June 20, 2025 | 4:00PM Eastern Time

June 20, 2025 | Israel-Iran War Monitor

MEF Iran-Israel War Monitor - June 20, 2025
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A Qatari businessman linked to the royal family recently purchased 10,000 hectares on the Baguales plateau in Río Negro province in Argentina's Patagonia.
Middle East Forum Observer
Qatar’s Strategic Advance in Latin America
Washington and Most Latin American Capitals Have Yet to Register the Full Scope of Doha’s Play for Influence
July 3, 2026
 · 
Jose Lev Alvarez
Middle East Forum Online
‘Ashura under Restriction in Syria’s Shia Villages
In Nubl and al-Zahara’, Private Mourning Continues While Public Religious Displays Remain Curtailed and Sectarian Reconciliation Remains Distant
July 2, 2026
 · 
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
The Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights, above, is a focal point for such hostility. The mosque was established in the 1990s by Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, who according to The New York Post “served as head of the Iranian Navy’s political-ideological office during the 1980s.”
Middle East Forum Online
Medieval Minbar: Dearborn Heights Sermons Revive Medieval Antisemitism
The Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights Is a Focal Point for Such Hostility
July 2, 2026
 · 
Dexter Van Zile
Nearly 7,000 candidates are competing for 407 seats in the People's National Assembly, distributed through proportional representation with a 5 percent threshold that all but guarantees a parliament shaped to reinforce presidential authority. The real uncertainty, the number the regime cannot simply legislate into existence, is turnout.
Middle East Forum Online
Algeria’s July 2 Vote: Why the Regime Fears a Number, Not a Result
Algeria Criminalized Boycotting Its Own Elections, Then Spent the Entire Campaign Pleading with Citizens to Vote in Them Anyway
July 2, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
Despite repeated warnings from MPs, Jewish groups, and counter-terrorism experts, the U.K. about the Iranian-linked news outlet LuaLua, media watchdog Ofcom lacks the authority to shut down the channel. A new Code of Standards could close the gap.
FWI News
Regulatory Loophole Lets Tehran’s Anti-Western Media Run Riot in Britain
But New Rules Could Stop LuaLua TV from Promoting Hamas, Hezbollah
July 2, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Erdoğan’s Deteriorating Health Triggers Power Struggle Among Family and Loyalists in Turkey
The Issue Is Particularly Significant in Turkey, Where Immense Powers Have Been Concentrated in the Presidency
July 2, 2026
 · 
Abdullah Bozkurt
The bulk of Pakistan's military inventory is now of Chinese origin.
Middle East Forum Observer
How Pakistan Enables China’s Expanding Defense Presence in the Middle East
China Is Using Pakistan for Weapons Promotion as a Gateway to Enter the Region’s Defense Landscape
July 2, 2026
 · 
Imran Khurshid
Syria’s Ministry of Information says its publication rules are merely guidance, but critics trace their language to Assad-era censorship laws.
Middle East Forum Online
Controversy over Restrictions Issued by Syria’s Ministry of Information
Syria’s New Publication Rules Draw From Assad-Era Laws, Punish Criticism Inconsistently, and Leave Sectarian Incitement Largely Unchecked
July 1, 2026
 · 
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a meeting at the BRICS 2025 plenary session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 6, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Tehran’s Hormuz Hypocrisy Threatens Gulf Stability
Iran’s Latest Proposal Is a Tactical Instrument Designed to Fracture the Coalition Forming Around Israel and Give Tehran Effective Veto Power over Gulf Energy Exports
July 1, 2026
 · 
Jose Lev Alvarez
Ahmet Kerem Korkaya’s family appears to have longstanding ties to institutions affiliated with Turkey’s Islamist establishment. In June 2019 his father delivered a lecture at Lokman Hekim University in Ankara, a private institution founded in 2017 by members of the İskenderpaşa Community, a prominent Sunni religious network that has maintained close relations with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party.
Middle East Forum Online
U.S. Indicts Man with Family Links to Turkish Government for Alleged Plot to Poison, Kill, Pro-Israel Targets
Prosecutors Say the Defendant Was Actively Involved in Discussions About Finding Home Addresses, Conducting Surveillance, and Intimidating Targets
July 1, 2026
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Abdullah Bozkurt