The Levant Files

UN envoy says leaders should meet directly without intermediaries, calls for "different model of interaction" ahead of potential formal talks restart in July The United Nations has effectively pressed pause on formal Cyprus reunification efforts, with the Personal Envoy of UN Secretary-General, Maria Angela Holguin, signalling that conditions are not yet ripe for substantive negotiations to resume. In an opinion editorial disseminated by the UN in Cyprus, Holguin outlined a cautious roadmap, urging the island's leaders to continue meeting independently and make small joint decisions while exploring viable pathways to restart formal negotiations "in the best possible way, beginning in July." Reflecting on her last joint meeting with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, Holguin highlighted what she described as a significant development: "The idea emerged that the two sides could speak directly to one another witho...

While diplomats whisper in Omani palaces beneath slow-turning ceiling fans, Iranian security forces open fire on their own streets. The Gulf sits under the guns of a massive U.S. naval armada, yet in Muscat’s shaded corridors, envoys exchange indirect messages about a nuclear program Tehran vows never to dismantle. This is the paradox of modern Iran: a regime fighting for survival against domestic uprising and foreign pressure simultaneously, threatening to sever the global economy’s jugular at Hormuz rather than surrender its ballistic missiles or enrichment centrifuges. The Levant Files launches this urgent podcast series at the precipice of history. We trace how mass civilian casualties sparked the most dangerous internal crisis since 1979, even as the Trump administration steams toward potential conflict. We dissect the Oman talks—the fragile conduit where Washington and Tehran speak through intermediaries while refusing to budge on existential red lines, even as military strikes l...

BM temsilcisi, liderlerin aracı olmadan doğrudan görüşmesi gerektiğini vurguladı; Temmuz’da resmî müzakerelerin yeniden başlaması ihtimali öncesinde “farklı bir etkileşim modeli” çağrısı yaptı. Birleşmiş Milletler (BM), Kıbrıs’ın yeniden birleşmesine yönelik resmî süreci fiilen askıya aldı. BM Genel Sekreteri’nin Kişisel Temsilcisi Maria Angela Holguin, kapsamlı müzakerelerin yeniden başlaması için gerekli zeminin henüz oluşmadığını açıkladı. BM’nin Kıbrıs’ta yayımladığı görüş yazısında Holguin, temkinli bir yol haritası çizerek ada liderlerine aracı olmadan doğrudan temaslarını sürdürmeleri ve küçük ama ortak adımlar atmaları çağrısında bulundu. Amaç, resmî müzakerelerin “en uygun koşullarda, Temmuz ayından itibaren” yeniden başlatılmasının yollarını hazırlamak. Kıbrıs Cumhurbaşkanı Nikos Christodoulides ile uluslararası mecrada tanınmayan KKTC Cumhurbaşkanı Tufan Erhürman’la yaptığı son görüşmeye değinen Holguin, önemli bir gelişmeye dikkat çekti: “Tarafların BM araya girmeden doğrud...

Welcome to this special episode of The Levant Files Deep Dive, available on all major podcast platforms . On 6 February 2026, the relative peace of Pakistan’s capital was shattered when a suicide bomber targeted the Khadija Tul Kubra Shia mosque in Tarlai Kalan. During the main Friday prayers, an attacker wearing an explosive vest and carrying a firearm opened fire on volunteer guards at the gate before detonating himself near the back rows of more than 400 worshippers inside. The carnage was devastating: at least 31 people were killed and approximately 170 others injured, many critically. This atrocity—the deadliest attack in Islamabad since 2008—was swiftly claimed by the Islamic State–Pakistan Province (ISPP). The group framed the bombing as a sectarian strike against “infidel” Shias. While Pakistani officials have alleged that “India-backed proxies” operating from Afghan soil facilitated the attack, independent analysts argue it aligns closely with ISPP’s documented pattern of anti...

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Iran has declared its readiness to consider compromises in pursuit of a nuclear agreement with the United States, provided Washington is prepared to discuss lifting crippling economic sanctions. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions, with the US increasing its military presence in the region and President Donald Trump threatening strikes if no deal is reached. According to a report by the BBC, Iran's deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi stated in an exclusive interview in Tehran that "the ball is in America's court to prove that they want to do a deal." He added, "If they are sincere, I'm sure we will be on the road to an agreement." His comments directly counter repeated assertions by US officials that Iran is the party obstructing progress in negotiations. Takht-Ravanchi pointed to Tehran's offer to dilute its stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium—near weapons-grade level—as a concrete sign of goodwill. However, he declined to specify...

A profound and urgent debate is currently unfolding within Israel's highest political and security echelons, centered on the future of the Gaza Strip. The core question revolves around two stark choices: maintaining the precarious current situation or embarking on a renewed, decisive war aimed at the complete eradication of Hamas. This critical discussion is fueled by alarming reports from reserve soldiers on the ground, indicating a resurgence of the terrorist organization, which appears to be rebuilding its capabilities beneath the surface. This analysis draws heavily from an article titled "Will Israel reoccupy Gaza?" by Amit Segal, published on February 14. Segal's insights reveal the deep divisions and complex considerations facing Israeli decision-makers as they confront the persistent challenges posed by Hamas. The prevailing sentiment within Israel has shifted dramatically since October 7, fostering a strong aversion to any form of “containment” and a desire f...

A profound shift in the longstanding security alliance between the United States and Israel appears imminent following a recent meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Senator Lindsey Graham. As the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)—which guarantees Israel $38 billion in defense funding over a decade—nears its expiration in two years, discussions indicate that a renewal is far from guaranteed, signaling a potential end to decades of automatic American military support. As analyzed in a recent opinion piece by the Jerusalem Post, the Prime Minister’s rhetoric regarding self-reliance likely masks a harsher diplomatic reality. According to the article, Washington is quietly moving toward terminating military assistance, a shift that carries severe consequences for the Jewish state. Former minister Nachman Shai, writing for the Post, argues that despite Netanyahu's public posture, this transition is being dictated by changing American political tides rather tha...

  by  Avshalom Halutz   A French comics journalism book of interviews with Israelis and Palestinians on intimacy, compiled before October 7, is to be released in English. Meanwhile, singer and activist Achinoam Nini releases the hopeful first single from her new album and a Facebook spat between creatives highlights divides in Israeli society. The climax of "Love and Desire in the Promised Land: The Private Lives of Israelis and Palestinians," the comics journalism book by Paris-based journalist Salomé Parent-Rachdi and illustrator Deloupy, arrives unexpectedly. Originally published in French six months before the October 7 attack, the book, set to be released in English by Fantagraphics this year, is largely unchanged, despite the catastrophic events that have unfolded since. Parent-Rachdi traveled through Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, meeting people from a wide range of backgrounds willing to share their experiences of intimacy with her. For the English editi...