Six years after Sheraton Move, is Anwar safe?

Six years after Sheraton Move, is Anwar safe?

Wong Chin Huat
Published: Feb 24, 2026 7:00 PM
Updated: Feb 25, 2026 12:04 AM



COMMENT | Six years ago today, the first non-Umno government collapsed after Bersatu pulled out from Pakatan Harapan and 11 PKR MPs quit PKR. Dr Mahathir Mohamad tactically resigned but failed to come back to power again.

Exactly three years and three months ago, Anwar Ibrahim started his premiership and has surpassed his three immediate predecessors, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Muhyiddin and Mahathir in duration.

Given the prime minister's 10-year tenure limit that he is introducing and expected to be passed, Anwar would not last longer than 10 years (interregnum excluded). This would practically block the return of Najib Abdul Razak, who had served nine years and one month.

Holding a parliamentary super-majority of 153 seats (69 percent), Anwar can serve until the end of the 15th Parliament, Dec 18, 2027, if he does not seek early dissolution. There is no imminent risk of midterm collapse for Anwar, as Mahathir inflicted on himself.

To surpass Abdul Razak Hussein, Hussein Onn, and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in duration, he would have to win the GE16. Harapan must win a clear plurality over other blocs, not just for the whole of Malaysia, but in Peninsular Malaysia too, where it won 75 seats in 2022.

To be safe, Harapan needs to win over 70 peninsula seats. Can Anwar do it? This column examines several factors.

Opposition disarray

On the surface, some would say it is a no-brainer. Under the Madani government, Malaysia is now enjoying both economic growth and political stability. In contrast, Bersatu is split, with now 11 out of its 31 MPs ousted from the party, and Perikatan Nasional is in decline and might be operationally reduced to PAS.

PN is the fifth opposition coalition that sank into decline or demise after losing one or two general elections.

The list started with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s two-in-one bloc, Gagasan Rakyat-Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah, which folded up in 1995 and 1996, Anwar’s first vehicle Barisan Alternatif, which was effectively dormant by 2004, Anwar’s second vehicle Pakatan Rakyat, which officially ended in 2015, and BN, which was practically reduced to peninsula Umno after 2018.

Beyond the personality factor, opposition coalitions disintegrated or declined because once the prospect of winning or returning to power is lost, the incentives for component parties to stick together gradually disappear.

The diminishing electoral prospect can even be personal when opposition lawmakers are denied constituency allocation to help needy constituents.

Built over six decades by Umno, Malaysia’s winner-takes-all and patronage-heavy political structure systematically depletes the losers to ensure a dominant party.

Ethnic tensions

However, dominance does not ensure stability. What do you do if you are an opposition party with no chance to win power? You focus on winning seats by electrifying your communal/regional vote bank, who are more responsive to identity issues than policy matters.

In its heydays, BN - Umno and its non-Malay allies - were simultaneously accused of selling out the Malay-Muslims (by PAS) and marginalising the minorities (by DAP).

In the 22 months after GE14, Umno and PAS formed Muafakat Nasional and attacked Harapan on ethnicity, religion and language, riding the anti-Icerd wave and later benefitting from Harapan’s mismanagement of the Jawi issue, which alienated both the Malays and non-Malays.

Hence, it would be naïve to think the GE16 would be a walk in the park for Harapan and its allies. If the opposition is convinced that they have no chance to win votes and seats beyond their hardcore supporters, then the most rational strategy is to make GE16 a negative competition with smears and hatred, making it hard for a centrist government to play its balancing act.

The goals are simple: (a) getting the non-Malays and liberals to think they are being taken for granted by Anwar (so that they might abstain), (b) getting more Malays to feel threatened or just irritated by DAP or non-Malays (so that they might vote PN or abstain), and (c) getting middle ground voters to get frustrated or disillusioned (so that they too might abstain).

And what better issues than Hindu temples and pig farms? Expect these two to continue hogging news headlines, unless Anwar seriously finds solutions to “de-weaponise” them.

Corruption and reform

For voters who see beyond or are less affected by ethno-religious tension, the trust deficit is now centred on MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki and the separation of the attorney-general and public prosecutor.

The cabinet’s decision to form a committee headed by Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar, who was personally involved in the withdrawal of charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to investigate only Azam’s shareholding in public listed companies but not allegations of MACC’s collusion in economic extortion, suggests extremely poor political judgment or worse, extreme political arrogance.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki

If the allegations are true, this is not just about Anwar using a tainted man to pursue corrupt politicians and generals; it is about allowing the MACC top brass to turn the anti-graft agency into an extortion racket, akin to allowing police to control the underworld.

With Azam linked to Anwar’s former aide and widely perceived money man Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, and to the GRS Sabah state government, a for-show-only investigation is pushing reform-minded voters and decent businesspeople to the corner.

Voting for Anwar in GE16 would be incredibly difficult for them because “the evil” would not be visibly “lesser”.

Azam’s scandal is structural, not personal. He is a powerful unelected officer appointed by and answerable only to the prime minister. As long as he is a “court favourite”, he can act with little restraint. And as long as he does the prime minister’s bidding, he can stay powerful.

This incentivises a structurally symbiotic relationship between the prime minister and the MACC chief commissioner and the resulting institutional decadence.

Another powerful yet unaccountable high office is the attorney-general, whose power is constitutionally enshrined under Article 145. This is why Malaysians demand the separation of AG and PP, and this is why the Constitutional Amendment Bill on Article 145 horrifies reform advocates and experts.

The AG-PP separation, if passed in the current format, would not create an independent and Parliament-accountable office of public prosecutor. It would only create a new unelected office whose officer bearer has the potential to be another monster who preys on citizens and businesses, hounds the enemies of his/her political master, or both.

Instead of an appointment with parliamentary input and exclusion of executive influence, the public prosecutor would be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) and after consultation with the Conference of Rulers.

The chronic problem with the attorney-general is not resolved but repackaged with even more complications.

First, the new composition of JLSC includes the attorney-general (as long as s/he is not an MP), who represents the executive interest in the appointment of the public prosecutor, who, in turn, gets to influence the appointment of lower court judges and high court registrars.

Second, the appointment by the king might be construed as discretionary, which then risks exposing the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to suspicion, distrust, and attacks that any prime minister faces for holding the power to effectively appoint the attorney-general.

This is politicising and undermining the constitutional monarchy as a key pillar of Malaysia’s parliamentary democracy.

A simpler and better option would be splitting the JLSC into two separate commissions for the judicial and prosecutorial services and granting Parliament a filtering role in the PP nomination and an ongoing scrutinising role in prosecutorial conduct, as civil society groups and experts suggest.

Ditch Umno’s majoritarian playbook

Notwithstanding significant reform initiatives, including the prime minister's 10-year tenure and the AG-PP separation, Anwar appears to have been employing much of the old playbook in Umno’s statecraft, from discriminating against opposition parliamentarians to covertly maintaining executive control even in the separated office of the public prosecutor.

Umno’s old playbook embodies majoritarianism and power concentration, which have both led to corruption and Umno’s ouster on one hand, and fuelled Malays’ communal anxiety on the other hand.

If Anwar wants to win his second term, he must ditch the old playbook and deliver true reforms that can better stabilise Malaysia’s politics. If that playbook had worked for Mahathir for the first time for 22 years, it did not last him beyond 22 months for the second time. Malaysia has moved on.

Anwar has been bold enough to introduce the 10-year tenure limit, something which Mahathir would never do; he must now move further from Mahathir’s shadow.

He shoul immediately put Azam on leave, appoint Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat to lead a truly independent panel to investigate all allegations against Azam and refer the constitutional bill on AG-PP separation to a Parliamentary Select Committee for refinements.

That’s how he may reclaim the reformasi brand and not let it become Rafizi Ramli’s.

WONG CHIN HUAT is a political scientist at Sunway University and a member of Project Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Projek Sama).

Snap Elections! After Hari Raya

OPINION | Snap Elections! After Hari Raya


24 Feb 2026 • 7:00 PM MYT



Koo Wee Hon
Wacky retiree writing abt sanity, democracy, the environment, fun & travel

GE16-Snap election after Hari Raya. Credit -ChatGPT AI generated.


If ever there was a good time for Anwar Ibrahim to call for a snap election, it will be after Hari Raya. Here are the whys and wherefores.

Bersatu is a broken party with the sacking of Hamzah who claims to have the support of 19 Bersatu MPs out of 25. It will take a long time for Bersatu to recover and regroup , likely not in time for a snap election this year.

PAS is rudderless with an unwell and lackluster Hadi and lacks any other capable leaders of note to take over. They rely on outsiders like Hamzah to voice their policies and debate with the government.

DAP’s special congress on 12 July to decide of its role in government. With about three months after Hari Raya, there is enough time to dissolve Parliament and call for elections and preempt the decision. Going by the Sabah elections, DAP could be for a hiding again.

Redelineation exercise for Sabah and Sarawak by the Election Commission is due after March 2026 and could likely increase east Malaysian states. This could spell problems of concocting a simple majority for Anwar so he has to move for a snap election before the redelineated seats are passed in Parliament.

Melaka, Sarawak and Johor are widely speculated to have state elections earlier in 2026. Anwar would not want a repeat of the Sabah election. To avoid another embarrassing and disastrous defeat, he will have to call for national elections before these states.

UMNO will be launching a fresh appeal to the Agung in 2026 for Najib Razak who has been a bane to Malay support for Anwar in 2026. Anwar must risk and hope that UMNO does badly and not gain additional Parliamentary seats, then the appeal will likely falter.

The economy is reported to have done better at 5.2% growth against the 4-4.8% forecasted.

The Malaysian Ringgit has strengthened and has dropped below RM4 against the US Dollar. It has also strengthened against the Singapore Dollar, much to the consternation of Singaporeans.

Unemployment rate held steady at 2.9% in December 2025, remaining lowest since November 2014.

The investigation into Azam Baki shareholding allegation has just started . There are fervent cries by PKR MPs and the people to investigate too into how he acquired millions to buy the shares based on his civil servant salary.

Now it gotten worse for Azam as Bloomberg has claimed a “ corporate mafia” known to Azam and run by “Section D” to alter control of targeted companies

The shareholding allegation investigation conducted by the Attorney General will most likely be a whitewash and exonerate Azam from any wrongdoing.

But the other two allegations now in Rafizi Ramli and the people’s radar will be much harder to ignore or whitewashed away.

Anwar will need to call for a snap election, hopefully win it and then throw Azam under the bus and be rid of someone who seems to have a hold over him.

The Budi Madani Ron 95 subsidized petrol at RM1.99 was launched successfully and many are happy with it except Singaporeans.

The two SARA (Sumbangan Asas Rumah) programs of RM100 launched on 31 August 2025 and 9 February 2026 have certainly cheered many Malaysians and put the government in high esteem.

Akmal Saleh has not been throwing tantrums and tirades lately since perhaps there is not much flag hanging taking place . Anwar will hope Akmal will clam up his mercurial tendencies and rantings until after the snap election. He can do without having to walk on a knife edge issuing statements to calm fears and angst of non-Malays while still reassuring the position and entitlement of Malays in response to Akmal’s scalding religious and racial verbose.

Anwar has done reasonably well on the international scene especially with helping negotiate the Thai- Cambodia conflict and supporting the Palestinian cause.

Thailand and Japan elections have seen the incumbent ruling party and Prime minister retaining power with a bigger majority.

Mahathir Mohamad appears to have stopped heckling Anwar, possibly on doctor’s orders to reduce stress and getting over excited.

Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah is PKR’s vice president and could benefit from a snap election by giving her a safe PKR Parliamentary seat and become an MP.

She will obviously be appointed a Minister and be anointed successor in chief to her father in PKR and possibly PM if father and daughter play their cards right.

Apart from the likely possibility of UMNO deserting Anwar at election time, there seems little else that going is against a snap election.

If Anwar waits for full term till 2028, Bersatu and PAS may recover, DAP may renegade, the economy and ringgit may falter, Azam’s other investigations may go south and Anwar may be dragged down for protecting him, and of course, the country may be hard-pressed for more SARAs.

That’s a lot of maybes to agonize over and battle against and if Anwar don’t strike while the iron is hot , it could see his downfall and Nurul too.

He must call for a snap election after Hari Raya when currently most of his auspicious stars of good reasons are aligned and to cement his legacy and start his dynasty .

Trump’s top general desperately trying to warn against war with Iran: Report

Trump’s top general desperately trying to warn against war with Iran: Report


General Dan Caine has warned that a war with Iran could deplete the power of the United States’ military

Owen Scott

Tuesday 24 February 2026 12:24 GMT


Trump threatens 'bad things will happen' to Iran in Board of Peace speech




One of President Donald Trump’s top generals has warned the commander-in-chief not to launch air strikes against Iran, according to reports.

The president has repeatedly threatened military action against Ayatollah Khamenei's regime over concerns about the country’s nuclear enrichment capabilities.

However, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has reportedly said that the massive amount of resources needed to go to war with Iran could leave the U.S. Military greatly depleted.


Sources told Axios that Caine, who was a proponent of the United States’ capture of the now deposed Venezuelan Dictator Nicholas Maduro, believes that the stakes are too high when it comes to the Middle East nation.

One source described him as a “reluctant warrior,” stating that Caine was not advocating for strikes on Iran but would support any decisions that Trump makes.



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General Dan Caine has reportedly warned Donald Trump to not launch air strikes against the Iranian regime (AP)


Trump, though, told followers on Truth Social that Caine believes a war with Iran could be “easily won.”

“General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see War but, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a Military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won,” he wrote.

In his post, the president also described an article by The Washington Post as “100% incorrect.”

The newspaper had reported that Caine expressed concerns about the United States’ munitions stockpile being depleted by the country’s support for Israel and Ukraine’s defense.

Caine also expressed concern in separate meetings about the scale of a potential war with Iran, with the general warning that the campaign could be made more difficult by a lack of allied support, The Post reported.

Caine is the only military leader advising Trump on the attack, according to Axios, although a Joint Staff spokesperson refused to give the publication any details about the exact details of the pair’s discussions.


“In his role as military advisor to the President, Secretary of War, and National Security Council, the Chairman provides a range of military options, as well as secondary considerations and associated impacts and risks, to the civilian leaders who make America's security decisions,” Joint Staff spokesperson Joe Holstead told Axios. “The Chairman provides these options confidentially.”


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Trump has warned Ayatollah Khamenei to abandon any potential plans to enrich nuclear material (Office of Iran's Supreme Leader)


Officials told The Wall Street Journal that the president has yet to make up his mind on sending U.S. troops to topple Khamenei's regime. However, those same officials said that Caine’s advice is highly likely to influence his decision-making.

Amid rising tensions with Iran, the U.S. has established the largest amount of airpower in the Middle East since the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. An aircraft-carrier strike group has arrived in the region, with a second carrier stationed in the Mediterranean Sea.

A former defense official told The Washington Post that knocking out Iran’s missile program would require strikes against hundreds of targets across the country.

Many launch sites are mobile and use transportation networks to move around Iran, which is three times the size of Iraq.

Unseating Ayatollah Khamenei would expand the range of targets to thousands of sites, locking the United States into a campaign that could possibly last for months, according to the official.

Trump and Iran’s government have been mired in a bitter deadlock over nuclear deal talks, with Steve Witkoff telling reporters that the United States hoped to ensure that the Middle Eastern country abandons any potential plan to enrich nuclear material.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS News that his country was not prepared to make such a deal.

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Tensions in Iran have continued to build, with protests erupting at several universities (WANA)

Now, both countries are barrelling towards last-ditch efforts to come to an agreement ahead of a meeting between the nations in Geneva on Thursday.

Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, will represent the U.S. in the discussions.

Iran’s government is also in a precarious position, following waves of protests across the country in December and January.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says that at least 7,000 people were killed in the subsequent crackdown against the protests.

A fresh wave of anti-government protests broke out on Saturday, with students holding demonstrations at a slew of Iranian universities.

The BBC has verified that at least eight universities in Tehran hosted protests over the weekend, with further demonstrations taking place in Mashhad and Isfahan.

Some students were seen burning the flag of the Islamic Republic, while others brandished the nation’s former flag, which was used before the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Chants of “Death to the Ayatollah” were also heard.

Malaysia’s gangster state

Murray Hunter


Malaysia
Malaysia’s gangster state


Feb 24, 2026







It doesn’t matter which government is in power gangsterism will prevail.

When Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government would focus on recovering money lost to corruption, rather than prosecuting the corrupt, “VVIPs” rejoiced. Anwar confirmed that “(I) have no interest in jailing people” and thus if one gets court, there will be a process to come to an agreement on how much to return to the government.

This announcement has effectively encouraged those in positions of authority to deceive, misappropriate, money launder, abuse power, or just steal public funds without any fear of incarceration. In effect, Malaysia is a gangster’s paradise, at least for “VVIPs”. The more influential you are, the less chance of any punitive action against you. Corruption is now very profitable with little risk. If you get caught just pay back some portion of the funds that were stolen and go and steal more money.

“VVIPs” have been waiting for proof of concept. That came with former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Ismail Sabri is a suspect in a money laundering probe involving RM 700 million of government funds linked to his “Keluarga Malaysia” campaign during his tenure as prime minister. Raids on his houses netted RM 169 million in gold, currency, and other valuables. On September 8, Ismail Sabri said in the Sessions Court he would not contest the MACC forfeiture of RM 169 million, believed to be a tactical move to avoid any prosecution (by mutual arrangement).

Former prime minister Ismail Sabri certainly wont be joining former prime minister Najib Razak at Kajang.

With no formal charges laid against Ismail Sabri, it looks like the gates are now open in Malaysia. Expect “VVIP” crime to just go on completely unhindered from now on. The government has now developed an alternative legal path for “VVIPs” that differs from the usual criminal charging, court trial and prison time, if they are found guilty.

This is “VVIP” law. Others like Ahmad Zahid Hamidi saw their charges dropped, suggesting the AGC is onboard with this new “VVIP” policy.

The extent of gangsterism within the Malaysian state is now very evident with the recent exposes of corruption within the very organization that is tasked with curtailing corruption in Malaysia, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). he MACC was established in 2009 to investigate and prevent graft and abuse of power under the MACC Act 2009, allegations of internal misconduct have emerged, raising questions about its integrity. These claims primarily focus on high-level officials, including Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, rather than widespread systemic issues across the entire agency.

Recent investigations and reports suggest that corruption may involve abuse of authority for personal or external gains, such as facilitating corporate takeovers or unexplained wealth accumulation.

A February 2026 Bloomberg investigation alleged that some MACC officers, potentially with involvement from senior leadership, collaborated with a network of businessmen (dubbed a “corporate mafia”) to pressure company executives and seize control of firms. This reportedly included harassment tactics like raids and investigations to force share sales at discounted prices or settlements benefiting specific investors.

Victims described these actions as “intimidation” and “harassment,” with one claiming MACC was used as a tool to extract concessions. The report linked this to at least three company cases, implying a pattern of regulatory extortion.

Malaysia has now come of age as a fully-fledged gangster state. If you are a “VVIP” there is no need to worry about going to prison. If you are anyone else, you must be concerned about persecution, bullying or even having a bomb placed under your car, have drugs and imitation pistols placed in your car and then be thrown onto death row, or have men in black come and abduct you in broad daylight. If you are a whistleblower, you might be framed and criminally charged while the corrupt go free, or just killed in a drive by shooting.

Such is the nature of a gangster’s paradise.

Heavy rains flood Gaza tents as Israel kills two more Palestinians

Heavy rains flood Gaza tents as Israel kills two more Palestinians

Palestinians across Gaza are living with inadequate shelter as they brave the winter months with little protection

Palestinians navigate a flooded street in the al-Mawasi area of ​​Khan Younis, Gaza, February 24, 2026 [Abdallah F S Alattar/Anadolu Agency]

By Al Jazeera Staff and Anadolu
Published On 24 Feb 2026

Palestinians across Gaza have woken up to heavy rains that flooded their makeshift tents as they brave the winter with little to no protection.

The enclave was hit by a winter storm late Monday through Tuesday – the first since the start of the holy month of Ramadan – with Gaza’s civil defence units reporting multiple distress calls overnight.

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Rescue teams provided emergency assistance to several families whose tents were flooded in the al-Mawasi camp west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Areas west of Gaza City, particularly the Remal neighbourhood and the port area, were also hit hard.

Videos circulating on social media showed flooded tents in Remal, as residents struggled to find solutions to prevent further damage.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued to kill Palestinians in Gaza in violation of a “ceasefire” reached with Hamas in October.





As the enclave battled the aftermath of the rains, the Israeli military killed two people, including a boy, in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya area. The details of those killings are awaited.

“It’s not only the fact that aid is not entering, but also [that] Israel continues violating the ‘ceasefire’, continues to kill Palestinians,” said Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Gaza City.

More than 600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the United States-brokered “ceasefire” came into effect, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Israel launched its genocidal offensive in Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounding 171,000 others as it turned the enclave to rubble.


‘Catastrophic’ conditions

Tens of thousands of Palestinian families are living in makeshift tents, unable to withstand heavy rains and exposed to waterborne illnesses and the risk of hypothermia.

United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said the situation remains “catastrophic”.

Since December, a series of winter storms have flooded or blown away tens of thousands of tents and caused already damaged buildings, previously hit by Israeli attacks, to collapse, killing and injuring dozens of Palestinians.

Some have died from extreme cold in their flimsy tents as Israel continues to block the entry of aid shipments and shelter materials, including tents and mobile homes.

Despite the harsh weather, Israel is maintaining its restrictions on the entry of critically needed humanitarian aid.

Al Jazeera’s Khoudary said thousands of Palestinians denied permission to travel abroad for urgent medical treatment were “homeless, because they do not have any houses to return to, as the Israeli forces destroyed most of their houses”.

 

Military Watch:

France Refuses Key Rafale Technology Transfers to India and Restricts Autonomy: Will it Boost the Russian Su-57’s Appeal?

South Asia , Aircraft and Anti-Aircraft

Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff

February-23rd-2026

---

Rafale (left) and Su-57 Fighters

French sources have reported that India has been refused access to the source code governing the Rafale fighter’s main electronic systems and its electronic warfare suite, including the SPECTRA defensive aids package, as the sale of up to 114 of the aircraft remains under discussion. This follows India’s cancellation of a prior agreement to procure 126 Rafale fighters in the 2010s in large part due to the limits of the technology transfers which French negotiators were willing to offer, with only 36 fighters having been ordered. These restrictions will directly impact the Indian Air Force’s long-term operational freedom should it proceed to procure the aircraft, preventing the service from fully modifying them or integrating future upgrades or indigenous armaments. Every significant change or customisation would require coordination and approval from Dassault Aviation, Thales, and other French-based firms.

Rafale Fighter

Although the Indian Air Force accepted restrictions on its previous 36 Rafales, should it procure an additional 114 fighters the aircraft would be the second most widely fielded in its fleet, behind a fleet of over 270 Su-30MKI heavyweight fighters procured from Russia. Although France has been able to a gain considerable market share or the Rafale abroad in large part by imposing far fewer restrictions on how it is operated and allowing greater autonomy than other Western fighter producers, in particular the United States, the constraints which it has imposed have been far less flexible than those put in place  by Russia, which remains its primary competition for Indian fighter orders. While other clients for the Rafale have not faced Russian competition, due to Western Bloc political pressure which has locked Russian fighters out of key markets from Indonesia to the United Arab Emirates, India’s resilience to sanctions threats has posed a challenge to French efforts to market the aircraft. 

Indian Air Force Su-30MKI (front) and Rafale Fighters

Russia’s assent to very considerable autonomy in operating, modifying, and indigenising production of the Su-30MKI was a primary factor leading the Indian Air Force not only to plan a large fleet of over 150 aircraft, but also to expand it, with over 220 Su-30MKI fighters having been produced under license in the country after 50 were supplied by Russia. The fighters have extensively integrated both Indian and third party subsystems and weapons, from local Astra radar guided air-to-air missiles to British AIM-132 infrared guided air-to-air missiles and Israeli SPICE guided bombs. The fighters are currently planned to be modernised with the integration of an indigenous Indian active electronically scanned array radar in the early 2030s.  

Rafale Fighter

While the Rafale’s technologies are valued by the Indian defence sector, which has struggled to develop its own ‘4+ generation’ fighters and relies heavily on foreign technological inputs, the Russian Defence Ministry in June 2025 was reported to have made an unprecedented offer to provide full access to the source code of the Su-57 fifth generation as part of a license production deal. This would place Indian Su-57s entirely in a league of their own among fighters of their generation in their levels of customisability and the degree to which they can integrate indigenous technologies. Director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev in December alluded to the possibility of this reaching the stage of a fully joint program, providing the Indian defence sector with joint ownership of key technologies. This has drawn a stark contrast to French restrictions on technology sharing and operational autonomy. 

Su-57 Delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces in February 2025

It was confirmed in February 2025 that a license production deal for the Su-57 was being considered, while the Indian Defence Ministry in January 2026 confirmed that these talks had reached an advanced technical stage. With France and the wider Western world remaining in a state of intense conflict with Russia, and working to starve its defence sector of revenues, there remains a strong incentive to present the Indian Defence Ministry with a more attractive offer to procure the Rafale. This would divert funds to French industry, which would otherwise likely finance larger scale Su-57 procurements. Delays to the development of the indigenous AMCA fifth generation fighter program in India have fuelled speculation that the Su-57’s appeal will continue to grow, with the possibility of a very high level of indigenisation of the Russian origin fighter making it particularly attractive. 

Largest U.S. Military Mobilization Since 2003 Iraq War to attack Iran - all for Israel the Wankee Master

Tuesday, February 24, 2026


Largest U.S. Military Mobilization Since 2003 Iraq War: Is Donald Trump Set To Greenlight War With Iran?

By Sumit Ahlawat
-February 23, 2026



‘Amateurs study tactics; professionals study logistics,’ is a well-known military maxim. History is littered with instances where poor logistics failed a tactically capable force.

Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia and Hitler’s 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union both failed due to poor logistics, not poor tactics.

If there is one piece of evidence that leaves no doubt that the Iran-U.S. War is certain, it is this: Washington’s focus on logistics.

While the U.S. force mobilization in the Middle East is the biggest in decades, the focus on logistics suggests that the US is preparing for a sustained campaign against Iran, not a one-off strike like last June, during ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ when seven B-2 Bombers, accompanied by F-22s and F-35s, bombed three Iranian nuclear sites.

The scale of the force mobilization, including hundreds of flights by military transport aircraft and tankers, building an “air bridge,” utilising dozens of C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes and KC-46 aerial refuelling tankers to move thousands of tons of munitions, field hospitals, and support equipment, deployment of an unprecedented number of AWACS and Electronic Warfare aircraft, and amassing of air defense assets in the region clearly establish that the objective is more than political signaling.

“The firepower will provide the US the option of carrying out a sustained, weekslong air war against Iran instead of the one-and-done ‘Midnight Hammer,” US defense officials told the Wall Street Journal.

Image for Representation.


Meanwhile, according to Robert A. Pape, the Founding Director of the Chicago Project on Security & Threats (CPOST), the US’s current force mobilization in the Middle East accounts for 40-50% of the deployable US air power worldwide.


US’s Unprecedented Force Mobilization In The Middle East

The US has already assembled the greatest amount of air power in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the force mobilization is still underway.

The US is sending a massive number of jet fighters, including the cutting-edge stealth fighters F-22 Raptor and F-35s, F-15s, F-16s, and F/A-18 Hornets, as well as support aircraft, such as C-17A and C-130 Hercules cargo planes, KC-46 Tankers, WC-135R Nuclear sniffer, RC-135 SIGINT, E-3 Sentry AWACS, and ground support aircraft A-10 Thunderbolt.

According to Robert Pape, open-source intelligence analysts and flight-tracking websites have tracked nearly 160 flights by C-17A cargo planes, 18 by Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, and numerous by C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft.

These cargo flights have transported thousands of tonnes of munitions, air defense batteries, field hospitals, and other support equipment needed to sustain a military operation lasting several weeks.

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US military flights have dominated our most tracked flights list this week. See a time lapse of flights since Monday and how you can access the most tracked flights panel in the Flightradar24 app.

6:08 AM · Feb 20, 2026

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OSINT analysts have also tracked multiple flights by KC-135 & KC-46 Tankers. The US has established an air bridge across the Atlantic with these tankers, enabling fighter jets such as F-15s, F-16s, F-22s, and F-35s to fly thousands of miles.

Military Air Tracking Alliance, a team of about 30 open-source analysts that routinely analyzes military and government flight activity, said it has tracked more than 85 fuel tankers and over 170 cargo planes heading into the region in mid-February.

The US has also deployed several special-purpose aircraft, such as the Lockheed Martin HC-130J Combat King II, a specialized, four-engine turboprop aircraft used by the US Air Force for personnel recovery, helicopter aerial refueling, maritime surveillance, search and rescue (SAR), and specialized missions.

One WC-135R Nuclear Sniffer has been deployed to Mildenhall, UK. The WC-135R detects atmospheric radioactivity, usually monitoring for nuclear weapons tests or accidents.

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The U.S. Air Force continued to operate a major airbridge to the Middle East over the last 24 hours, moving in additional tankers, air defense assets, and fighters as the U.S. prepares for conflict with Iran.

4:09 PM · Feb 20, 2026

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Three E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft have been deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.


The E-11A, based on the Bombardier Global 6000/BD-700 business jet, is designed to act as a high-altitude “Wi-Fi in the sky” communications relay.

Three E-3 Sentry AWACS have been deployed to Mildenhall, UK.

One RC-135 SIGINT, specializing in near-real-time detection, identification, and geolocation of adversary communications and electronic emissions, has been deployed to Chania, Greece.

Six EA-18 Growlers, an advanced carrier-based electronic warfare (EW) aircraft, have been deployed to Muwaffaq Salti air base in Jordan.

The US has also deployed more than 24 F-15 Eagles, more than 35 F-35s, F-22 Raptors, F-16s, and A-10 Thunderbolt ground-attack aircraft.

The US has also deployed Patriot and THAAD air defense systems to its military bases in the region. Iran is anticipated to launch a barrage of missiles on Israel and US military bases in the region in case of a US attack, and thus, Washington is boosting its air defense assets in the region.

Besides, hundreds of US fighter jets are also deployed on the two aircraft carriers.

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group (CSG) has been deployed in CENTCOM since January. Meanwhile, earlier this month, President Trump also ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford, its newest and largest aircraft carrier, to be deployed to the region.

On board these two aircraft carriers are over 200 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18 Growlers, MH-60 Seahawks, F-35C, and E-2D Hawkeyes.

The US Navy has 13 ships in the region, including nine destroyers equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles and capable of defending against ballistic missiles, as well as an unspecified number of submarines.

The US already had nearly 40,000 troops deployed to its 18 military bases in the region. The two aircraft carriers also have over 10,000 US troops, bringing the total to over 50,000.

All this is in addition to the Israeli Air Force, which is already the region’s strongest air power.

With these assets, the US could easily sustain an offensive air campaign against Iran for several weeks.

The US military buildup is technically the region’s largest since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, even though the resources moved for the war dwarfed current assets, said Michael O’Hanlon, a defense and foreign policy analyst at the Brookings Institution.

O’Hanlon suggested that the US could simply use long-range B-2 bombers, as it had in June, if it wanted only to strike what’s left of Iran’s nuclear program. The forces in place now are clearly designed to attack targets in Iran and to defend against retaliation.

However, it must be noted that the US deployed more than 500,000 troops during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s and roughly 250,0000 American forces in Iraq in 2003.

This time, however, the US is only focusing on amassing air and naval assets in the region, with no corresponding surge in ground troops.

This suggests that the coming military operation will primarily be an air campaign and will not involve boots on the ground.

While this is no surprise, given President Trump’s well-known aversion to putting boots on the ground, it remains debatable to what extent the US could achieve its objectives against Iran only by an air campaign.

The US has four broad objectives in Iran: Dismantling Iran’s nuclear program, degrading its missile capabilities, forcing Tehran to disband its proxy network in the region (Hamas, Houthis, Hezbollah), and regime change in Tehran.

While Iran might be willing to accept some compromise on the nuclear issue, as well as on its support for its proxies, there is very little chance of Iran offering any concessions on its missile program or regime change talks.

“If what Trump really wants to do is affect the regime and set back its ability to use missiles to attack American bases, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf States, it would probably have to be an intense operation that would last weeks or possibly months,” said Eliot Cohen, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“It seems that the Trump administration has decided that it is going to attack Iran again, and I presume in conjunction with the Israelis. What the objectives are, we have yet to see. Can it be contained? Will others be drawn in? These are all really important questions, and we don’t have answers,” said Barbara Slavi, distinguished fellow at Stimson Center.

The US has already spent billions of dollars in transporting these assets to the region, and since Iran is unlikely to offer Washington any substantial concessions, a US-Iran war is now highly likely.

The only question is how long this air campaign will last.

Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from the University of Sheffield, UK.

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Billions spent - all for Israel the Wankee Master

But I hope the wanks will at least have the toilets on the USS Gerald R. Ford, its newest and largest aircraft carrier, repaired. We don't want shit being dumped into the Mediterranean of Indian Ocean, wakakaka.