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The United States and United Nations flags. (Getty Images)
Middle East
Middle East
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(What Really Matters Logo)
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An F/A-18E Super Hornet prepares to launch from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on February 15, 2026. (US Navy)
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Caption Naval units from Iran and Russia carry out joint naval drills at the Port of Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz in Hormozgan, Iran, on February 19, 2026. (Getty Images) Share to Twitter
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(School of War)
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(School of War)
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The USS Abraham Lincoln sails in the Arabian Sea on February 11, 2026. (US Navy)
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President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to Fort Bragg in North Carolina on February 13, 2026. (Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Saudi Royal Court on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Getty Images)
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A Bayraktar TB3 armed unmanned aerial vehicle carries out its first operational demonstration during the NATO Steadfast Dart-2026 drill in the Baltic Sea on February 17, 2026. (Getty Images)
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(Screenshot via Fox News)
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President Donald Trump speaks during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on February 19, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
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(Screenshot via YouTube)
Experts
James Barnett
Research Fellow
Michael Doran
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East
