• Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed Italy will maintain military support for Lebanon's army even after UNIFIL's mission ends this⁠ year, calling President Joseph Aoun "the right person to ensure stability."
• Italy officially requested in Dec⁠ember 2025 to keep forces in southern Lebanon after UNIFIL withdraws, with Lebanon welcoming the proposal to help maintain border security.
• The bilateral mission focuses on training the Lebanese Army, which Tajani says will "in turn disarm Hezbollah" as part of strengthening state authority.
• Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Stefania Craxi will host a Feb⁠ruary 23 press meeting on Lebanon with Ambassador Carla Jazzar and Italian parliamentarians.

Why it matters: Italy's commitment signals European confidence in Lebanon's new leadership and provides a potential security bridge as international peacekeeping transitions.

• German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit Beirut on Feb⁠ruary 16, marking a significant diplomatic engagement given Germany's historical mediation role in Lebanon.
• Germany coordinated with Hezbollah during the 2006 war as a mediator with Israel, with former liaison chief Wafic Safa working with German officials on prisoner releases.
• A German naval contingent participates in UNIFIL, and the visit may address the safety of German forces amid regional tensions.
• European affairs expert Dr. Zakaria Hammoudan notes the visit is "more about morale and economics rather than politics" but acknowledges Germany's vital intelligence capabilities.

The bigger picture: Germany's diplomatic engagement reflects Europe's broader strategy to maintain influence in Lebanon as regional dynamics shift post-ceasefire.

• The CIA released a new video targeting disillusioned Chinese military officers just weeks after Beijing's dramatic purge of top general Zhang Youxia, second-in-command under Xi Jinping.
• CIA Director John Ratcliffe said previous videos reached "millions" of Chinese citizens and inspired "new sources" despite China's internet restrictions.
• The fictional officer in the video warns that "anyone with leadership qualities is bound to be subject to suspicion and ruthlessly eliminated" within China's military hierarchy.
• The campaign follows Beijing's years-long crackdown on military corruption that has hit the upper echelons of the People's Liberation Army beyond Zhang's removal.

Zooming out: The spy recruitment campaign highlights escalating U.S.-China intelligence warfare as both powers compete for strategic advantage in what many call a new cold war.

• Sheikh al-Hajari in Syria's Sweida province publicly declared Druze as "part of Israel's system" after Israeli airstrikes protected his community from Syrian government forces in Jul⁠y 2025.
• Israeli flags and Netanyahu photos appeared in demonstrations at Karama Square in Aug⁠ust 2025 and again on Feb⁠ruary 1, 2026, marking unprecedented pro-Israel sentiment in Syrian politics.
• The region renamed itself from Jabal al-Arab to Jabal Bashan using biblical terminology, while forming independent security forces led by former Syrian army officers.
• Two sheikhs, Raed al-Matni and Saber Falhout, were killed under torture after being accused of treason by pro-Israeli factions within the community.

The bigger picture: Israel's strategy of protecting minority communities creates new regional dynamics that could reshape post-Assad Syria's territorial integrity and sectarian balance.

• French parliament's law committee approved the Yadan law on Jan⁠uary 20 criminalizing calls to destroy recognized states and expanding anti-terrorism incitement rules to include "implicit" encouragement.
• The law targets anti-Zionism as a form of anti-Semitism, with prison sentences from 5 to 7 years and fines between 75,000 and 100,000 euros for violations.
• French human rights commission raised concerns about "prosecuting intentions" and restricting legitimate geopolitical debates, while Jewish French citizens signed petitions opposing the legislation.
• Deputy Caroline Yadan represents a constituency where Israeli voters comprise 40% of the electorate, raising questions about electoral motivations behind the proposal.

What to watch: The law's passage could set precedent for similar legislation across Europe, potentially reshaping how criticism of Israeli policy is legally treated.

• American forces completed an "orderly departure" from the Al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria on Wednes⁠day after 8 years of operations against ISIS forces since 2016.
• About 1,000 US troops remain in Syria, with some Al-Tanf personnel repositioned to a Jordanian base across the border as part of Trump's Western Hemisphere focus.
• Syrian government forces took control of the strategic base located along the Baghdad-Damascus highway near the intersection of Iraq, Jordan, and Syria borders.
• US Central Command reported attacking "more than 100 targets" and capturing or killing over 50 ISIS fighters in the past two months alone.

Zooming out: The withdrawal reflects broader American strategic realignment as regional powers fill security vacuums left by reduced US military presence across the Middle East.