Middle East Press On: Bi-Communal Bi-Zonal Israel, Turkey, Iran Turning Nuclear, Gaza, Iran's Retaliation Against Us-Israel, Ukraine, Iran Strike Israel's Nuclear Core, New Age Islam's Selection, 30 March 2026
By New Age Islam Edit Desk
30 March 2026
It is about time to create the bi-communal bi-zonal Israel
How state support redefines university experience in Türkiye
Iran turning nuclear ambiguity into a wartime weapon
Land Day 2026—Young Writers from Gaza Confirm Their Commitment to the Land
Iran’s Retaliation Against US and Israel Has Potential to Reignite Arab Spring
Did Iran Shut Down Ukraine’s Gulf Role in a Single Blow? – Analysis
‘On the Edge of Danger’: Why Did Iran Strike Near Israel’s Nuclear Core?
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It is about time to create the bi-communal bi-zonal Israel
BY HAKKI ÖCAL
MAR 30, 2026
Do you know that since the first Zionist settler set foot on Palestinian soil, the shootings, killings, wounding and stealing of Arab homes, villages and towns have not stopped. On the contrary, when the Zionists set up their “Jewish State” in Palestine, colonialist settlement increased. Their aim was outright to have a political, military and financial tool for vendettas against the European Christians for their scorn, ostracizing and disdain. Still, they had to make that entity as delectable as possible, so they named it “A Homeland for Jews.”
The true believers of Judaism knew it was against their beliefs. Nowhere in their holy texts nor in the sermons of Maimonides, a prominent medieval Jewish scholar, was this “return” (Aliyah) mentioned as a result of war, violence and at the expense of other believers. The materialization of this return was believed to be connected with the coming of the Davidic Messiah. However, neither Theodor Herzl, a Hungarian Jewish journalist and lawyer, nor the other founders of modern political Zionism were even true believers of Judaism. (Herzl was an atheist!)
However, for the “tired ... poor ... and huddled masses yearning to breathe free” and (like those “wretched refuse” Europeans at the “teeming shore” of the new Colossus, America) the poor and hungry Jews of Russia, France, Germany and Spain, the Zionists’ invitation to Palestine was better than the invitation of a Davidic Messiah. Besides, they were told by the Zionists that they themselves could hasten the coming of the Messiah.
David Ben-Gurion, not a rabbi himself but the head of the movement for an independent Jewish state in Palestine, believed that creating that homeland would be ‘the ultimate redemption’ and a recreation of the legal framework that existed before the Jews were forced into exile. When your Russian or German neighbors push you to the ghettoes from your ancestral home in their towns and cities, moving to Palestine, the land of friendly Arabs, Turks and Kurds, could be seen as the best alternative until the Davidic Messiah comes.
Among the 7 million Jews of Israel, the number of Zionists is diminishing fast. Ten years ago, the Jerusalem Post, an English-language Israeli newspaper founded in 1932, reported that 82% of Jews said the idea of Zionism was still relevant, while 9% were unsure, and another 9% said Zionism is irrelevant. Now, the Institute for Jewish Policy Research estimates 60% of Israeli Jews identify themselves as Zionist. 52% think that Zionism is no longer necessary to maintain a Jewish homeland. Better yet, 57% of Israeli (Jews and non-Jews) see that a bi-communal and bi-zonal Israel is possible.
When you ask these questions, for instance, to the Jews in the United Kingdom, you get even more optimistic responses: 54% believe in a two-state solution, and 56% feel shame for what the Israeli government is doing.
What is this optimism I have about? Mostly, about the future of Palestine, of course.
But if we need to talk specifically about that future, we have to mention the change of heart in the Western nations about eradicating Jews from their high and mighty white (and blond) Christian societies. That creepy desire to cleanse Christian societies of the Jews was the main impulse behind the creation of a homeland for them. If they came from Judea, then take that land, now called Palestine, under your United Nations-sanctioned (read, United States) mandate and give it to the Zionist thugs under the disguise of “Jewish Homeland.”
And it is happening. Because of the genocidal Israeli government’s murderous game plan to deliver a death blow to what is left of Palestine and Palestinians, we observe that desired altered attitude in the grandsons and granddaughters of those elder statesmen at the U.N. (and in the U.S.), and the ancestors of these British politician who transferred their mandate over Palestine in a heartbeat to Zionist gunmen of the “secular” Ben Gurion (who confessed he believed in God in his last breath, not before).
Western leaders, half-heartedly, mentioned in the U.N. resolutions that what the Ottoman Empire called Palestine would be divided between the Palestinians and Jews. But Ben Gurion, Menachem Begin and other commanders of the armed Zionist groups never had the slightest intention to share the land with Arabs. The largest Jewish force, the Haganah and other irregular groups, the Irgun, and Lehi, had organized the massacres and ethnic cleansing even before the U.N. resolutions.
Is this an awakening?
Yes, for the young American and European generations, the Hamas raid on the occupied territories on Oct. 7, 2023, was perhaps a violent attack of an unprecedented scale and brutality. But the genocide that followed it was also an eye-opener for those young people who have been raised and educated in "globaloney" and hype of calling every Palestinian reaction to the never-ending Israeli oppression and persecution as “the worst anti-Semitic massacre since the Holocaust.”
They noticed that Israel and its lobby in America were weaponizing anti-Semitism simply to cover their settler colonialism: Israel and the U.S. politicians in the pocket of the Israel lobby were simply collateralizing their future.
The more Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his goons flattened Gaza and Southern Lebanon, and occupied more areas in the West Bank, and waged wars against Iran simply because the Iranian mullahs were supporting the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance forces, the better young Americans and Europeans understood the international plot. Their politicians were paving the way for greater Israel.
They concluded that “criticizing Israel is not anti-Semitic.” The endless wars had been declared to help Israel become greater. He seemed to be somewhat disturbed, but that orange head seemed to them not to have been bought by the perpetrators of those endless wars. Of course, that rich Jewish woman Miriam Adelson was the third largest donor to the deranged orange, but after all, she was donating millions of dollars to all the conservatives. Was U.S. President Donald Trump not slamming the Western “interventionists” and excoriating Western “nation builders” as the former president Barack Obama used to?
The more Zionist massacres expanded, the more Trump supported them. His “Make America Great Again” promise was just a gimmick, and Meriam’s millions had just purchased him. All those “anti-establishment” talks in the Middle East capitals were for domestic consumption. He was sure that the Congress in the hands of the lobby and the U.S. media in the hands of his Big Tech friends would not allow the American public, especially those of the Z-generation, to see the facts. Well, it didn’t go that way; as Bob Dylan said, “the times they are a-changin’.”
Now, thanks to Trump’s few bananas short of a bunch, the Z-Generation began to see that their country could bargain their lives away, too. Why should an American boy or girl die to destroy the Iranian oil facilities on an island that he or she cannot even pronounce the name of?
If Israel wants Iran to cut its support to the Palestinian resistance movement, it should simply stop creating the conditions forcing the Palestinians to resist! It can be done by going back to the never-implemented and already-forgotten U.N. resolution to create that bi-zonal bi-communal state. It could be named whatever its people want. "Israel" is just fine as long as the Israelis stop thinking that it is the Jewish Homeland.
There is a wonderful group called “The Voice of Rabbis” on X (@voiceofrabbis). Elon Musk has not cut them off yet. They represent the “Jews United Against Zionism,” a nongovernmental and nonprofit organization. They believe that Jews are people who follow Judaism, either by ancestry or by conversion, and Israelis are inhabitants of Israel, including Jews, Palestinians and Druze, and people of other religions.
If the Zionists, like Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and ambassador to Israel, get out of the way, the new state can be created in no time. The “Christian Zionism,” as represented by these people, is a dangerous heresy. Those heretics’ belief in rapture, the Messiah’s “Second Coming” and “dispensationalism,” an evangelical theological system that actually foresees the biblical destruction of Israel, can wait for another century. Meanwhile, the non-Zionist Jews and Palestinians will be busy creating their unified country! Now is the time to listen to Bob: "Come, senators, congressmen! Please heed the call. Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall. For he that gets hurt, will be he who has stalled! There's a battle outside, and it is ragin'. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. For the times they are a-changin'."
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/columns/it-is-about-time-to-create-the-bi-communal-bi-zonal-israel
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How state support redefines university experience in Türkiye
BY ENES EFENDIOĞLU
MAR 30, 2026
The modern university landscape is undergoing a profound paradigm shift. For decades, the success of higher education was measured predominantly by academic output and the transition of students into the professional workforce. However, a contemporary understanding of youth development necessitates a broader perspective, where the university is viewed as a vital ecosystem for social maturation, civic engagement and leadership. In Türkiye, this vision has been institutionalized through the University Student Clubs Support Programme (ÜNIDES), a cornerstone of the Ministry of Youth and Sports' comprehensive youth policy.
The ÜNIDES program was established not merely as a financial instrument, but as a strategic intervention to dissolve the "classroom monopoly" on the student experience. The primary objective is to ensure that university life transcends the pursuit of a diploma, fostering an environment where students can cultivate their social and cognitive capacities through direct action. By placing the youth at the center of the project-making process, the program transitions students from being passive recipients of services to active architects of social change.
The scale of this state-led initiative is significant. Since its inception, including the current sixth term, ÜNIDES has channeled a total of TL 461 million ($10.37 million) in direct support of 5,822 student-led projects. A defining characteristic of this success is its geographic inclusivity, since the program has successfully reached and provided support across all 81 provinces of Türkiye. This ensures that, regardless of where a student is located, the state provides an equal platform for innovation and social participation.
The impact of this program is most visible in its human capital. To date, over 1.1 million young people have been directly involved in these projects as active participants. From the perspective of public health and social policy, this level of engagement serves as a vital tool for social development, addressing the modern challenges of youth isolation by encouraging proactive civic involvement.
By facilitating projects in fields ranging from technological research to cultural heritage and social responsibility, the Ministry has created a diverse social ecosystem. These figures represent more than just budgetary allocations; they signify a million-strong cohort of young citizens who have gained hands-on experience in leadership, budget management, and community problem-solving before entering the professional world.
The success of ÜNIDES is a testament to the Turkish state’s commitment to its youngest citizens. It represents a fundamental pillar of national youth policy, reflecting a government strategy that prioritizes the holistic development of the individual. This model acknowledges that the social development of university students is not an "extracurricular luxury" but a national necessity.
Providing this level of structured support allows students to experiment with their ideas in a safe, resource-rich environment. It bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and social application, ensuring that the next generation of leaders is equipped with the social intelligence and civic responsibility required in an increasingly complex global landscape.
As Türkiye continues to invest in its youth through frameworks like ÜNIDES, the definition of a university education is being permanently altered. The focus has shifted toward producing well-rounded citizens who possess both academic excellence and a proven track record of social contribution.
The continued expansion of the program underscores a clear policy direction: the state remains a steadfast partner in the journey of every university student. In doing so, the university experience is no longer just about obtaining a degree; it is about building the social foundation of a nation. Through this sustained support, the energy of Türkiye’s youth is being transformed into a permanent and professionalized force for public good.
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/how-state-support-redefines-university-experience-in-turkiye
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Iran turning nuclear ambiguity into a wartime weapon
ZAID M. BELBAGI
March 29, 2026
The world’s most consequential nuclear standoff is being conducted largely in the dark. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the institution mandated to prevent nuclear proliferation, has admitted it cannot determine whether Iran’s new underground enrichment site at Isfahan is an operational facility or an empty hall. This is the defining condition of the most volatile diplomatic moment the Middle East has seen in decades.
When Israel launched its first strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure last June, Iran held 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, a stockpile sufficient, by IAEA estimates, to produce as many as 10 nuclear weapons should Tehran choose to weaponize it. The IAEA also tracked a convoy removing what was believed to be a substantial portion of it from the Fordow facility shortly before hostilities began. Where it went remains unverified.
The agency has been reduced to monitoring vehicular movements around tunnel complexes using commercially available satellite imagery. This is the surveillance architecture of a non-proliferation regime under siege.
Iran’s nuclear opacity and its ambiguity predate the conflict by decades. Fordow’s existence was only disclosed to the IAEA in September 2009, after Western intelligence services had already exposed it. Iran had been constructing the site since 2006 without any declaration to the watchdog. Isfahan is following the same playbook, with construction taking place first and disclosure consistently delayed, allowing the uncertainty itself to serve a strategic purpose.
France, Germany and the UK this month jointly told the IAEA Board of Governors that the agency had been unable to account for Iran’s uranium stockpile, including highly enriched uranium equivalent to more than 10 IAEA “significant quantities,” the threshold used to calculate weapons potential.
Iran, for its part, wrote last month that “in light of prevailing circumstances, the expectation of the normal implementation of safeguards in Iran is, from legal, technical, and operational perspectives, untenable.” Tehran is formally asserting that opacity is not a violation but a legitimate posture, a precedent with profound consequences for every other state watching how far the non-proliferation regime can be bent before it breaks. Iran remains the only state without nuclear weapons to have produced 60 percent highly enriched uranium at scale.
At the heart of this landscape lies a paradox. The less verifiable Iran’s nuclear program is, the greater Tehran’s negotiating leverage becomes. Far from being an obstacle, uncertainty is the very core of Iran’s strategy.
A clear example of this was seen in February’s Geneva talks. After three rounds of indirect negotiations, Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi announced that Iran had agreed to never stockpile enriched uranium, suspend enrichment for three years and accept long-term restrictions capping purity at 1.5 percent, all subject to international verification. These are concessions of extraordinary scope, which would have seemed unthinkable during the 2013-2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action talks, when Iran rejected even modest enrichment caps despite being in a comparatively weaker position.
But there is a critical flaw in that Iran offered to relinquish something of which the current quantity cannot be independently verified. The IAEA is unable to confirm the precise amount of enriched uranium in Iran’s stockpile, making any future verification of compliance equally uncertain. This offer, while broad in scope, is inherently unfalsifiable and that is precisely what makes it advantageous for Tehran. It projects a message of moderation to Washington and Brussels while preserving operational ambiguity on the ground.
Regional actors, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, are also affected. They are not focused on Iran crossing a nuclear threshold but on the risks of forcing a definitive outcome. A clear binary, where Iran either openly declares a weapon or is militarily prevented from doing so, would force every regional power to take sides, with irreversible consequences. Ambiguity, however, allows space for hedging.
This dynamic also affects the mediators. Oman and Qatar, once brokers facilitating backchannel diplomacy, have been compromised by the conflict, bearing the direct consequences of Iranian retaliation and strikes from the US and Israel. Türkiye, Egypt and Pakistan have stepped in. However, their goal is no longer resolution but disaster prevention. The diplomatic horizon has shifted from solving the nuclear issue to stopping the situation from worsening each week.
What is eroding in plain sight is the international non-proliferation architecture, with Iran expertly exploiting every vulnerability. After the June 2025 war, Tehran suspended all cooperation with the IAEA, only to agree in Cairo in September to resume inspections, before halting implementation once again following the reimposition of UN sanctions. This cycle of partial engagement, provocation and withdrawal is carefully calibrated to keep the regime technically compliant and ensure it remains beyond meaningful constraint.
Iran’s formal claim that normal safeguards are untenable under current conditions poses a significant danger, as other states are closely watching. If a nation can cite military pressure as grounds for withdrawing from verification obligations without facing effective consequences, it undermines the entire treaty system. The IAEA was never designed to rely on satellite imagery alone.
Nuclear ambiguity is, in the short term, stabilizing. No party is likely to initiate a war over an uncertain stockpile. In the medium term, however, it is corrosive, preventing the region from building reliable security structures, poisoning diplomacy by making verification impossible, and gradually normalizing the idea that a state can remain on the nuclear threshold indefinitely without any formal accountability.
Across the region, governments are recalibrating to the persistent possibility of an Iranian nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia has accelerated its civilian nuclear program, Turkiye openly discusses its right to enrichment and smaller Gulf states are forging new security deals with Washington. Every neighbour has been forced into a perpetual state of defense, draining diplomatic energy and military resources against a threat that remains unconfirmed yet ever-present.
For Israel, it creates a constant state of existential alert that impacts every political decision. For the US, it ties down more strategic focus on the region. And for Iran’s potential allies, the uncertainty surrounding Isfahan makes alignment too costly and distance too risky. The result is not just a more dangerous Middle East but a fundamentally altered nuclear order. Iran has proven that a state does not need to cross the nuclear threshold to reshape the strategic landscape around it.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2638085
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Land Day 2026—Young Writers from Gaza Confirm Their Commitment to the Land
March 30, 2026
By Benay Blend
“Gaza possesses us as we possess it,” writes Dima Maher Ashour. With those few words, she expresses the sentiment of the many young writers from Gaza who have spent the past few years contributing to anthologies, writing online, using any means possible to express their attachment to the land amidst the ongoing genocide by “Israel.”
In the November 2025 issue of the New Internationalist, Tahrir Hamdi examines the late Palestinian revolutionary/writer Ghassan Kanafani, for whom Palestinian resistance exists in “the rifle, the pen, the olive tree and the memory of the land,” all playing central roles in the struggle for liberation. Palestinians have always resisted in tangled ways, through “political organization and armed struggle, poetry, art, and the resilient olive trees that dot the Palestinian landscape” (p. 34).
Following in the footsteps of Kanafani, the late poet/teacher Refaat Alareer instilled in his students a desire to write down their stories as a counter to “Israeli” narratives. Indeed, he once declared that, if necessary, he would use his magic marker as a weapon, even if it cost his life (Refaat Alareer, If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose, ed. Yousef Aljamal, 2024, pp. 184, 185).
Refaat was an early collaborator for We are Not Numbers (WANN), a group of aspiring writers aged 18-29, many of whom are included in this article. Founded in the Autumn of 2014, shortly after a ceasefire ended what was at that time the Zionists’ worst assault on Gaza, WANN sought to inspire a new generation of Palestinian writers who could employ their own words to counter the Israeli narrative.
Both Alareer and Kanafani were assassinated by “Israeli” forces, Kanafani in Beirut on July 8, 1972, by a bomb planted in his car; Alareer on December 6, 2023, by a targeted air strike on his home. Despite their deaths, the ideas of both live on.
In recently published anthologies, including Heaven Looks Like Us: Palestinian Poetry (2025), Sumud: A New Palestinian Reader (2025), and You Must Live: New Poetry from Palestine (2025), young writers from Gaza convey their commitment to the land while telling the world how the “Israeli” state’s ethnic cleansing has damaged all their lives.
Most of these young writers have been displaced multiple times from their homes. Most have lost family members to the Zionists’ ongoing violence. Most have endured the indescribable.
Yet they continue to maintain hope for a better world while refusing to downplay the horrors that they experience day by day.
Despite the occupation and colonial violence, Palestinians have continued to adapt and resist, thus exhibiting their legendary sumud and endurance.
More than a process of steadfastness, sumud serves as a project of “remembrance, record-keeping and revitalization,” Saleem Haddad explains, an insistence on carrying on but also an act of envisioning a better world (Preface, Sumud: A New Palestinian Reader, eds. Malu Halasa and Jordan Elgrably, 2025, p. 2).
Because land is at the core of Palestinian identity, history, and rituals that hold communities together, it makes sense that it has been incorporated into recent writers’ work. Their stories focus on the ways that its flora is a means to nourish the body but also provides a trail that connects the history of the land with its indigenous people.
Palestinians, along with those who are part of the solidarity movement, are familiar with the ever-present drift between “despair and hope, oppression and resistance, erasure and rediscovery of Palestine” (Ilan Pappė, “Culture and Resistance in Imagining Palestine, in Sumud, p. 52), a shift that is represented in the work of these young writers.
Even though much of Palestine remains under occupation, and a majority of the population are scattered throughout the world, there is still a “sizable presence” on the land, and the struggle for liberation continues to this day (Pappė, p.52).
If every inch of the land holds stories, its flora exudes flavors that speak of home, a ‘language rooted in place and memory” for those who cling to hope. Associated with longevity and survival, olive trees have always been part of cultural activity and religious practice, including the annual harvest festivals and Ramadan.
In her recollections of past food rituals and social gatherings, Amna Dmeida recalls in particular the last olive harvest before the siege. “The olive harvest was more than just a seasonal event,” she writes, “it was a living memory that I experienced in every detail.”
Each year, Amna, along with her extended family, went to the olive fields to harvest fruit that would later be the center of future meals. On the way, the “road was full of laughter and songs,” all part of rituals associated with the trees.
“It wasn’t just about the olives, it was about family,” Amna notes. “Every olive we picked was a promise to the land, and a promise to ourselves that we would remain on our ancestral soil.”
Nearly 50 percent of olive trees are older than the state of “Israel”, so when Amna’s grandfather explained each year that “we don’t just plant olive trees, we plant our memory,” he was countering the “Israeli” myth that Palestine never existed on any map.
For this reason, olive trees are one of the most enduring symbols of the homeland. As Amna writes, each year’s harvest is “as complex as our survival over six decades from brute force. It is us. Olives are our national pride.”
Even before October 7, 2023, the “Israeli” state destroyed thousands of olive trees each year. As Youth of Sumud explains, this is part of the Zionist project to push the indigenous Palestinian population off their land.
In response, Youth of Sumud, a grassroots political action organization, along with Good Shepherd Collective, also an anti-Zionist, anti-colonial formation, help to replant the trees as part of their many acts of resistance. By ensuring a Palestinian presence in strategic areas, both groups hope to thwart the entity’s goal of ethnic cleansing.
While “Israel” might continue to destroy the trees, the memory of their existence lives on. “Every October comes as a new lesson for us,” Amna concludes, “that the land isn’t forgotten, memories aren’t lost, and that, as the children of this land—no matter how far we go or how scattered the aggressors want us to be—we carry our roots with us everywhere.”
In Gaza, the land is destroyed, the trees are gone, and farmers harvest what olives are left at their own risk. Nevertheless, as Amni says, Palestinians in Gaza know that one day they will return to their fields because, like the trees, they refuse to give in.
In an homage to her grandfather’s garden, Roaa Aladdin Missmeh tells a similar tale. Her earliest memories are family gatherings in the yard, playing under the dalia (grape vine), and helping to care for the garden.
In 2024, “Israeli” tanks wiped out her grandfather’s work during a military excursion into Khan Younis. In one fell swoop they destroyed not only her family’s livelihood, but also memories of better days.
Like others who are committed to the land, Roaa’s grandfather reminded her that connections to the homeland cannot so easily be destroyed. “In Palestine,” she notes, “trees are more than crops. They are part of family history and collective memory.”
“I remember everything,” she concluded. “These memories are my form of survival. They remind me of what we once had, what was taken, and what we continue to carry, including the hope to one day replant my grandfather’s garden.”
“Bodies fall, but ideas endure”—a short but powerful line attributed to Kanafani. As Farah-Silvana Kanaan observes, it has been used since October 7th to commemorate the deaths of everyone from Yahya Sinwar and Refaat Alareer to Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, along with hundreds of journalists and medics killed by the “Israeli” military.
It remains a quote particularly relevant on Land Day 2026, as “Israel” continues to destroy everything that is necessary for life in Gaza, historic Palestine, and now in Iran and Lebanon, too. Trees can fall, infrastructure can collapse, but the remembrance of what life was like before lives on. As long as memories persist, Palestine will never die, but instead will be resurrected after liberation.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/land-day-2026-young-writers-from-gaza-confirm-their-commitment-to-the-land/
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Iran’s Retaliation Against US and Israel Has Potential to Reignite Arab Spring
March 30, 2026
By Iqbal Jassat
On Sunday, the Times of Israel published an article titled “Iranian attack on Saudi air base heavily damages key US surveillance aircraft.” Such a headline would have been unimaginable before February 28, 2026. However, resulting from Israel and the United States’ unprovoked and illegitimate war on Iran, the amazing Iranian retaliation has paved the way for rearranging the political architecture of the Middle East.
Iran’s incredible defensive war has brilliantly lit fires under the feet of Arab oligarchs. At the same time, it offers the Arab population a golden opportunity to wrest control of Israel’s Gulf monarchs by asserting their sovereign duty to revolt against unelected despots.
The dominion of Islam’s civilization, which stretched across the entire Arabian peninsula and was broken by imperialism and colonial powers, needs to be re-established.
Iran provides the opportunity to have the region cleansed of Western colonies and their unwelcome military bases. The paradox of the US and Israel’s regime change agenda in Iran has ironically created space and opportunity for millions of poor and marginalized Arabs to rid their nation-states of Western-imposed monarchs.
The spark was lit by the powerful #ToofanAlAqsa on October 7 and continues to this day to wipe Zionist colonialism and its US hegemony from the region, thanks to the resilience of Palestinian Resistance movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
The baton carried by the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, Ansarallah in Yemen, the resistance in Iraq, and, of course, Iran, carries a huge price. The prize, though, is freedom for themselves but also for the world – freed from Zionist tyranny.
Many analysts may argue that the notion of liberty from entrenched authoritarian Arab regimes is a complex question. However, the desire for justice and freedom is not.
Recent polls, such as from the Arab Barometer, indicate that over 70% of Arab respondents support democracy, with many still viewing the goals of the Arab Spring favorably.
While it is true that the ‘Arab Spring’ was brutally targeted by repressive regimes that were aided by the West to strengthen their control, including by expanding military footprints, resistance to it remains alive.
The intensification of repression, which has seen thousands jailed, tortured, and killed, has not dimmed demands for freedom and liberty, particularly among the youth who were forced to endure the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, as mere spectators.
The revulsion against Israel in solidarity with Palestine’s freedom struggle and the anger against their emirs, sultans and kings for being complicit in Zionism’s war on Iran, will fill the streets of Arab capitals if allowed to protest.
Though the “deep state” in various Arab autocracies, including Egypt, has placed huge barriers to change, what we are witnessing in Iran’s sophisticated and strategic retaliation has attacked these obstacles.
We are at the cusp of revolutionary changes with the potential to finally see the last kicks of a dying Zionist project. The Arab population, whose demands for accountability from their US-backed leaders are not an exception to the anticipated collapse of artificial nation-states. Their voices matter and must be heard.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/irans-retaliation-against-us-and-israel-has-potential-to-reignite-arab-spring/
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Did Iran Shut Down Ukraine’s Gulf Role in a Single Blow? – Analysis
March 29, 2026
Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia on March 26 as part of a multi-country Gulf tour aimed at securing military and economic support at a time of growing pressure on Ukraine’s war effort.
A defense cooperation agreement with Riyadh followed on March 27, marking the beginning of a series of deals focused on long-term military coordination, technology sharing, and energy support.
By March 28, Zelensky had moved to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, where additional agreements were announced. These included cooperation on missile defense systems, drone warfare, and broader security coordination, alongside efforts to secure fuel supplies critical for Ukraine’s military operations.
On March 29, Zelensky arrived in Jordan for “important security talks,” confirming that the visit was part of a broader regional push rather than a symbolic stop, as reported by Reuters.
Why Was Zelensky in the Gulf?
The visit was driven by urgency, as Ukraine faces sustained battlefield pressure and increasing uncertainty over Western military aid. Kyiv has therefore sought to diversify its partnerships, turning to Gulf states that can provide both financial backing and strategic flexibility.
Zelensky framed the agreements as long-term partnerships centered on joint defense production, counter-drone systems, and air-defense capabilities.
Ukraine also offered its expertise in intercepting drones and missiles—experience gained through years of war with Russia—while securing diesel supplies essential for both military and economic stability.
At a deeper level, this outreach reflected Ukraine’s attempt to reposition itself within a changing geopolitical landscape, where regional wars are increasingly interconnected and technological expertise has become a form of currency.
What Happened in Dubai?
It was in this context that a dramatic claim emerged. On March 28, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had destroyed a Ukrainian anti-drone or air-defense depot in Dubai, stating that the facility was linked to US military operations.
The timing raised immediate questions, as the claim surfaced within hours of Zelensky’s presence in the UAE becoming public.
Ukraine rejected the allegation outright, with its Foreign Ministry stating: “This is a lie. We officially refute this information,” describing it as part of a broader pattern of disinformation, as cited by The Kyiv Independent.
Was Russia in the Background?
The wider geopolitical context makes the episode more significant. The Washington Post had recently reported, citing officials familiar with the intelligence, that Russia has been providing Iran with targeting information, including the locations of US warships and aircraft in the region.
Zelensky stated that Ukraine has “irrefutable evidence” that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran, a claim reported by Reuters on March 25, 2026. The assertion points to a deepening level of coordination between Moscow and Tehran that extends beyond previously known military cooperation.
He also suggested that this intelligence-sharing should be understood within the broader context of Russia’s response to Western military support for Ukraine, indicating that Moscow is adjusting its strategic posture accordingly, though without framing it as a direct or explicit conditional exchange.
This development does not exist in isolation. Iran has been a crucial partner for Russia throughout the Ukraine war, particularly through the supply of Shahed drones, which have played a significant role in Russia’s aerial campaign.
That earlier phase of cooperation now appears to be evolving into a more reciprocal arrangement.
What was once a one-directional flow of military support—from Tehran to Moscow—now increasingly appears to operate in both directions, with Russia potentially offering intelligence and strategic advantages in return.
Was Washington Seeking Reinforcements?
At the same time, the United States appears to be under increasing strain as it attempts to manage multiple theatres of conflict.
Washington has been seeking broader participation from allies, particularly in securing maritime routes and containing escalation in the Gulf, but responses have been cautious.
While some states have shown willingness to engage in defensive cooperation—especially around the Strait of Hormuz—there has been little appetite for deeper military involvement.
Discussions about redirecting weapons originally intended for Ukraine toward the Middle East further suggest growing pressure on US military resources.
This reflects a broader difficulty. Washington is attempting to expand the scope of the war by drawing in new actors, but these efforts have not yet produced a decisive shift in the balance.
Did Ukraine’s Role Collapse Quickly?
Whether or not the Dubai strike actually occurred, the political implications are difficult to ignore. If the claim were true, it would suggest that Ukraine’s attempt to establish a foothold in the Gulf was neutralized almost immediately.
If false, it still indicates that Iran is closely monitoring—and responding to—the possibility of Ukrainian involvement in the region.
In both scenarios, Ukraine’s role appears constrained. Zelensky arrived with agreements, technical expertise, and urgent needs, yet there is no clear indication that his visit altered the strategic balance in any meaningful way.
Finally, this episode points to a deeper reality. Efforts to introduce new actors into the conflict are not fundamentally changing its trajectory, which continues to be shaped by entrenched dynamics: Iranian capabilities, Russian counter-pressure, cautious regional actors, and mounting strain on US resources.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/did-iran-shut-down-ukraines-gulf-role-in-a-single-blow-analysis/
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‘On the Edge of Danger’: Why Did Iran Strike Near Israel’s Nuclear Core?
March 29, 2026
Iranian missile strikes hit a sensitive chemical facility in southern Israel on Sunday, injuring several people and triggering warnings of hazardous material leaks, according to Israeli emergency services and media reports.
The targeted site lies within the industrial zone of the Naqab (Negev), near Beersheba, an area that hosts some of Israel’s most critical chemical infrastructure. Israeli authorities confirmed that the facility contains dangerous substances, while reports indicated multiple impact points across the city following the strike, including widespread shrapnel damage.
Reuters reported that the facility struck was part of the Ne’ot Hovav industrial zone, identifying it as a chemical plant operated by ADAMA (Makhteshim Agan), one of Israel’s major agrochemical companies.
The attack formed part of a broader wave of Iranian missile barrages targeting southern and central Israel, including areas near Dimona, where Israel’s nuclear reactor is located.
Lebanese military analyst Brigadier General Hassan Jouni described the exchange as “messages on the edge of danger,” emphasizing that each side is responding with equivalent escalation, both in scale and in the nature of the targets.
What Was Hit — And Why It Matters
The strike appears to have targeted a chemical facility in the Ne’ot Hovav industrial zone, though some reporting has linked the site to Rotem-related infrastructure nearby.
This area concentrates petrochemical plants, toxic waste facilities, and chemical manufacturing sites essential to Israel’s industrial economy.
Companies operating in or linked to the broader Negev chemical sector include major firms such as ADAMA and ICL, both involved in large-scale chemical and phosphate-based production.
At the core of this industrial ecosystem is the processing of chemical compounds derived from natural resources in the Negev, including phosphates. These materials are used in fertilizers and industrial chemicals, but also feed into more advanced chemical processes involving phosphorus compounds.
These compounds sit at the base of multiple industrial chains, including:
Phosphorus derivatives are used in incendiary and smoke-producing munitions.
Industrial chemicals used in fuel processing and explosives-related applications.
Feedstock for broader chemical synthesis networks tied to defense industries.
This places the Negev chemical hub within a dual-use industrial framework, where civilian production overlaps with military capability.
The Nuclear Dimension
The deeper significance of the strike lies in the integration of the Negev’s industrial and nuclear landscape.
The targeted industrial zone lies within the same broader geographic region as the Dimona nuclear facility, widely understood to be central to Israel’s undeclared nuclear program.
Major industrial and mining activities in the Negev, including phosphate extraction, are located in proximity to Dimona, forming part of a wider strategic-industrial environment.
Some analysts and research institutions have noted that phosphate deposits can contain trace uranium and, under specific processes, may be used in uranium extraction.
While there is no verified evidence that the facility directly supports Israel’s nuclear weapons program, the broader ecosystem suggests an interlinked industrial landscape, where:
Mining, chemical processing, and advanced materials production coexist.
Industrial outputs can support both civilian and strategic applications.
Nuclear-related infrastructure exists within the same geographic and industrial cluster.
In this sense, the strike targeted a zone embedded within Israel’s wider strategic depth, rather than an isolated civilian site.
From Negev to Gaza
The relevance of this infrastructure extends beyond nuclear considerations into the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Israel’s use of white phosphorus in military operations has been documented and reported by international organizations and media outlets, drawing widespread scrutiny.
While specific production chains are not publicly disclosed, the industrial base that enables phosphorus processing is rooted in facilities like those operating in the Negev.
This creates a broader connection between:
Phosphate extraction and chemical processing in the Negev.
Production chains for phosphorus-based compounds.
Deployment of such materials in military operations.
In the context of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, this industrial base takes on additional significance. It is not merely an economic asset, but part of the infrastructure that sustains prolonged military operations.
A Calculated Strike
Iran’s choice of target reflects a deliberate and calibrated escalation pattern.
Rather than striking purely civilian areas or directly targeting Israel’s nuclear reactor, Tehran has focused on infrastructure that occupies a critical middle ground — industrial sites with strategic relevance.
The logic behind the strike can be understood through three interrelated signals:
Precision: The ability to hit a sensitive industrial site despite Israeli air defenses.
Strategic intent: Target selection within Israel’s industrial and nuclear-adjacent ecosystem.
Controlled escalation: A message delivered near, but not directly against, the nuclear core.
By striking a site embedded within Israel’s chemical and strategic-industrial landscape, Iran has sent a layered message:
It can reach deep into Israel’s strategic core, disrupt the systems that sustain its military operations, and do so while still stopping short of a direct strike on the nuclear heart itself.
For now, that line remains intact. But it is being tested.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/on-the-edge-of-danger-why-did-iran-strike-near-israels-nuclear-core/
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