Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Global energy markets continue to face mounting uncertainty as tensions between Washington and Tehran show no signs of easing. Governments across the Middle East and beyond are accelerating efforts to develop alternative routes for energy exports and international trade. The prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz represents one of the most severe economic shocks in modern history. US President Trump and his partner, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chose to attack Iran rather than continue diplomatic negotiations in an unprovoked massive attack on Iran costing thousands of civilian lives. Trump appears to be…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Lebanese President Joseph Aoun explicitly labeled Hezbollah an “enemy” of Lebanon. In the context of US-brokered talks and a comprehensive ceasefire agreement, the Lebanese government formally designated the militant group as an enemy of the state and agreed to terms calling for the dismantling of its military presence. Israel has carried out a brutal invasion and occupation of almost one-third of Lebanon, with no intention to ever leave, and conducts continuous airstrikes in the country, including locations far from the south, and which have no connection to Hezbollah. Many people ask: who is the…

By: Muhammad Asif Noor, Journalist and researcher For seven decades, the U.S. Treasury bond served as the world’s security blanket. Central banks globally held American government debt the way previous generations held gold. A most reliable store of sovereign wealth in an uncertain world. That consensus cracked over three years of geopolitical tremors. On June 2, 2026, the European Central Bank made it public. The ECB’s annual report on the international role of the euro confirmed that gold ended 2025 as the world’s largest official reserve asset by market value, accounting for 27% of global reserves. U.S. Treasuries fell to…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Israel is fighting three wars simultaneously: the war on Gaza, with daily civilian killings; the war on Iran, along with its partner the US; the war on Lebanon, supposedly targeting Hezbollah, but indiscriminately killing Lebanese citizens not connected to Hezbollah. Over 3,400 people have been killed in Lebanon, and nearly 10,000 have been wounded, by Israeli strikes since fighting escalated in the region. On June 1, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated they had ordered massive airstrikes on Beirut “following the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s repeated and ongoing violations of the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Israel is attacking Lebanon continuously, while unarmed civilians suffer mounting deaths and injuries. America and Israel are insisting that the armed resistance organization in Lebanon, Hezbollah, be disarmed. Hezbollah will not lay down arms while Israel is occupying and bombarding Lebanon in a daily advancement of death and destruction. The Lebanese government can’t attack Hezbollah alongside Israel, because that would likely cause the Lebanese Army to crumble, as perhaps the majority of the soldiers in the army would refuse orders to attack Hezbollah. The U.S. has described recent security discussions between Israeli and Lebanese…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Palestinians in Gaza City on Wednesday mourned the deaths of senior Hamas military commander Mohammed Awda, his wife, and two of his children after an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential apartment in the al-Rimal neighborhood late Tuesday evening. The Israeli military confirmed on Wednesday that it had killed Awda in what it described as a carefully coordinated operation in northern Gaza. According to an Israeli army statement, Awda had recently assumed leadership of Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, following the killing of his predecessor, Azz-al-deen al-Haddad, earlier this month. Israeli officials…

By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator A series of explosive reports citing Iraqi and regional officials has triggered intense debate across Iraq after claims emerged that Israel allegedly operated covert military sites deep inside the Iraqi desert as part of preparations to attack Iran. According to accounts published by major international media outlets and later amplified by Iraqi political and security figures, at least two secret facilities were reportedly established in western Iraq and used intermittently for more than a year. The alleged sites, hidden in remote desert territory, were said to serve as logistical and operational support hubs…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The UK formally recognized Palestine in 2025 to protect the viability of a two-state solution and create a path towards lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people. However, many would say the act is too little, and too late. On April 19, Israel’s Minister of Defense and Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, presided over a ceremony in an illegal settlement in the Occupied West Bank and said, “We are abolishing the disgrace of expulsion, killing the idea of the Palestinian state, and returning to ” Under international law, the settlements populated by Israeli…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Iraq has announced a major new oil discovery in the country’s southwest near the Saudi border, a development that comes at a critical moment as Baghdad faces one of the most severe energy and economic crises in its modern history due to regional conflict and the disruption of Gulf export routes. The newly discovered field, located in Najaf province along the Iraqi-Saudi frontier, was identified by the Chinese company ZhenHua Oil. Iraqi officials estimate the potential reserves at approximately 8.835 billion barrels of oil, with an initial production capacity of 3,248 barrels per day…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator As geopolitical tensions intensify across the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the global maritime system, a new strategic vision is beginning to emerge from Cairo—one that could redefine the balance of international trade and logistics in the coming decades. Recent Egyptian–Russian discussions surrounding the creation of a logistics corridor linking the Black Sea to the Red Sea through Egyptian territory have drawn growing international attention. At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed during his latest visit to Egypt that the partnership between France and Egypt represents “an alliance for peace and stability,”…