Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator There is no doubt that the events of October 7 fundamentally changed Israel and Palestine. It was the moment that set in motion a transformation across the entire Middle East. Reports are now emerging over whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew what was going to happen before the attack. According to Israeli media, he received warnings from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates but ignored them. Today, with Israeli elections approaching, the publication of these allegations could potentially mark the beginning of the end of Netanyahu’s political career. Did Netanyahu know what was…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator specializing in Middle East and US affairs Britain’s historic role in Palestine created the Palestinian-Israel conflict and shaped the modern Middle East. For more than seven decades, Palestinians have endured displacement, loss of land, military occupation, repeated wars and serious violations of international law. Britain’s role in the origins of the conflict is clear, particularly the 1917 Balfour Declaration and Britain’s subsequent administration of Palestine under the Mandate system. For decades, Britain was also among Israel’s important Western political allies, alongside the United States and other European powers. Yet today, a striking transformation…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator September 11, 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the downing of a plane in Pennsylvania.  Thousands of people were killed or injured in the coordinated attacks carried out that day. Before September 11, 2001, you could run to catch a flight at the last moment, without security checks, and carrying into the plane a full soft drink. Not anymore. 9/11 changed our daily lives, and changed the world we live in. One of the most profound changes after 9/11 was the invasion of Afghanistan…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Ireland is pressing the European Union (EU) to adopt a more unified and forceful response to Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, calling for expanded sanctions on Israel, restrictions on settlement goods and services, and a reassessment of Israel’s privileged economic relationship with the bloc. The effort comes as European governments remain sharply divided over whether to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have pushed for suspension, but the initiative has so far failed to secure sufficient support. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in April that there was…

By: Steven Sahiounie,journalist and political commentator The confrontation between the United States and Iran is entering a dangerous new phase, with reciprocal strikes, attacks involving missiles and drones, civilian casualties in southern Iran, and growing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz raising concerns that the conflict could expand beyond the immediate U.S.-Iran theater. The Iranian Red Crescent released images showing the extent of the destruction at a building where a wedding celebration was reportedly taking place. The footage also documented wounded people, including children, receiving treatment in hospital. U.S. aircraft had bombed a house in the village of Kohestak, in…

Muhammad Asif Noor, Journalist and writer Seventy years ago, Egypt made a decision that helped redraw the diplomatic map of the Global South. By becoming the first Arab and African country to establish relations with the People’s Republic of China, Cairo opened a political bridge between Beijing, the Arab world and Africa. President Xi Jinping’s first state visit to Egypt in a decade now brings that historic choice into a new era. As President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi receives him in Cairo, the central question is no longer how enduring this friendship has been, but how decisively it can help Egypt…

Steven Sahiounie, Journalist and Political Commentator Specializing in Middle East and U.S. Affairs Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his far-right government, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have repeatedly expressed pride in their government’s policies and military campaign in Gaza, and the brutal crackdown in the Occupied West Bank. The war in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 73,200 of Palestinians, and the injuries of 173,700. On August 26, a letter signed by 45 U.S. Senators of the Democratic party urged Netanyahu to intercede to stop the deadly violence carried…

Steven Sahiounie, Journalist and Political Commentator Tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv have reached one of their most dangerous points in years. Although political and military disagreements between the two countries are not new, recent developments in Syria, combined with Turkey’s continued support for Palestine and Gaza, have brought the relationship to a critical juncture. The latest escalation followed Israeli airstrikes targeting the Abu al-Duhur air base in Idlib, Syria. Israel justified the attack by claiming that Syria was preparing to allow Turkish forces to deploy at the facility. Turkey strongly rejected the allegation, with its Defense Ministry stating that…

Steven Sahiounie, Journalist and Political Commentator The escalating war between the United States and Iran has entered a potentially dangerous new phase, as US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if Muscat interferes with Washington’s negotiations with Tehran. The threat is particularly significant because Oman has long been regarded as one of Washington’s closest partners in the Gulf and has traditionally played the role of a neutral mediator between the United States and Iran. Trump’s latest warning came as Oman and Iran were reportedly moving toward an understanding over the reopening and management of the Strait of Hormuz,…

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Libya’s conflict and instability today is caused by the U.S.-NATO attack in 2011 for regime change. U.S. President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton destroyed Libya’s political and security structures and contributed to the country’s subsequent fragmentation. Since the killing of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has remained trapped in a cycle of internal conflict, political division and institutional fragmentation. The country has also increasingly become an arena for international and regional competition, driven by its strategic geographic position close to Europe and, above all, its enormous natural resources, particularly oil…