The Levant Files

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the second son of Libya's longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi and once considered his political heir, was shot dead by masked gunmen at his residence in Zintan on Tuesday night. He was 53. His killing, confirmed by his lawyer Khaled al-Zaidi and political adviser Abdullah Othman, marks the end of a tumultuous journey for a man who transformed from Western-educated reformer to wanted war criminal, and who spent his final years pursuing an improbable political resurrection in a nation still scarred by his family's legacy. The Reformer's Facade Born in 1972 to Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife Safia Farkash, Saif al-Islam was educated partly in the West and carefully cultivated an image as the acceptable, modern face of an otherwise brutal regime. For years before the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed his father, he was considered the most powerful figure in Libya after Muammar Gaddafi himself. Though he held no formal government position, his influe...

Pakistan's security forces used drones and helicopters to wrest control of a southwestern town from separatist insurgents after a three-day battle, police said on Wednesday, as the death toll from the weekend's violence rose to 58. Saturday's wave of coordinated attacks by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army brought Pakistan's largest province to a near standstill as security forces exchanged fire with insurgents in more than a dozen locations, with officials reporting 197 militants killed in the ensuing operations. "I thought the roof and walls of my house were going to blow up," said Robina Ali, a housewife living near the main administrative building in the fortified provincial capital of Quetta, where a powerful morning blast rocked the area. Fighters of the BLA, the region's strongest insurgent group, stormed schools, banks, markets and security installations across Balochistan in one of their largest operations ever, killing more than 22 security o...

  At least 15 migrants died and dozens were injured Tuesday evening when a Greek Coast Guard patrol boat collided with a speedboat carrying migrants near the eastern Aegean island of Chios, authorities confirmed Wednesday morning. The incident, which occurred in the waters off Mersinidi on the island's eastern coast, adds to a growing list of deadly migrant disasters in Greek waters over the past two years and has renewed scrutiny of Greece's controversial border enforcement practices. The Latest Tragedy According to an official statement from the Hellenic Coast Guard, a patrol vessel conducting routine operations spotted an inflatable speedboat carrying migrants traveling without navigation lights toward Chios. When crew members attempted to signal the vessel to stop using lights and sound signals, the speedboat's operator allegedly reversed course, resulting in a collision with the patrol boat's starboard side. The impact caused the migrant vessel to capsize and sink,...

by Nebi Miş The United States’ large-scale military buildup in the region keeps the option of military intervention against Iran on the table for President Donald Trump. In fact, if Iran fails to fully meet U.S. demands, it appears almost certain that Trump is determined to intervene. During his second term, Trump has tended to implement, “one way or another,” the scenarios he envisions whenever confronted with a crisis. Although intervention may appear inevitable in a context where diplomacy fails to deliver results, the strategic objectives, the method of intervention and whether it would be direct or indirect remain unclear. It is not yet known whether the ultimate goal would be regime change or merely halting and limiting Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Likewise, it remains uncertain whether the U.S. would intervene directly, act as a protective shield for Israel after intervening, or carry out a joint operation with Israel. What is certain from Trump’s statements ov...

  The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing an escalating internal crisis, with recent events suggesting a dangerous trajectory towards civil conflict, according to an analysis by The Economist. The regime's brutal crackdown on widespread protests has not quelled dissent but instead appears to be radicalizing the populace, pushing the nation closer to a potential civil war. The Economist highlights that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is failing to heed Machiavelli's advice to inspire fear without incurring hatred, as the killings unleashed to crush protests are fueling rage rather than submission. Human-rights groups report thousands of deaths, with some opposition channels claiming significantly higher tolls, painting a picture of a nation resembling a battlefield. Eyewitness accounts describe widespread destruction, with banks, mosques, and security vehicles torched, and traffic infrastructure vandalized during protests. A young woman in Mashhad is quoted as saying, ...

According to Nournews, a news site with links to the Iranian regime, the current behavioral pattern of the United States towards Iran cannot be simply explained by 'contradictory statements.' Instead, it is a complex pressure strategy that simultaneously employs diplomacy, military threats, psychological operations, and field arrangements within the framework of cognitive warfare. Nournews identifies a trilogy of war, negotiation, and psychological pressure in the crisis between Tehran and Washington. The simultaneous messages from the U.S. regarding readiness for negotiations and increased military threats are not a simple contradiction but a strategic design within cognitive warfare. The objective is to bring Iran to the negotiation table under conditions of perceived imbalance, where the cost of 'no agreement' appears greater than the cost of a 'limited agreement.' Concurrently, the U.S. aims to reassure its regional allies that the 'hard option' has ...

As tensions escalate in the Middle East, the possibility of a limited US military intervention in Iran is being more openly discussed in Washington. This debate covers a wide spectrum, from “surgical strikes” on nuclear facilities to targeting regional proxy networks. It is not surprising that Turkey is once again being mentioned as a potential mediator in this picture. However, according to  Alpaslan Özerdem for YetkinReport,  the main question is this: How will Turkey manage the Israel factor while trying to conduct a mediation process between the US and Iran?This is b ecause today, the most challenging actor in this equation is not Iran, but Israel. The Unseen Divergence Between Washington and Tel Aviv Although the US and Israel are often perceived as a single strategic bloc, this harmony is not as seamless as it seems when it comes to Iran. Washington’s main priority is to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities and keep regional escalation under control. Therefore, the US admin...

    A recent report from the Ankara-based Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM), a pro-government Turkish think tank, sheds light on the newly established Gaza Peace Council, an initiative spearheaded by former U.S. President Donald Trump, from Ankara's perspective.The report, titled " Gaza Peace Council Between Post-UN Order Imaginaries and Financialized Diplomacy ," analyzes the council's structure, key players, and the implications of its unconventional approach to regional conflict resolution. The ORSAM report highlights the Gaza Peace Council as a radical model aiming to transform the future of the region into a “shareholder-based” governance model, bypassing traditional United Nations (UN) structures. The council, formally announced on January 16, 2026, with an official invitation extended to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, signifies a pivotal moment where a “transactional diplomacy” approach, championed by Trump, has materialized in the region. Acco...

Ankara's Strategic Diplomacy Positions NATO Ally as Bridge Between Washington and Tehran As tensions between the United States and Iran reach a critical juncture, Turkey has emerged as the indispensable intermediary, with Ankara set to host what could become the most significant diplomatic breakthrough in US-Iran relations in decades. Turkey's Pivotal Position Turkey's unique geopolitical standing—as a NATO member maintaining robust diplomatic ties with both Washington and Tehran—has positioned Ankara as the only viable neutral ground for direct negotiations. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed Sunday that nuclear talks between Iran and the United States will "probably be held in Turkey in the next few days." The selection of Turkey as the negotiation venue is far from coincidental. Ankara has spent years cultivating its role as a regional power broker, maintaining economic partnerships with Iran despite Western sanctions while simultaneou...