The US military and Iran are both getting ready for what could turn out to be a major conflict between the two countries.

What’s bizarre is the lack of public discussion and the lack of any attempt to seek Congressional approval.

America needs to wake up to the likelihood that war is coming.

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US and Iranian negotiators gathered in Geneva on Tuesday for indirect talks meant to possibly avert a war.

Iranian and US officials both sounded somewhat positive notes after the four hours of talks, but there are few signs that Tehran is ready to meet Washington’s Israeli-imposed conditions, especially the demand to put limits on its missile arstenal.

Meanwhile both sides are preparing for an increasingly likely armed conflict.

Watch me and France 24’s Francois Picard discuss the situation in Iran, as well as the death of Israeli TV producer of the series “Tehran” in a hotel in Athens. Was it foul play?

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February 16, 2026, Paris

Just a few years ago Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were not just partners but allies. That has pretty much ended. The two just fought a proxy war over control of South Yemen, with Riyadh coming out on top.

Cinzia Bianco, fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and an analyst at Gulf State Analytics, joins me to discuss the Saudi-UAE dustup, what it means for the US and Europe.

We also discuss the Gulf’s view on the impending war between the US and Iran, and the ongoing crises in Gaza and Sudan.

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Europe played a huge role in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. It’s now MIA on Iran diplomacy, as Middle East countries take the lead role in promoting diplomacy between the US and Iran. This could be a mistake that could backfire.

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The Iran crisis is showing China’s newfound confidence. It seems to realize no matter what happens in the confrontation between Iran and the US, it will eventually come out on top.

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After weeks of trying I finally managed to get in touch with someone I knew who was caught up in the violence in Iran last month. It took time and effort, but I finally figured out what happened. The experience provides a lesson about the Islamic Republic and how it operates. The country is just too wired and bureaucratic to forever hide deaths.

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