The Media Line

'This isn’t a token strike,' analysts say as US prepares for a major confrontation with Iran

US military buildup in the Middle East signals a possible strike on Iran’s regime, with analysts suggesting it could lead to regime collapse within weeks.

The world's largest aircraft carrier, the U.S. Navy nuclear-powered Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) arrives in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, December 1, 2025.
Iranian Protesters gather around burning cars near a masque while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 8, 2026.

Iranian protesters cry ‘death to Khamenei’ as Trump, Iranian FM clash over casuality numbers

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee speaks during the FOZ Ambassadors Summit in Jerusalem, December 7, 2025.

Huckabee tells Carlson Israel ruling entire Middle East 'would be fine,' drawing Arab backlash

A TURKISH petroleum engineer poses on the helipad of Turkish drilling vessel ‘Yavuz’ in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Cyprus.

Voices from the Arab press: Turkey’s strategic bet on energy


Post-October 7, coalition more concerned with controlling the systems than addressing recovery

More than two years after October 7, the governing coalition continues to advance sweeping institutional reforms, while legislation addressing recovery, reserve burdens, and accountability lags.

A PLENUM session at the Knesset.

Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to address Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast's Mar-a-Lago event

Veksler said Pahlavi’s presence “creates hope that there will be regime change. … Wouldn’t it be something of a relief, not just for us, but for the Iranian people?”

Okotch Mondoh, Robert Weinger, Sarah Boulos, Rory Kaye, and Stephanie Bahn Poteet, with a red, white and blue shofar, at the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast, Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida, January 14, 2025.

Global power struggle: Why Maduro's fall is a 'red line' warning for China, Iran

Pressure applied in Latin America, the Middle East, and East Asia reflects a coordinated effort to influence rivals without full-scale escalation.

A burning US flag is pictured during a protest against the US intervention in Venezuela, in Buenos Aires on January 5, 2026.

Foreign workers replace Palestinian labor in Israel, face hurdles

Restructuring of work permits and recruitment policies is reshaping construction, agriculture, and services while raising concerns about long-term economic and social effects.

 Palestinian workers wait to enter Ma'aleh Adumim, February 23, 2023; illustrative.

Mar-a-Lago through Arab eyes: Power, Turkey, Iran, and the cost of Trump’s diplomacy - analysis

Arab outlets offered sharply divided readings of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting, reflecting regional fault lines over Gaza, Iran, Turkey’s role, and US-led power politics.

US President Donald Trump speaks to the media next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival for meetings at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, December 29, 2025.

Iranian government announces financial relief program as protests continue

Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said each Iranian will receive 1 million tomans ($7) per month for four months via direct deposit credit for basic necessities.

Iranians walks past shops in Vali-Asr Square in the Iranian capital Tehran, on the last day of the year on December 31, 2025. Iran's prosecutor general said on December 31, 2025,

Iranian protesters urge Trump, Netanyahu to act as protests escalate nationwide

As the death toll rises, with more than 30 dead already, one brave protester says, “We have taken our lives in our hands as our weapon.”

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi attends the meeting of Iranian opposition organizations in Munich, Germany, February 2025.

Gaza’s tiny Christian community struggles to survive after war

A population that once numbered in the thousands has dwindled sharply, with the remaining families are split among three active churches.

Palestinian worshippers attend a memorial service at the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church, to honor those killed during the war, including victims of the 2023 Israeli strike on the church, in Gaza City, October 24, 2025.

‘Milestone in international politics, Latin America’: Venezuelan academic on Maduro's capture

A Venezuelan academic said Maduro’s capture exposed a collapse of civilian authority, leaving a power vacuum filled by the military and external actors.

Supporters of Nicolas Maduro and late Hugo Chavez hold posters with their images after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard on January 03, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela.

India, Pakistan exchanged lists of nuclear installations, prisoners in first meeting since May

Two senior officials from India and Pakistan met while other regional leaders were in Dhaka for the funeral of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. 

India and Pakistan flags with a map in the backdrop. Ilustrative.