Why it matters

(Global Outlook — February 1, 2026)

The news cycle continues to signal heightened geopolitical volatility and institutional stress across multiple regions. Escalation dynamics involving Iran, Russia, and the United States remain intertwined with domestic political pressures in Western democracies and deepening humanitarian crises in conflict zones. Together, these developments shape diplomatic calculations, market expectations, and security postures as global actors enter February facing unresolved flashpoints and narrowing room for error.

TOP NEWS 

Februrary 1, 2026

IRAN

TIMES OF ISRAEL: Adviser to Khamenei: Iran will hit ‘heart of Tel Aviv’ in response to any US attack

THE GUARDIAN: Threat of US-Iran war escalates as Trump warns time running out for deal

THE TIMES: Trump threatens Iran with violence as ‘armada’ arrives

NYT: Iran Killed Thousands of Protesters. Here Are Five of Their Stories

ISRAEL HAYOM: Former IDF senior commander: We might attack in Iran before the US

JP: Crown Prince preparing to join “final battle” against regime, Pahlavi tells Post – exclusive

LE MONDE: John Bolton: “Toppling the Iranian regime is the most effective way to remove the terrorist threat the West has faced”

IRAN – FRANCE

JP: France for the inclusion of Iran’s IRGC on EU list of terrorist organizations – report

USA – IRAQ

THE GUARDIAN: Iraq’s former prime minister denounces ‘blatant American interference’ in election

GAZA

HAARETZ: Ahead of Rafah Border Opening, Palestinians Consider a Return to Gaza, Where No Home Awaits Them

SYRIA

LE MONDE: Escaped Syrian detainees recount chaos after Kurdish forces withdraw

RUSSIA – SYRIA

THE TELEGRAPH: Putin abandons Syria base to court new Islamist leader

UKRAINE – RUSSIA

WP: Ukraine sees ‘progress’ in latest talks with Russia despite ongoing attacks

RUSSIA – FRANCE

LE MONDE: France is still trading uranium with Russia, nearly four years after Ukraine invasion

USA

AXIOS: Scoop: House Democrats told by leadership not to go to Minnesota

POLITICO: The Legal Fallout in Minnesota Has Only Just Begun

WP: The rise and fall of Border Patrol ‘commander at large’ Greg Bovino

WP: Democrats demand new ICE restrictions as government shutdown looms
ES: FBI raids Georgia election offices to investigate ‘stolen’ 2020 vote

WSJ: Barry Diller Told Warner Discovery He Is Interested in Buying CNN

WSJ: A Secret FBI Bust Nabbed an Alleged Drug Lord—and Rocked Relations with Mexico

TIMES OF ISRAEL: Driver smashes car into Chabad’s world headquarters in New York City

ISRAEL HAYOM: Melania Trump documentary bombs with only 1 ticket sold

QATAR – ITALY

THE GUARDIAN: Qatari plane hits Milan airport lights during arrival of Winter Olympics staff

UK – IRAQ

THE TIMES: Starmer sparked ‘witch-hunt’ of British troops, says Johnny Mercer

UK

THE TIMES: Lottery winner, 80, jailed after building £288 million drug empire

CUBA

LE MONDE: Havana, a ghost town battered by shortages and US threats

CHINA

WSJ: Xi Jinping Is Stripping Down His Military Command and Starting Over

FRANCE – IMMIGRATION

THE TIMES: Stop legal immigration for three years, says French minister

SPAIN – IMMIGRATION

WSJ: Spain Moves to Legalize Migrants, Defying Europe’s Anti-Immigration Trend

NIGERIA

NYT: Nigeria, a Catholic Bishop Navigates a Nation of Extremes

AMAZON

AXIOS: Amazon cutting another 16,000 jobs