— Republican senators warn that Donald Trump’s controversies and economic anxiety threaten to cost the Republican Party control of both the House and the Se…
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Day: February 17, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said US President Donald Trump was exerting undue pressure on him in trying to secure a resolution to the nearly four-year-old war pitting Kyiv against Moscow reut.rs/4kJDBF5
— Reuters (@Reuters) Feb 18, 2026
A thinktank called Labour Together, linked to Keir Starmer and Morgan McSweeney, has been exposed for investigating journalists who were looking into the group’s funding. One of those journalists was the Guardian’s Henry Dyer. He tells Helen Pidd how he found out and why it matters. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Iran shut Hormuz Strait for a few hours on Tuesday, Iranian media confirms https://t.co/0AojCr6Ah0 https://t.co/0AojCr6Ah0
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 18, 2026
What do the Winter Olympics really stand for? In this week’s Future View column, students discuss athletic excellence, global unity, national representation and entertainment.
on.wsj.com/4aF1yJc— Wall Street Journal Opinion (@WSJopinion) Feb 18, 2026
Iran Update, February 17, 2026: isw.pub/IranUpdate021726
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) Feb 18, 2026
NEW: Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected the United States’ demands for Iran to halt uranium enrichment and limit its ballistic missile program in a speech on February 17. Khamenei’s speech coincided with the second round of US-Iran talks in Geneva, Switzerland. Iran has presented several proposals to the United States that do not meet the United States’ demand for zero enrichment. Iran seeks significant economic relief in return for the limited nuclear concessions it has offered to make.
Other Key Takeaways:
Some Iranians held anti-regime protests on February 17 despite the regime’s recent brutal crackdown on protesters, which highlights how some parts of the Iranian population remain extremely frustrated and disillusioned with the regime.
Iranian security forces conducted a targeted raid in Chenar town, Asadabad District, Hamedan Province, on February 16, likely to preempt or disrupt some kind of anti-regime activity. The limited scope of the raid suggests that security forces were targeting a specific individual, network, or infrastructure in the town linked to anti-regime activity.
Most of the Iraqi Shia Coordination Framework has agreed to rescind State of Law Coalition head and former Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki’s nomination as prime minister designate if Maliki does not voluntarily withdraw his nomination in order to avoid US sanctions, according to a senior framework political adviser speaking to an Iraqi journalist on February 16. Maliki’s insistence on the premiership will probably force the framework to revoke his nomination.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani continues to vie for the premiership. It remains unlikely that the framework will select him, given many framework members’ long-standing objections to Sudani. Unspecified individuals close to Sudani suggested to Iraqi media on February 16 that Sudani’s control of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias is a “trump card.” This statement could reflect an effort by Sudani to use his purported control over the militias to gain US support for him to become prime minister amid US objections to Maliki.
The Syrian government transferred some authorities from the central government to governors and local officials on February 15, which may satisfy some of the Syrian Democratic Forces’ demands regarding decentralization.
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) Feb 18, 2026