LevantTime .

The rumor had started circulating shortly after the beginning of the American-Israeli raids launched early on Saturday morning, February 28, against Iran. The most violent attack had occurred in Tehran, more specifically against the vast residence of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Ali Khamenei, which had been targeted by 30 large-caliber bombs. The raid had completely destroyed the residential center. Iranian authorities had then rushed to indicate that Imam Khamenei had been transferred to a “highly secured location.” Around noon, one of the Israeli television channels indicated that “all contact with Khamenei had been lost for several hours.” Later, in the early afternoon, the television channel indicated that it was “very unlikely, if not almost impossible, that the Supreme Leader emerged unharmed from the airstrike.” Two hours later, the same source stressed that evidence of Khamenei’s death was becoming increasingly numerous.

Paris, by Arthur Bassil Since the beginning of January, the Iranian diaspora in Europe has been mobilizing to stigmatize the Islamic Republic and the massacres perpetrated against the Iranian people. In Paris, this gathering is renewed every Sunday. Around 3 PM, Place de la Bastille, this Sunday, February 8, a sunny day in Paris. Approximately five thousand demonstrators are gathered around the Iranian flag adorned with the lion and sun to denounce the massacres perpetrated by the Islamic Republic. In addition to this strong symbol, demonstrators brandish images of the victims of these massacres. On January 8 and 9, 2026, exactly one month ago, the Khamenei regime committed the unthinkable: thousands of Iranians were killed in cold blood. Their crime? Having dared to demonstrate against the socio-economic crisis, but above all against the oppression that has plagued Iran for decades.

Following the deployment of the impressive American armada near the Iranian coast, several military options are emerging should the White House decide to intervene. For the time being, the standoff with the mullahs' regime remains essentially verbal: communiqués, warnings, and displays of force punctuate the escalation. With each hardening of Donald Trump's tone, Tehran responds with threats of massive retaliation. On the American side, one thing seems certain: no ground intervention is planned. Several observers, however, believe that the American president will first seek a diplomatic solution before resorting to force. On the Iranian side, uncertainty remains total: how long can the regime resist new American demands? At what point might it back down?

Although Russia and China are among Iran's major strategic partners, their support for the Islamic Republic, weakened by internal protests and under threat from Donald Trump, would remain limited in the event of an American attack. According to several experts, neither Moscow nor Beijing is willing to confront Washington militarily. Iran nevertheless holds a significant place in the geopolitical calculations of the two powers. Tehran contributes to the Russian war effort in Ukraine by supplying the famous 'Shahed' type drones that have greatly served Moscow's troops. Iran also came to Putin's rescue by re-exporting Scud-type ballistic missiles once acquired by the Islamic Republic, which produced a modernized version of them.

While the 47 members of the United Nations Human Rights Council expressed alarm in a resolution at "the unprecedented scale of the violent crackdown on peaceful protests by security forces" in Iran, High Commissioner Volker Türk condemned the security forces' firing of "live ammunition" at protesters, deploring the deaths of "thousands" of people, including children. At the heart of this repression are the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the ideological arm of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 'Pasdaran' ("guardians" in Farsi) are an extremely organized armed force, accused by Westerners of orchestrating and even participating in the crackdown on the protest movement.

Devastated by nearly a decade of civil war opposing the internationally recognized government to Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, Yemen is now facing a new fault line. A confrontation with southern separatists has upset the balance of the conflict and pitted two long-standing regional allies against each other: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Tensions escalated in early December when the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist movement supported by the United Arab Emirates but officially a member of the anti-Houthi coalition, seized vast territories in eastern Yemen, gaining control of the Hadramout province and a large part of the neighboring Mahra province.

The signing of a trilateral military cooperation plan between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus for 2026 marks a significant step in consolidating a security axis in the Eastern Mediterranean. Officially, the agreement, disclosed last Sunday by the Israeli army, provides for reinforced joint exercises, cross-training, and strategic military dialogue. But beyond its technical framework, it is part of a broader logic of collective deterrence, in a context of Turkey's rising military, diplomatic, and maritime power, particularly around exclusive economic zones, energy routes, and disputed airspaces. The project, discussed for several months, to establish a rapid reaction force - non-permanent but quickly deployable on land, at sea, and in the air - illustrates a major doctrinal evolution. It is no longer just about punctual or bilateral cooperations, but rather the progressive construction of a credible multinational operational capability. In a region marked by the war in Gaza, Syrian instability, persistent tensions in Lebanon, and competition over gas resources, this approach aims as much to prevent crises as to respond to them.

Somaliland's official recognition by Israel, announced last Friday by Benjamin Netanyahu, offers a new perspective on Red Sea security, the stability of the Horn of Africa, and global geopolitical balances. While the Israeli government intends to capitalize on the positive outcomes of its diplomacy, opinions diverge within the Hebrew State and worldwide. The territory of Somaliland, located in northwest Somalia, covers 175,000 km² and is populated by approximately five million inhabitants. It corresponds to the former colony of British Somaliland, while Italy had occupied the rest of the country.

Is the mullahs' regime loosening its grip on the mandatory wearing of the Islamic veil, or is it granting a temporary relaxation to appease an exasperated population? One thing is certain: in recent years, women have increasingly defied the strict rules of the Islamic Republic, and a wind of freedom is blowing through the streets of Iran. Women dancing at parties or chatting in cafes... without headscarves. Images unimaginable until recently are multiplying. Braids, curly hair, or bleached hair are now making their mark in public spaces, alongside more traditional women wearing the hijab or the chador.

From the past tragedies to the dramatic arts. The infamous locations from the era of the Assads, father and son, are now hosting cameras and other film equipments. Whether in Saydnaya or Mazzeh, actors and directors have replaced the torturers who zealously served the interests of the former Syrian regime. Many series currently in production have chosen to film scenes at military sites or security service headquarters that symbolized the reign of terror. Like the Mazzeh airfield, which housed a detention center for the Air Force intelligence service, notorious for its cruelty. The Air Force's "Mukhabarat" were the main pillar of the regime of former pilot Hafez al-Assad, who became president of the Syrian Arab Republic for several decades.