Lost in Headlines | Analysis of Iran, the Middle East & Global Affairs

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How Did We Get Here?

Media and Society

How Did We Get Here?

Whilst disinformation and malinformation have always been with us—arguably since the creation of language itself—misinterpretations in social discourse, or in modern terms misinformation, historically had a much smaller impact on societies, as it travelled slowly by word of mouth and was rarely a decisive factor—especially in times

OSINT in Authoritarian Environments

Intelligence Analysis

OSINT in Authoritarian Environments

Open-source information in authoritarian contexts cannot be approached with the same frameworks often applied in more open or democratic societies. The surface may look similar—videos, statements, local news—but the structure beneath is entirely different. In places like Iran, public data is rarely just there. It is shaped, constrained,

The Critical Role of Timelines in Intelligence Work

Intelligence Analysis

The Critical Role of Timelines in Intelligence Work

Over the past few years, open-source intelligence—OSINT—has moved from the margins into a more visible, even popular space. What was once a niche practice is now being picked up across a wide range of disciplines, from journalism and human rights to academic research and digital activism. This growth

Revolutions Don’t Need WiFi

Revolutions Don’t Need WiFi

As I have written before, the West has a habit of viewing Iranian society through a lens of selective optimism—a deep desire to see in it a reflection of its own values, especially among the Iranian middle class. But this hopeful framing often extends to how events in Iran

Plastic Wings; Real War

Plastic Wings; Real War

Imagine if Ukraine, through the use of a highly advanced and undisclosed technology, managed to render every Russian tank unusable overnight. No explosions, no drone strikes, no smoking wrecks—just silent, intact machines rendered unusable, permanently inoperable and beyond repair. The machinery sits silent across the battlefields, in bases or

How Information Becomes Actionable Intelligence – Part 2

Intelligence Analysis

How Information Becomes Actionable Intelligence – Part 2

As promised, in this article we are going to create a framework for transforming information into actionable intelligence. As you may know, most intelligence work begins with a question, a requirement, or a general direction which guides the information collection process through appropriate channels and for specific purposes. Here, however,

How the West Misunderstands Iran’s Middle Class - Part 2

How the West Misunderstands Iran’s Middle Class - Part 2

In a previous article, I examined a single paragraph from a piece by the respected Iranian-American scholar Abbas Milani, aiming to shed light on how the West continues to misread Iran’s middle class—a group that may, in fact, hold the key to shaping Iran’s, and by extension

How Information Becomes Actionable Intelligence – Part 1

Intelligence Analysis

How Information Becomes Actionable Intelligence – Part 1

If you are new to the Intelligence Community—or have not worked as an investigative journalist in the past, for example—it is unlikely you would already have a solid framework for consuming information with the explicit aim of producing actionable insight or intelligence. This article—part of a series—

Yemen Is Iran’s Testbed for Future Conflict with the U.S.

Yemen Is Iran’s Testbed for Future Conflict with the U.S.

Western media has long perpetuated a simplistic image of the Houthis as incompetent insurgents: fighters in sandals and no fatigues, with ageing AK-47s in hand—the same aesthetic that once defined coverage of Taliban combatants in Afghanistan. But despite sustained U.S. bombardment, the Houthis not only remain capable of

Behind The Fog Machines

Intelligence Analysis

Behind The Fog Machines

Truth—deceptively simple in definition yet endlessly complex in philosophy—has always carried an unexpected practicality, one that is often mischaracterised or poorly grasped in public discourse. This specific function has shifted across epochs and now, in the digital age, morphs into new shapes even faster. For the casual media

How the West Misunderstands Iran’s Middle Class - Part 1

How the West Misunderstands Iran’s Middle Class - Part 1

The Iranian middle class is often discussed as a political force within Iran—conveniently imagined as highly aligned with Western values—but, in my opinion, seldom understood on its own terms. Whilst I intend to write separately about why Western definitions of social class do not map cleanly onto Iranian

Rethinking Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World

Rethinking Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World

For much of modern history, foreign policy has operated within a reductive binary — states are cast as allies or adversaries, their relations defined by peace or war. Such framing may have worked out just fine in the rigid architectures of the Cold War, but it is increasingly inadequate in an