Article - Islamic World News

This report examines the aggressive and expansionist policies of the United Arab Emirates in recent decades, particularly under the leadership of Mohammed bin Zayed. Leveraging economic strength, vast financial resources, and U.S. support, the UAE has extended its influence from the Persian Gulf to the Horn of Africa. Hostility toward political Islam and strategic alignment with Washington form the pillars of Abu Dhabi’s foreign policy. The country’s unique demographic structure—dominated by migrant labor—has shaped a distinctive approach to regional power‑building. The report highlights how the UAE has exploited political instability in African states and Yemen to become a decisive player in regional geopolitics.

This report exposes a vast network of Emirati military and intelligence bases stretching across strategic routes from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea—a network functioning as a control ring over the region’s vital shipping arteries. It further examines the direct involvement of the Zionist regime and the United States in shaping this security architecture and its impact on post–Al-Aqsa Storm dynamics and the containment of Ansarallah.

This report examines the gradual pivot of Joseph Aoun in confronting Zionist assaults—a transformation that has evolved from a cautious stance into a more proactive policy. The narrative highlights how this strategic shift has been shaped by Lebanon’s internal dynamics, regional pressures, and international considerations.

The twelve‑day cyber war between Iran and Israel (June 13–24) began with Operation Rising Lion, leading to a 700 percent surge in cyberattacks against Israeli infrastructure. Unit 8200, responsible for SIGINT, codebreaking, and cyber warfare, played a central role in this confrontation. Since the 1950s, this unit has evolved into one of the world’s most advanced cyber military divisions, with its alumni later founding major companies such as Check Point, CyberArk, and Palo Alto Networks.

The recent water and energy accord between Turkey and Iraq—beginning with the financing mechanism for water projects signed in early 2024 and expanded into combined oil–water packages in November 2025—marks a strategic shift in managing the Tigris–Euphrates basin. In practice, Ankara has strengthened its ability to regulate water flow, quality, and allocation into Iraq through legal, technical, and financial frameworks, the entry of Turkish companies, and project financing. Baghdad, instead of exercising full sovereignty over shared resources, is gradually ceding long‑term access and decision‑making to foreign partners, particularly Turkey and its international allies. This situation carries serious legal, economic, environmental, and security implications for Iraq’s internal stability, agricultural productivity, food security, and strategic independence.

The appointment of Mark Savaya, a Chaldean‑Assyrian Iraqi‑American entrepreneur, as the U.S. President’s Special Envoy for Iraq in November 2025 was seen as more than a routine diplomatic move. It came at a time of rising tensions between Washington and resistance groups, with Iraq approaching parliamentary elections. Analysts view this as part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to redefine Iraq’s role in the regional order and curb Iranian influence. Sawaya, beyond his symbolic position as a representative of Christian minorities, has been tasked with a multi‑faceted mission: rebuilding Baghdad–Washington relations, strengthening U.S. investment and economic presence, and reshaping Iraq’s security structure in line with Western interests.

Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the U.S. military presence in Syria has undergone a series of strategic shifts—particularly after the Trump administration announced its intention to reduce troop levels. While some bases have witnessed withdrawals in recent months, closer examination reveals an opposite trend taking shape: a rapid expansion and intensification of operations at the Qasrak base on the outskirts of Hasakah. The pressing question is what these movements reveal about Washington’s strategy in northeastern Syria—and, more specifically, what is unfolding at Qasrek and other American installations in Deir ez-Zor?

Without doubt, in recent years the United Arab Emirates has become both a security and economic arm for the United States and Israel. Through economic projects, it advances Western‑Israeli security objectives—examples include involvement in Sudan’s conflict, support for the Rapid Support Forces, and exploitation of Sudan’s gold mines. Another example is the UAE’s entry into infrastructure and trade corridor projects in Central Asia. Recently, by signing agreements with countries in this region and the Caucasus, Abu Dhabi has sought access to the Middle Corridor, pursuing geopolitical and geo‑economic goals aligned with Tel Aviv and the West.

As reported in Israeli media, following the failure of airstrikes targeting Yemen’s energy and service infrastructure, Israeli intelligence agencies have shifted their focus toward recruiting informants and gathering field intelligence to disrupt Yemen’s military support for Palestine.

As violent clashes intensify across Sudan, the terrorist group ISIS has begun positioning itself as a potential actor in the country’s crisis by publishing ideological content in its official magazine Al-Naba.

Iraq is at a defining stage in its political evolution where the convergence of external pressures—namely Iranian influence and Turkish military presence—with the central government’s financial crisis and the complex internal power structure, particularly the multifaceted role of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), has seriously undermined the country’s prospects for political and security stability. The PMF now functions as a semi-institutional force that, while possessing defensive capabilities and social legitimacy, also operates through political, economic, and transnational networks that influence the behavior of some of its units. This increases the likelihood of autonomous actions, local clashes, or demonstrations of force.

This article explores Azerbaijan’s evolving security and military strategy, which over the past two years has combined active diplomacy with extensive militarization. Through the acquisition of advanced weaponry from Turkey, Pakistan, and Israel, the development of multi-layered air defense systems, and technical and training cooperation with NATO, Baku aims to solidify its role as a key power in the South Caucasus. This approach not only enhances deterrence but also shifts the regional balance of power, increasing security pressure on Iran, Armenia, and Russia. In this discussion, we examine the dimensions of Azerbaijan’s militarization, its geopolitical objectives, regional implications, and possible future scenarios in the South Caucasus.