Explainer

With nearly 37 years of rule ended by assassination, Iran faces only its second-ever leadership handover.

Israel and the US have launched a broad attack on Iran. Who exactly runs Iran and what do they do?

The Gaza Technocratic Committee is expected to present Hamas with a detailed plan in March outlining how the terrorist organization would dismantle its weapons. Toward the end of the designated period, it would also be required to hand over its light arms to Gaza’s policing forces.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is heading to the Middle East to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is already operating in the Arabian Sea. Alongside the growing naval presence, massive air traffic of F-35, F-22 and F-16 fighter jets has been recorded, while US bases in Jordan, Qatar and across the Gulf have received significant reinforcements.

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.

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.

Following the return of Ran Gvili, the most complex and obstacle-filled phase of President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war is now underway. The Americans are expected to try to bypass objections from the terrorist organization and Jerusalem, while talks continue between Hamas leaders and the countries involved in the reconstruction plan. 

As US military forces converge in the Middle East, this is the moment to examine who at the top of the regime in Tehran could be targeted for elimination and which strategic facilities of the Islamic Republic are potential targets for strikes.

Framework modeled on Britain's Cyprus arrangement would establish American territorial zones for defense operations. The agreement authorizes the United States to pursue military exercises, intelligence gathering, personnel training, and resource extraction – particularly rare earth minerals – across these territories minus bureaucratic impediments or licensing requirements from Copenhagen authorities.

US military preparations, warnings to allies and tense deliberations at the White House marked a dramatic 24 hours. Administration officials presented conflicting arguments about the way forward, but caution and concern over regional repercussions ultimately tipped the balance.