Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Paradise before the flames

A sumptuous fantasy illustration of a dark-haired Middle Eastern woman standing barefoot in an opulent palace chamber, her arms wrapped tightly around herself in a gesture of fear and vulnerability. She wears ornate rose-coloured jewellery and matching briefs, while long crimson, violet, and sapphire silks stream dramatically around her. The richly decorated room is filled with embroidered cushions, gilded vessels, incense, and intricate Persian carpets beneath a mural depicting a phoenix confronting a dragon. Beyond an elaborate arched window lies a magnificent city of domes, minarets, and distant mountains, where a hooded falcon and a red-crowned crane stand tethered by delicate crimson cords. The contrast between the lavish surroundings and the woman's distressed expression evokes themes of captivity, uncertainty, and fragile resilience.
image generated via ChatGPT

At what point do we officially consider this a wider Middle Eastern war? Conflagration: US and Saudi fighter jets target Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, while the Iranians attack a US base in Jordan. {NYT 29 July}

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/28/world/iran-us-strikes-iraq-trump?unlocked_article_code=1.1VA._45q.S7aIn9qmA8k9&smid=url-share

FTA: The scope of the war in the Middle East widened on Wednesday, as American and Saudi fighter jets attacked Iran-allied militias in Iraq, Iran fired missiles at bases in Jordan used by U.S. forces, and an American-owned tanker in an Egyptian port was set on fire in an apparent drone strike.

The spate of attacks ended a pause in direct fighting between the United States and Iran. Since the collapse of a cease-fire between the United States and Iran this month, Iran-linked groups across the region have opened new fronts and reopened old ones, embroiling forces in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the war that until recently had been contained to countries along the Persian Gulf.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.