Mat Nashed

For months, I spoke to 3 Sudanese women about the #Sudan war. In anticipation for the 1 year mark of this devastating war, I tried to tell the story of the country through their eyes. Here is my attempt below. My long read for @AJEnglish aljazeera.com/features/longf…

While the #Iran war has paralyzed global commercial aviation and thrown the Gulf into crisis, the #UAE's covert weapons pipeline to the RSF in #Sudan was disrupted for *only 4 days.* lemonde.fr/afrique/articl…

Kind reminder: Israel murdered 270 journalists in #Gaza and murdered Shereen Abu Akleh in May 2022.

I talked to two Israeli sources on why Iranian launches continue to increase, despite US-Israeli claims that they have destroyed almost all of the launchers. Here is what they said: 1) The 90–95% drop in volume claimed by CENTCOM earlier in the month was probably a temporary lull as Iran repositioned its remaining launchers into hardened sites. Independent satellite analysis suggests that a significant portion of the "80% destruction" claimed by the IDF actually hit high-fidelity decoys. 2) Despite fewer launchers, the lethality per strike has increased. Iran's shift to cluster warheads has allowed a single missile to impact multiple locations simultaneously, compensating for the lower volume of launches 3) Iran has successfully set up mobile, underground units able to fire at steady rates. Iran used that quiet period to move their remaining ~100-120 heavy launchers into "Super-Hardened" facilities 4) Iran is utilizing its Zolfaqar and Dezful road-mobile launchers. These units move from hardened tunnels to pre-surveyed launch spots, fire, and return underground in under 10 minutes, often before coalition drones can re-task for a strike. 5) Because these launching units are decentralized, it is very hard for US and Israeli intelligence to get info on them. Israel and the United States do not have an answer to this problem. That is why they are trying escalation on energy sources instead. But that is backfiring.

The administration now faces a stark choice—one it can no longer avoid. A. Use force to reopen the strait, knowing full well that any strike on Iran’s energy infrastructure will trigger retaliation. This is not a limited operation. It’s escalation—potentially rapid, and potentially uncontrollable. There are no half-measures here: if Washington wants the strait open, it will have to fight for it. B. Accept reality, cut losses, and pursue a deal with Tehran over the terms of access. Politically unpalatable? Absolutely. But when global oil flows and the stability of Asian markets are at stake, strategic necessity tends to override rhetoric. What last night made unmistakably clear is this: there is no clean solution. No surgical fix. No easy win. The longer the administration pretends otherwise, the higher the cost will be #IranWar‌

This really isn't a flex. It reads as callous and tone deaf: The fact is tons of granular, human and important stories are going untold because WP fired all the journalists who have the relevant sources/expertise in the region now engulfed in war. Not hard to see.

Reporting from Tyre, outside an electricity company building destroyed last week in an Israeli strike, killing one of its employees. Until now, Tyre had been a safe haven for 1000s of displaced people. Despite Israeli threats, residents told us they do not want to leave the South. “We’ve had enough of displacement.”

A grim milestone: The death toll in Lebanon surpasses 1,000. 1,001 people have been killed and 2,584 wounded by Israeli strikes over 17 days. — 118 children killed — 79 women killed — 40 medics killed Per the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Once a civilian building is abandoned—it is no longer being used for military action, and there is no intent (purpose) to use it again—it is no longer a military objective. Strikes like these are best understood as punitive acts, like home demolitions in the West Bank.

This war is pulling in Sudan's neighbours more and more: Chat to the West and Ethiopia to the east.

"Israel.. is attacking any infrastructure.. which they think Hezbollah might use. Hezbollah is not just a military org, its a political party, a social movement.. [they] might use any infrastructure.. the Israelis have today attacked 2 bridges.. that potentially is a war crime"

I swear I’m not even exaggerating - 80% of my life problems atm are cus I have a Sudanese passport. Career, education, safety, travel bans, heck even opening a darn bank account is almost impossible. The world is simply telling us Sudanis we don’t deserve a place in this world.

How the war on Iran could impact Sudan's conflict @matnashed's latest for @The_NewArab's Analysis Desk, with key insights from @KholoodKhair @baldozer09 & @HamidMurtada newarab.com/analysis/how-w…

My latest for @The_NewArab on how the illegal Israel-US war on Iran could impact #Sudan 's own civil war. newarab.com/analysis/how-w…

That's the entire point of killing him: to ensure there are no pragmatic alternatives.

Shoutout to #Lebanon’s broadcast journalists who are on-camera around the clock, day after day, and who make sure to acknowledge their camerapeople by name in just about every broadcast. They are working in dangerous, difficult conditions

As it broadens its invasion in southern Lebanon, Israel is now kidnapping Lebanese who remained in their villages. It abducted a man in Kfarchouba before releasing him later today. Reminder that Israel is still holding Lebanese in prisons, including civilians, some of them kidnapped after the 2024 ceasefire.

They are declaring another Nakba.

Do analysts think they get credibility points and appear more sober the more dystopian their "scenarios" are? It's like there's a competition on who can write the best script for our death and destruction. #Lebanon

The poor people of #Bara. Not only do they now face the wrath of the RSF - again - but everytime the city changes hands its civilians are accused of collaborating with whichever group lost it and met with violence. Again this is a #WarAgainstCivilians #KeepEyesOnSudan #Sudan

#Israel announces the official beginning of its ground invasion of #Lebanon - seeks now to depopulate the entire area south of the Litani river- or 10% of #Lebanese territory & home to some 300,000 - 400,000 people spread over more than 150 villages and towns.