Independent commentary on Iran, Israel and the wider Middle East, covering regional politics, security, sanctions and Western foreign policy. I am Director of the Iran Sanctions and Trade Observatory, an independent think tank focused on Iranโs trade networks, sanctions and their impact on regional security. This channel reflects my personal analysis and interests.
Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
๐ฎ๐ท WHO REALLY CONTROLS IRAN'S INTERNET?
An Iran International investigation identifies 690 people and 298 entities in the network behind Iran's telecommunications and censorship infrastructure, including links to the IRGC.
Internet blackouts aren't simply technical failures. They're enabled by a system built for control.
1 day ago | [YT] | 1
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Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฑ DID QATAR TRY TO BUY THE ISRAELI ELECTION?
Serious allegations are emerging following Israel's election.
Israeli authorities are investigating suspected foreign funding, potentially involving Qatar, aimed at influencing Arab voters.
Meanwhile, seven people have reportedly been detained in a separate investigation into alleged vote-buying linked to Raโam, the Islamist party led by Mansour Abbas. Among those questioned are a doctor and school principals.
Qatar strongly denies any involvement.
Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency is investigating possible foreign interference, although no connection between the alleged Qatari funding and the vote-buying arrests has been established.
My question is simple: Did a foreign government attempt to influence who governs Israel?
If these allegations are proven, this would be a serious attack on Israeli democracy.
And with Arab parties potentially holding the balance of power, the stakes couldn't be higher.
#Israel #Qatar #IsraeliElections #MansourAbbas #Raam #MiddleEast
2 days ago | [YT] | 2
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Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฑ DID QATAR TRY TO BUY THE ISRAELI ELECTION?
Serious allegations are emerging following Israel's election.
Israeli authorities are investigating suspected foreign funding, potentially involving Qatar, aimed at influencing Arab voters.
Meanwhile, seven people have reportedly been detained in a separate investigation into alleged vote-buying linked to Raโam, the Islamist party led by Mansour Abbas. Among those questioned are a doctor and school principals.
Qatar strongly denies any involvement.
Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency is investigating possible foreign interference, although no connection between the alleged Qatari funding and the vote-buying arrests has been established.
My question is simple: Did a foreign government attempt to influence who governs Israel?
If these allegations are proven, this would be a serious attack on Israeli democracy.
And with Arab parties potentially holding the balance of power, the stakes couldn't be higher.
#Israel #Qatar #IsraeliElections #MansourAbbas #Raam #MiddleEast
2 days ago | [YT] | 0
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Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
THE TRUTH THAT DOESN'T FIT THEIR NARRATIVE
Arab citizens of Israel have voted in 10 parliamentary elections since 2006.
The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, has denied Palestinians the right to vote in national elections for 20 years.
Yet not a word from the so-called human rights activists. No outrage. No headlines. Just deafening silence.
Because it doesn't fit their narrative.
3 days ago | [YT] | 3
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Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
๐ฌ๐ง British Nationals Accused in Iran-Linked Plot Against RAF Base
๐จ BRITISH PASSPORTS. ALLEGED IRANIAN CONNECTION. A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY.
Two British nationals, Nouman Essghir and Mohmed Abdulkarim, both 24, have been charged following a suspected Iranian-linked operation targeting RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
According to prosecutors, three vans were allegedly directed towards the military base by an overseas handler known as โAliโ, believed to be acting in the interests of the Iranian state. Two vans contained petrol drums, and police were alerted after one of the men was told there was a bomb onboard. No explosives were found.
The allegations remain before the courts, and neither defendant has been convicted.
But this case raises a much bigger question about Britain's national security.
A British passport must never become a shield for those who assist hostile foreign regimes.
From my perspective, Britain needs tougher counterterrorism laws, stronger intelligence operations and mass deportation of foreign nationals involved in extremism where legally permitted.
And where dual nationals are convicted of serious national security offences, citizenship deprivation should be considered where the law allows.
Britain must stop being a soft target for hostile foreign powers.
๐ฌ๐ง National security first. No excuses.
Do you believe Britain is doing enough to protect itself from foreign interference?
#RAFfairford #Iran #UKSecurity #CounterTerrorism #BritishPolitics #UKIP #NationalSecurity
3 days ago | [YT] | 1
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Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
๐ฎ๐ฑ LET'S PLAY A GAME: GUESS THE LOCATION.
A. A mosque in Saudi Arabia? B. A gathering in Iran? C. Arab citizens queuing to vote in Israel?
The answer is C. Israel. Yes, the country they keep calling an apartheid state.
And here's the irony: these Arab voters could help determine Israel's next government, potentially giving Arab parties significant political influence.
As a Zionist, I find the prospect of Islamist parties becoming political kingmakers deeply concerning.
But the fact remains: Arab citizens vote, elect representatives and influence Israeli politics.
Some apartheid, isn't it? ๐ฎ๐ฑ
4 days ago | [YT] | 2
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Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
Israel Is an Apartheid State? Then Explain This! ๐ฎ๐ฑ
They call Israel an apartheid state. Yet Arab citizens vote, elect members of parliament, form political parties and can even help decide who governs Israel.
Meet Mansour Abbas, leader of Raโam, an Israeli Arab Islamist party with roots in the Islamic Movement.
His party previously joined an Israeli governing coalition. And depending on the election results, Arab parties could once again become important players in coalition negotiations.
Could Yair Golan and Yair Lapid find themselves relying on Mansour Abbas to form the next government?
As a Zionist, I have serious concerns about Islamist political influence. But the irony is impossible to ignore.
**A country accused of excluding Arabs from political power could have its next government shaped by Arab voters and their elected representatives.**
That doesn't settle every argument about Israel, but it certainly challenges the simplistic narrative.
๐ฎ๐ฑ What do you think? Should Raโam have a role in Israel's next government?
#Israel #IsraeliElections #MansourAbbas #YairLapid #YairGolan
4 days ago | [YT] | 2
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Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
๐ THE SLOW DEATH OF THE WEST
Civilisations don't always fall to invading armies. Sometimes, they collapse from within.
From suicidal empathy and uncontrolled immigration to open support for Hamas on European streets, the warning signs are becoming impossible to ignore.
But perhaps the greatest threat to Western civilisation is its own loss of conviction.
Rome once seemed eternal. It wasn't.
The question is no longer what is happening. The question is: WHO WILL STOP IT?
Do you believe the West can still reverse its decline?
#WesternCivilisation #Europe #Britain #WesternValues #PoliticalCommentary
6 days ago | [YT] | 4
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Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
DOUCE FRANCE, 2026 ๐ซ๐ท๐
Apparently these are just โschool students.โ
Europeโs media has become very good at euphemisms: gangs become โyouthsโ, riots become โunrestโ, and obvious failures of integration are softened until nobody is allowed to describe what they are seeing.
France has large communities with roots in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and elsewhere across North Africa. The issue is not ancestry โ it is whether integration still means adopting the laws, norms and civic culture of the country you live in.
If every problem is renamed instead of confronted, nothing gets fixed.
#France #Europe #Integration #Satire #Politics
1 week ago | [YT] | 9
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Paul Smith - Regional Affairs ๐ฌ๐ง
๐จ๐ฑ๐ง Hezbollah wants Lebanon to return its confiscated explosives.
All 780kg of them.
Marco Rubio has told Lebanon's president to refuse and investigate those responsible.
Apparently, Hezbollah thinks Lebanese security forces operate a lost-property department.
Terrorism, now with customer service.
1 week ago | [YT] | 1
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