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Iran & The Gulf

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz in drill; Russia, China to join

February 17, 2026

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz for several hours as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched missile fire as part of a large-scale naval drill, while Russia and China announced they would join joint exercises in what appeared to be a show of force against the US presence in the Persian Gulf.

Iran & The Gulf

Iran's Khamenei threatens US carriers during Geneva talks

Neta Bar and ILH Staff

Iran & The Gulf

Smuggled X-rays reveal Iranian forces shot point-blank at protesters

Neta Bar

Jewish World

US ambassador blasts Belgium over mohel arrests

Ariel Kahana

Trump Plan

Trump's Board of Peace faces reality in Gaza

Shachar Kleiman

Erdogan sparks alarm in UAE with statement on Emir's health

Neta Bar

Quiet US-Iran talks show signs of Iranian flexibility under pressure

Trump: Iran does not want the consequences of no deal

Or Shaked

The 'silent massacre' Iran is trying to hide

Danny Zaken

US-Iran meeting will decide between war or deal

Analysis

Why the US-Iran talks matter

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to meet in Geneva for substantive negotiations based on weeks of indirect message exchanges. The core gap: Tehran believes Trump fears war while Washington is convinced a military buildup will force Iranian concessions. For now, escalation appears more likely than a deal.

February 17, 2026

Feature

Why the West's compassion has become a death wish – especially for Israel

Prof. Gad Saad, a Canadian Jewish expert in evolutionary psychology, is convinced that the "suicidal empathy" the West suffers from threatens its existence and operates even more intensely when it comes to Israel.

February 16, 2026

Magazine

Will Israel reoccupy Gaza?

A dramatic discussion is unfolding at the highest levels of Israel’s political and security leadership. What is preferable: maintaining the current situation in the Gaza Strip, or renewing the war until Hamas is destroyed? Meanwhile, troubling testimony from reserve soldiers on the ground suggests the terrorist organization has not gone anywhere and is once again rebuilding its strength under the radar.

February 14, 2026

Feature

Inside Roman Gofman's ascent to Israel's most sensitive post

From his October 7 battlefield wounds to the Uri Elmakayes affair and personal loyalty to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Hayom takes a deep dive into the achievements, controversies and bold decisions shaping the apparent next Director of the Mossad.

February 14, 2026

US prepares Iran strike target bank with Israel, allies

Explainer

What are Israel's red lines on Iran and Gaza?

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet US President Donald Trump, Israeli officials say Jerusalem’s main concern is not what Trump himself may or may not do, but rather the current influence of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. In Israel, there is hope that just as before the outbreak of the Rising Lion war the president was initially uncertain about escalation but ultimately joined in fully, the same dynamic will play out this time as well.

February 10, 2026

Explainer

This is what a US attack on Iran would look like

A sober examination of the gaps between the US and Iranian positions following last week’s talks leads to a clear conclusion: there is no agreement in sight. Iran has already declared that any attack would be considered an all-out war and would be met with strikes against US bases in the Middle East and against Israel. We know how this could begin; we do not know how it would end.

February 9, 2026

Magazine

When the Iranian threat collapses, a New Middle East emerges

As Iran weakens, Arab states warn of war while quietly fearing the rise of unchecked Israeli power. The Middle East prefers a half-dead Iran, and a contained Israel, in one package.

February 7, 2026

Magazine

Abraham Accords on brink of collapse?

Exclusive investigation exposes how extremist rhetoric, botched business deals, and diplomatic failures have pushed the UAE, Israel's most important Arab ally, toward the breaking point.

February 6, 2026

Magazine

Beneath Gaza, Israel's war with Hamas has only begun

Phase Two? A ceasefire? Beneath Gaza’s soil, a war with no red or yellow lines is raging: the fight against the tunnels. At the heart of the network, alongside engineering officers, it becomes clear that the threat remains, and could intensify in the future. And also: the city people joke about, saying, “Wherever you drop a drill, you hit a tunnel.”

February 6, 2026

Analysis

Turkey's nuclear path is a risk Israel cannot ignore

Ankara is using nuclear technology strictly for civilian purposes, but the infrastructure it is building could, under certain conditions, later help pave the way toward military applications. As long as the current president remains in power, efforts to edge closer to a nuclear weapons capability are unlikely to stop. The question is how long it would take, and how Israel should respond.

February 4, 2026