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More from MEF
A young girl in Kabul, Afghanistan, is surrounded by women in burqas.
Middle East Forum Observer
Why Does The New York Times Whitewash the Taliban?
The Newspaper Neglects Context with Its Approach and Critical Omissions in the Reporting and Opinion Essays It Publishes
August 22, 2026
 · 
Davood Moradian
A massive solar farm in Turkey shows the country's expansive renewable energy sector.
Middle East Forum Observer
Saudi Capital, Turkish Power: Riyadh’s Growing Leverage in Turkey
Companies That Finance, Develop, and Operate Major Energy Assets Acquire an Enduring Position in the Sector
August 22, 2026
 · 
Umud Shokri
Italian counter-terrorism police arrested a 17-year-old Egyptian-Italian girl in Lombardy after finding evidence on her phone that she had downloaded blueprints for an explosive vest and repeatedly declared herself ready for martyrdom “in the name of Allah.”
FWI News
Italian Police Arrest Teenage Female Jihadi Over Explosive Vest Blueprints on Phone
Teenager Declared Herself Ready to Commit ‘Martyrdom for Allah’
August 22, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes
The Islamic Republic of Iran, established by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, imposes different systems of oppression on adherents of the Baha’i and Zoroastrian faiths. Under the 1979 constitution, Zoroastrians are a recognized minority granted limited ritual freedoms and a reserved parliamentary seat, while Baha’is—the country’s largest unrecognized religious community—are denied legal existence and subjected to systematic exclusion from education, employment, and property.
Dhimmitude Project
Neo-Dhimmitude in Iran: Religious Hierarchy and Minority Life Under the Islamic Republic
A Comparative Study of the Baha’i and Zoroastrian Communities
August 22, 2026
 · 
Erfan Fard
The myth of crisis has imprisoned Arab political thought, and the prison is built of a single relation to time and to authority. It promises decision and reproduces suspension.
Middle East Forum Online
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Crisis
How the Myth of Crisis Imprisoned Arab (And Leftist) Political Thought
August 21, 2026
 · 
Hussein Aboubakr Mansour
Hamas's willingness to pivot to a political role under current military pressure reflects a rational adaptation to survive, not an ideological shift toward peace. Granting political legitimacy or administrative oversight to a movement whose foundational tenets remain unchanged ensures the eventual regeneration of its military infrastructure.
Middle East Forum Online
A Suit Doesn’t Absolve October 7: Hamas Is Buying Time for the Next War
Diplomatic Fantasies About a ‘Political Hamas’ Ignore Doctrine, History and the Body Count
August 21, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
Trump, speaking to Fox News, professed himself in no hurry for diplomatic progress, saying that "We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want."
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Believes It Will Survive Trump’s ‘Economic D-Day’
Tehran Pushes Back, Casting Doubt on the Effectiveness of Economic Pressure and Predicting U.S. Failure
August 21, 2026
 · 
Shay Khatiri
The national flags of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan flutter against a backdrop of cloudy skies and mountainous terrain.
Middle East Forum Observer
Past Failures Show the Vulnerability of the Mecca Agreement
Internal Upheavals and Rivalries Have Dismantled Formal Regional Alliances in the Middle East
August 21, 2026
 · 
Hemn Seyedi
The OECD’s 2026 follow-up assessment says Turkey has failed to implement 49 of the 71 recommendations made following its Phase 4 evaluation. Only 10 were fully implemented and 12 were partially implemented. The OECD Working Group on Bribery said it was “again dismayed” at the number of recommendations Ankara had ignored, including measures previously identified as top priorities.
Middle East Forum Online
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Slams Turkey’s Lack of Foreign Bribery Enforcement
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Regime Has Failed to Establish an Effective Framework to Prevent Turkish Companies from Using Bribery to Advance Their Commercial Interests Abroad
August 20, 2026
 · 
Abdullah Bozkurt
The surprise return of hardline cleric Hossein Taeb as the commander of the Basij Organization was about control of Iran’s internal security apparatus. Taeb last commanded the Basij 20 years ago. His reinstatement offers a window into the core of the regime’s threat perception, and is perhaps the clearest indication yet that it fears and expects major protests.
Middle East Forum Online
Iran’s Leaders Fear Another Uprising. The Return of the ‘Suppression Sheikh’ Proves It
Mass Surveillance, Informants and Fear Are the New Weapons of Preemptive Repression
August 20, 2026
 · 
Saeid Golkar