1. Home
  2. Countries
  3. The West

The West

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (July 22-29, 2026)

Iran’s Supreme Leader sent a letter to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, reaffirming Iran’s support for Hezbollah and linking the ceasefire in Lebanon to the end of the war between Iran and the United States; An attempt by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence to infiltrate an operational cell into Israel to carry out attacks against senior Israeli officials was foiled; The Iranian leadership used the Iraqi Prime Minister’s visit to Tehran as an opportunity to address the repercussions of his visit to the United States and the growing pressure to disarm the Shiite militias in Iraq; Iran reportedly transported IRGC officers and equipment for manufacturing missiles and drones to the Houthis in Yemen; The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks against Saudi oil tankers and energy facilities. They denied closing the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, asserting that they were only imposing a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia until it lifted the blockade on Yemen; Israeli assessments indicate that three drones intercepted near the Jordanian border were launched by the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq; The United States and Saudi Arabia struck targets belonging to the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq in response to dozens of attacks against US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure over a 72-hour period. The militias reported at least 20 fatalities.
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (July 21 – 28, 2026)

An IDF officer and an Israeli civilian were shot and killed following clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in the Palestinian village of Kafr Tal. The Palestinians reported four fatalities and settler retaliation. A senior Hamas figure praised the "resistance of the residents," while the Palestinian Authority called for international intervention; An Israeli civilian was stabbed by two Hamas terrorists near Itamar, and an IDF soldier was stabbed by a Palestinian police officer in northern Samaria. Israeli security forces conducted extensive counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria; IDF forces continued operations in the Yellow Line and other parts of the Gaza Strip, destroying weapons depots and a tunnel hundreds of meters long, and eliminating more than ten Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, including senior Hamas security operatives and terrorists involved in the atrocities of the October 7, 2023 invasion and massacre and who had held hostages. The IDF reported that 12 Palestinian football [soccer] players killed during the war had been terrorist operatives; Khalil al-Hayya delivered his first speech as head of the Hamas political bureau. He related to the continuation of the "resistance" while rejecting any compromise regarding "Palestine." He asked the leaders of the mediating countries to compel Israel to stop the "violations" of the ceasefire agreement. 
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (July 20-27, 2026)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with the American president at the White House and noted the importance of activating the framework agreement and "dealing with" Hezbollah's weapons while avoiding an internal Lebanese confrontation; Activating the first stage of the framework agreement began with the deployment of the Lebanese army in three pilot areas towns in south Lebanon; Prime Minister Salam visited the south Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya, where he said the army's deployment was the first step toward the return of the residents and reconstruction. Hezbollah claimed there had been no Israeli withdrawal and an IDF shooting incident involving Lebanese army forces proved Israel still controlled south Lebanon; Hezbollah accused the IDF of a series of ceasefire violations, including airstrikes which wounded two members of Hezbollah's medical organization; Hezbollah did not respond to the alleged attack; Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei wrote a letter to Hezbollah in which he said Iran supported the complete end of "Zionist aggression" in accordance with the memorandum of understanding with the United States. The Iranian leadership was reportedly disappointed with Hezbollah's performance in the confrontation with Israel and was increasing its control over the organization's decision-making; Syrian President al-Sharaa said Syria would not intervene militarily in Lebanon to deal with Hezbollah's disarmament, adding that he supported the Lebanese state's monopoly on arms.
Read more...

Spotlight on Iran and the Shiite Axis (July 15—22, 2026)

Senior Iranian officials congratulated Khalil al-Hayya on his election as Hamas’ new head of the political bureau and reiterated Iran’s continued support for the Palestinians. The pro-Iranian militias also welcomed his appointment; An Iranian member of parliament warned that if Syria’s president confronts Hezbollah, it will accelerate Syria’s “liberation” by the “resistance.”; The commander of the Qods Force declared that the Axis of Resistance would continue to flourish under the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei; The advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader sharply criticized the Iraqi Prime Minister’s visit to the United States during the mourning ceremonies following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; The Houthis and the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq threatened to intensify their attacks if the United States targets Iran’s energy infrastructure. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced a $10 million reward for the assassination of President Donald Trump; The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in response to the Saudi blockade imposed on their territories in Yemen.
Read more...

Khalil al-Hayya Elected to Chair Hamas political bureau – Insights and Reactions

Khalil al-Hayya is the new chairman of Hamas after defeating Khaled Mashaal; Hamas declared that all members of the movement and its institutions stood behind al-Hayya, while Iran and the "resistance axis" praised his election as "a proof of the victory of the resistance"; Al-Hayya, a native of Gaza City, joined Hamas when it was established in 1987 and was chairman of the movement's faction in the Palestinian National Council. He had been Yahya al-Sinwar's deputy in the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip since 2017 and, following al-Sinwar's elimination, became Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip; Al-Hayya was a member of the Hamas delegations which conducted indirect negotiations with Israel over hostage deals and has headed the negotiating team since the outbreak of the war following the October 7, 2023 terrorist invasion and massacre. He also survived several attempts to kill him and four of his sons died in Israeli strikes; Al-Hayya is expected to continue al-Sinwar's ideological line, especially "resistance" and close relations with Iran. 
Read more...

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (July 14-21, 2026)

Hamas announced the election of Khalil al-Hayya as the new head of its political bureau, 21 months after the elimination of Yahya al-Sinwar; IDF forces continued operations within the Yellow Line and other parts of the Gaza Strip, destroying Hamas weapons depots and other terrorist facilities and assets and eliminating more than 16 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, many involved in the atrocities of the October 7, 2023 invasion and massacre and who had held hostages; Another round of negotiations in Cairo on implementing the second phase of the ceasefire agreement ended without progress in disarming Hamas and the other terrorist armed organizations operating in the Gaza Strip; The date for the entry into Gaza of the Palestinian national committee for the administration of Gaza remains unknown. However, the committee continues to hold coordination meetings with the Board of Peace and the Palestinian Authority to discuss the provision of essential services and the beginning of reconstruction work; Hamas' security forces continue to identify "collaborators" with the militias and Israel amid the continuing targeting of "resistance fighters" in the Gaza Strip; Hamas and Palestinian Authority delegations arrived in Qatar to offer condolences to the emir on the death of his father; Israeli security forces continued extensive counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria, detaining dozens of wanted Palestinians and locating large quantities of weapons. An Israeli Arab was detained on suspicion of planning to assassinate an Israeli government minister.
Read more...

Previous years bulletins

202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006