew. The unity and continuity of business activity needed for its survival and credibility in the Middle East is hard to come by in these circumstances.

    Credit: @AH_AlSharaa/X.

    Yet, President Ahmed al-Sharaa is making his efforts known to the world that he intends to try to do it himself. The success of it is now a likelihood that’s built on his respect for such realities in the region. He too has to navigate the complex dealings of peoples that are never really settled. He also has to make contributions in a state of affairs that is fast moving, and doesn’t look back to find out the losers.

    His messages in public are conciliatory in tone but they have underlying principles in mind. These are peacemaking initiatives in a Syrian way of thinking. The launch of a new currency looks like a signal of intent but it’s not founded on printing it for friends and foes alike. The outstretched hand of Ahmed al-Sharaa is also a clenched fist if they fight him, which is well known because of his diplomacy.

  • Stop hazing us on Gaza

    The direct appeal to protesters today is to stop hazing us.

    We don’t need to be initiated into your movements. We don’t need to learn your politics the hard way. We don’t need to feel as you do and learn things by your frame of mind.

    The issues are stark before us too. It’s not just you.

    This message isn’t getting through. The impact of repeated protests is now a negative thing. It feels threatening. It’s a chaotic – if not mixed – message. It’s a flow, not a statement, of people and jumbled up emotions.

    We haven’t seen eye to eye properly as a nation for a long while. This stands true throughout the UK. It’s time for more politics, not more self-funded, shadowy groups passing on messages from terrorists.

  • Hamas only seek to devour

    The activities of Hamas in Gaza is nothing more than street crime, and is reported as such by researchers native to the territory. They’ve carried out significant investigations into the group. The inconsistencies in their belief system makes them conclude it’s not a religious movement. The zeal for criminality and their extensive record of lawbreaking in Gaza and in Israel and other neighbouring states makes them conclude it’s a lucky if insignificant force in actual struggle in the Middle East.

    The fact is Hamas has got legitimacy by the hands of those prone to giving the middle finger. The slant of an ideologue against small targets like Universities and legitimate enterprises has become a sounding board in popular culture. The reflection of matters too deep sometimes for words is hard to come by. Our words or prayers are nothing compared to it. Its grandeur is really a looming shadow of a silly aim to support a terrorist group that is in the grips of criminality against a legitimate state.

    Hamas only seeks to devour. The reported poverty in Gaza before incursions is its fault. The repeated refusals to cooperate with Israel apart from conflict is now part of its character in the region. Its reprisals is an old joke. The decay that sets into our cities is the same that Hamas brings to the Gaza Strip. The demented behaviour of crowds here is replicated in the behaviour of such evil tyrants there. It’s a melting pot of human hate.

  • Israel is not a new Russia

    Israel is a democracy that exists in a difficult region of the world. It’s a part of the earth that makes its own protests to legitimacy but there are a lot of questions still. The allure of money – and potential outward investment – makes it an attractive if suspect bedfellow. The fact is it cannot be seen in any other context than its own.

    Israel itself is not a pariah state. It has many reasonable enterprises and a lot of respect for its economic and political activity. As usual in our world, its military activities are hotly criticised. It may be because it’s an easy target. The causes and needs of war are not clear as it unfolds and its open to speculation.

    This is a dangerous tendency – if in its own type of political cult already – that threatens to mystify diplomacy and lead to mistakes. Israel isn’t a new Russia. It’s not an enemy. It’s not a plotter. It’s not a subversive threat to our own existence. It’s a friend if only we’d try to be too.

  • Call for information: ISS leader

    In a stunning exclusive for Conservative News Site, a leader of Iran State Security has been seen loitering in central London.

    A suspect alleged of criminal activity for a foreign state seen loitering in central London.

    He’s alleged to have extensive involvement in the apparatus of the network. It frequently agitates beyond Iran’s borders. It serves the foreign policy objectives of the nations ruling elite.

    Any information relating to this individual must be passed to a relevant public body. It will be used to build an accurate case, if one exists.