The Levant Files

In a development that has sent shockwaves through the international diplomatic community, The Jerusalem Post learned exclusively on Wednesday night that the United Nations has officially added Israeli entities to its blacklist of parties suspected of committing patterns of sexual violence in armed conflict. The decision places the State of Israel on a list that includes designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas and ISIS, marking a historic and highly controversial shift in the UN’s stance toward the Middle East’s only democracy. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) is slated for inclusion on the 2026 list, while other Israeli authorities have been placed under a monitoring framework for potential future inclusion. This follows a period of "notice" initiated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in August 2025, during which he cited "significant concerns" regarding alleged patterns of abuse. Under UN protocols, any entity added to this blacklist remains for a mi...

Three months into the most reckless military adventure of the twenty-first century, the architects of the 2026 Iran war — the Trump administration in Washington and the IRGC-dominated government in Tehran — have achieved something remarkable: they have turned a regional conflict into a genuine threat to the global economic order. Congratulations to both. Let us dispense with the euphemisms. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury — a coordinated air campaign against Iran conducted, astonishingly, while nuclear negotiations were ongoing. The Joint Chiefs of Staff had warned President Trump that striking Iran could prompt the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump dismissed those warnings, telling advisers that Iran would simply capitulate. It did not. Within days, Iran sealed the strait, choking off roughly 20 percent of the world's seaborne oil trade and 25 percent of its LNG exports. The International Energy Agency has since called it 'the gre...

Lebanon finds itself engulfed in a deepening military crisis as Israeli forces intensified ground operations and airstrikes across southern Lebanon this week, effectively shattering a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that had been in place since mid-April. Over a period of barely 72 hours, the conflict escalated dramatically, leaving dozens dead, hundreds of thousands newly displaced, and diplomatic efforts in Washington hanging by a thread. On Monday, May 25, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a video message posted to Telegram that his military would intensify its campaign against Hezbollah. "We are at war with Hezbollah, and we will intensify our strikes," Netanyahu declared, vowing to "crush" the Iran-backed armed group. The announcement came on Lebanon's Liberation Day — the anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 after an eighteen-year occupation — lending particular symbolic weight to the escalation. Netanyahu's...

Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras formally launched a new political party on Tuesday night in Athens, naming it ELAS — short for Elliniki Aristeri Symparataxi (“Greek Left Alliance”) — during a public event in Thissio. The unveiling marked his official political comeback and included the party’s founding declaration, visual identity, and an initial outline of its political message. Speaking with the Acropolis in the background, Tsipras presented ELAS as a new vehicle for the broader progressive camp, sharply criticizing the ruling New Democracy government over inequality, scandals, and institutional decay. Reports preceding the launch indicated that the new formation aimed to appeal across the Left, ecological, and social-democratic spectrum. Organizers also prepared an online platform where supporters could sign the founding text. At the core of the launch was a seven-point founding pledge, which framed the party’s mission around “life with dignity,” strengthening democracy, ...

Cyprus has a new Member of Parliament, and this time it is not a grey-haired lawyer, a retired banker, or even a failed singer from a talent show.   No, this time the voters of Direct Democracy have sent to the House a 23‑year‑old ex‑poker‑pro, ex‑engineering‑student, ex‑soldier, current content creator, frequent flyer and part‑time Ironman, because the island apparently decided that LinkedIn must never look this empty again. According to his official biography, the honourable gentleman grew up in Pafos with family roots in Trikala, won a coveted place at the National Technical University of Athens to study Electrical Engineering, and then bravely dropped out — presumably after realising that Ohm’s Law offers fewer sponsorship deals than Instagram stories.   Where lesser mortals would have settled for a degree, Dimitris Baros opted instead for that most stable of career paths: professional poker, which he pursued from the age of 16 to 22, because nothing says “sound ...

In a shocking statement that has sent shockwaves through Israeli political circles, Eyal Megged—a writer and former close friend of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—publicly called for a military coup to overthrow the Israeli government during a radio interview on Tuesday morning. Speaking on 103FM radio station during a conversation with Haaretz editor Benny Ziffer, Megged made an unprecedented declaration. He said, "I would be happy if there were a military coup against Netanyahu. We cannot continue with this madness... I would be happy if there were a military coup in Israel. I would be happy." The statement grew even more scathing when Megged added what quickly became the most quoted line from the interview. He declared, "If my cat took power instead of Bibi, it would be better for the country." A Former Friend's Breaking Point Megged, described in reports as Netanyahu's "former friend," expressed profound disillusionment with the Prime Minist...

Diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran are pressing forward, but a shadow of deep suspicion hangs over every exchange — cast by the same American and Israeli bombs that have struck Iranian soil even as envoys talk peace. Senior Iranian and US officials acknowledged on Monday that progress has been made toward ending the three-month-old war, but both sides publicly cautioned that a final agreement is not imminent. Washington frames the current phase as one of "significant progress," while Iranian negotiators insist that no deal can be finalized under what Tehran calls conditions of ongoing military threat. Strikes Undercut Diplomatic Signals The credibility of the talks has been strained by the continuation of US military operations. American forces carried out fresh "self-defense" strikes on Iranian missile launch sites and mine-laying vessels in southern Iran even as Iranian negotiators were meeting Qatar's prime minister in Doha. Iran's...

The Levant Files has reached an important milestone, surpassing 250,000 visitors just 1.5 years after its launch. This achievement highlights the growing community that trusts and follows our independent, multilingual coverage of the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East. Thank you to everyone who reads, shares, and supports our work. Follow and support The Levant Files: Website: https://www.thelevantfiles.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574121181915 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thelevantfiles.bsky.social Mastodon:  https://mastodon.social/@thelevantfiles Substack: https://thelevantfiles.substack.com/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thelevantfiles/ Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/0tLisBbnXX1nfXqVDHXwbH

by Dr. Nikolaos Stelgias In the weeks leading up to Cyprus’s parliamentary elections, we repeatedly advanced a single, uncomfortable thesis: that 24 May could mark a watershed in the island’s political history—a moment in which established forces would haemorrhage support and a new cast of ultra-nationalist and populist actors would step into the spotlight. At first glance, Sunday night’s results appeared to render that prediction premature, perhaps even misplaced. The three traditional heavyweights of Cypriot politics largely held their ground. DISY, the conservative (or centre-right) party, finished first by a comfortable margin over AKEL—a result that, given pre-election polling placing it well below 20 percent, amounted to a quiet triumph. AKEL, for its part, marginally increased its share by roughly a percentage point. DIKO, the venerable “president-maker” of Cypriot politics, retained its voter base even as it relinquished its customary third-place position. Yet to read these res...