𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢
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MENA Geopolitics Analyst & Human Rights Advocate | @CapitolInstitut | 🇳🇴/🇳🇱 ColdBrief: Sharp analysis, stories & insights from the Middle East. DM for media
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#Iran may skip the Pakistan negotiations entirely. Honestly? Not surprising. Iran thinks in decades! The West thinks in election cycles - four years max. That asymmetry alone makes Iran one of the most difficult negotiating partners on earth, and Washington keeps walking into it! We already saw it play out from January to March: Iran wasn't looking for an exit. They were running the clock. No military match for the US - and they knew it - yet they chose to prolong the war anyway. That's not irrationality. That's a completely different strategic horizon. #Trump's playbook hasn't worked. The threats, the blockade, the flip-flopping on Truth Social - none of it moves a regime that measures time in generations! So here's a genuine suggestion: bring in someone who actually understands Iran! Not another DC insider. His Excellency Adel al-Jubeir - #SaudiArabia's former Foreign Minister and long-serving ambassador - is arguably the world's most sophisticated non-Iranian analyst of Tehran's strategy, its military doctrine, and its regional terror networks. He's been watching this for decades. Washington needs to stop improvising!
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢609,506 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
After my song about Al-Sharaa went viral, many asked if I could make one inspired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I’ve spent the past week trying - and it wasn’t easy. I wanted to show respect, because true Saudi folklore is unique, deep, and not something you casually copy. So this isn’t traditional Saudi music - but it is inspired by its spirit, pride, and history. Here it is: “From the Sands to the Stars – The Saudi Story.” 🇸🇦✨
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢678,018 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
Time for some positive energy! Who delivers more momentum, ambition, and real forward motion than the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman? Vision backed by reform. Reform backed by execution! The future doesn’t wait. My latest: 2030 (State Builder) #MBS #KSA
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢280,102 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
Mazloum, it’s time to choose Syria over Qandil. You’ve already sacrificed more than enough Kurdish youth - over 12,000 lives lost for a PKK project that never belonged to Syria! Entire generations gone. And for what? Syria has bled for 14 years. It deserves a future, not another war dictated from the mountains. History will not remember statements - only actions. Be loyal to Syria. Stop taking commands from Qandil. Let Syrians decide Syria’s future! Qandil has no right to destroy a country in the name of the Kurds. Happy New year- never forget what happened to Syria while PKKs self administration was protected by Assad, Russia and the USA!
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢210,519 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
No, Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 shouldn’t be arrested in the UAE! Let’s be clear. Robinson is critical of Islamism and jihadist terrorism - not Muslims as people. Anyone who actually checks his X feed can find multiple examples where he has defended Muslims and pushed back against anti-Muslim extremism. His concerns about radical Islam in Europe are also far from controversial in the UAE. In fact, senior Emirati leaders - including Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan - take a much harder line against political Islam and groups like the Muslim Brotherhood than Robinson ever has! So let’s lower the temperature. Robinson being in the UAE isn’t a crime or a provocation. And emotional reactions - like the outburst from boxer Ty Mitchell - don’t change the facts. The UAE clearly separates Muslims from Islamist extremism! That distinction matters - and more people should learn it!
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢215,033 Aufrufe • vor 5 Monaten
I’ve always drawn a clear line between the PKK and the Kurdish people. Equating all Kurds with one of the most brutal terrorist movements on the planet is Kurdophobic! That position has become harder to defend now that Kurdish leaders like Talabani and Barzani openly support and empower the PKK. Yesterday, millions of Kurds across Europe demonstrated in support of the PKK in Syria- effectively telling the world: “We are all PKK.” That raises uncomfortable questions. If the PKK is so beloved, why did they come to Europe? The PKK has controlled Syrian Kurdish areas since 2011, and there has been no large-scale fighting there since 2015. For over a decade, supporters had the option to live under the movement they now glorify. So to every Syrian Kurd who joined these protests in Europe: what exactly did you flee? Not Assad. Not the PKK. The reality is this: there are now more PKK supporters living in Western societies than in Kurdish areas in the Middle East- and that will create serious, long-term consequences for Europe!
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢115,132 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
No secret that I'm a devoted supporter of Saudi Vision 2030. But what moves me most isn't the megaprojects or the economic numbers - it's that the vision carries a genuine desire for stability, progress and prosperity for the entire region. Not just Saudi Arabia. The whole region! It's been a couple of years since I visited the Kingdom. I think about it often. The warmth of the people, the pride in where they're going - it stays with you. Saudi Arabia has a special place in my heart. Always will.
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢31,067 Aufrufe • vor 1 Monat
Open Letter: Time to Designate the PKK–SDF as a Terrorist Organization To the governments of the Arab League, the European Union, and the United States, My name is Michael Arizanti. I am writing to state, clearly and publicly, that the time for ambiguity has passed. The facts emerging from Aleppo- supported by field testimonies, video evidence, and admissions from platforms speaking on behalf of the PKK–SDF- demonstrate a consistent pattern of terrorism, war crimes, and systematic abuse of civilians. Continued political hedging only entrenches impunity. Admissions and Terrorist Modus Operandi Public statements from outlets aligned with the PKK–SDF acknowledge the conduct of suicide operations. These tactics are indistinguishable from those used by internationally designated terrorist organizations and echo recent atrocities: the church bombing in Damascus, the attempted church bombing in Aleppo on New Year’s, and the killing of a Syrian security officer who intervened to prevent that attack. On methods alone, the PKK–SDF belongs in the same category of terrorism as ISIS. Use of Human Shields and Militarization of Civilian Infrastructure In Sheikh Maqsoud, Aleppo, armed groups affiliated with the PKK–SDF transformed civilian facilities into military positions. As Syrian Army units advanced and cleared most combat locations, remaining elements entrenched themselves inside hospitals and medical centers- using patients, medical staff, and displaced civilians as human shields. Credible reporting indicates a command center operating from tunnels beneath a hospital. This is a textbook violation of international humanitarian law. Abuses Against Civilians- including Kurds Intelligence reporting and field testimonies describe grave abuses: 📍Dozens of families assaulted while attempting to flee combat zones. 📍Ten Kurdish young men reportedly killed for refusing forced recruitment to fight the Syrian state. 📍 Homes of families who had already fled allegedly set on fire. These acts amount to coercion, collective punishment, and intimidation- directed not only at Arab civilians but also at Kurds- exposing the militia-based logic governing PKK–SDF behavior. Targeting of Civilians with Precision Weapons On January 8, 2026, in al-Ashrafiyah, Aleppo, evidence indicates PKK–SDF elements used thermal-equipped sniper systems to target unarmed civilians as they attempted to flee. Precision targeting of non-combatants constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law, violates the principle of civilian protection, and raises serious concerns of deliberate narrative manipulation to shift blame onto Syrian government forces. Legal and Moral Imperatives International humanitarian law is unequivocal: civilians must be protected; hospitals and medical centers must never be militarized; persons not participating in hostilities must not be targeted. These are binding obligations and moral duties owed to every innocent life. My Demands 1. Immediate designation of the PKK–SDF as a terrorist organization by the Arab League, the European Union, and the United States. 2. An independent, transparent international investigation into PKK–SDF violations in Aleppo, including the use of human shields, hospital militarization, forced recruitment, arson, and sniper attacks on civilians. 3. Concrete accountability measures—sanctions, asset freezes, travel bans, and legal proceedings against responsible commanders and facilitators. 4. Unambiguous protection of civilians and strict enforcement of international humanitarian law, without political exceptions or selective standards. Failure to act now signals tolerance for terrorism under a different label. Acting decisively affirms the universality of international law and the equal value of all civilian lives- Arab and Kurdish alike. History will judge this moment. Michael Arizanti
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢103,577 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
Yesterday, Israel-backed Captagon kingpin Hikmat al-Hijri (since militias under Hikmat al-Hijri took control of #Suwayda, drug trafficking to #Jordan has surged by 325%) called for self-determination for the '25th' time since the fall of the Assad regime. I can tell you right now - it will never happen!
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢14,879 Aufrufe • vor 17 Tagen
Kurdish areas only. In these areas, PYD / SDF have generated around $25 billion from oil, cotton, and wheat - on top of over $60 billion in EU and U.S. aid. Revenues from Arab regions like Deir Ezzor are not included, not even aid from Arab nations. So where did the money go? Not to roads. Not to infrastructure. Not to healthcare or education. Not even to basic services like waste management - Kurdish towns resemble open dumps! Yes, some funds went into tunnels and fortifications. But tunnels cost millions, not tens of billions! Had these resources been used to serve people and rebuild communities, PKK could have built something even better than Erbil! Instead, they built control - not society. That’s the real scandal! And it needs to end! I filmed this footage in 2021. What you’re seeing was already bad - and the situation has only become worse since!
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢82,576 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
When I was in northeast Syria, our driver used to joke: “If the SDF digs one more tunnel from Amuda to Semalka, all of ‘Rojava’ will end up underground.” He said he was just waiting for the roads to collapse. Turns out it wasn’t a joke. It’s happening now!
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢64,542 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
In 2016, you lobbied for Erdoğan. Today, you lobby for Netanyahu. Do you have any opinions of your own? You were - and rightly so - one of the first politicians to point out that the SDF is, de facto, the PKK. You’ve seen the reports: SDF war crimes, terror attacks, and the kidnapping of children. And yet you still support them. How do you sleep at night? Your president President Donald J. Trump : #MAGA
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢63,813 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
Dear Lindsey Graham -your premise is false! There is no military action against Syrian Kurds. What is being confronted is a foreign-directed militia apparatus - the PKK / SDF - that operates outside the Syrian state, enforces parallel rule, and has repeatedly violated signed agreements! Equating Kurds with PKK/SDF is not solidarity - it is political erasure! Kurds are citizens of Syria. The SDF is an armed transnational organization that answers to Qandil, not Damascus, and uses Kurdish civilians as political shields! The actual destabilizing factor is not the state asserting sovereignty - it is the entrenchment of an unaccountable militia that: 📍runs parallel governance, 📍blocks integration into national institutions, 📍launches attacks after agreements are signed, 📍and deliberately provokes escalation to trigger foreign pressure. No sovereign country - none - is expected to tolerate a parallel army inside its borders! Demanding that Syria do so is not about stability or human rights. It is about freezing the country in permanent fragmentation! Threatening to revive sanctions for dismantling armed non-state actors does not defend civilians. It rewards militias, terrorism, incentivizes defiance, and prolongs conflict! If enforcing territorial integrity is now grounds for punishment, then the message is clear: Syria is not being judged on its actions - but on whether it submits to militia rule. That standard is not peace. It is managed instability - and it has already failed! People are so happy to be freed from SDF today, share their joy!
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢61,259 Aufrufe • vor 4 Monaten
I’m honestly exhausted by the myth that PKK/SDF/PYD - whichever label they hide behind today - are “democratic.” So I decided to do something about it. For the past weeks I’ve been working on a track exposing the reality of the PKK’s so-called self-administration in northeast Syria. It’s not finished yet, but here’s a demo. Let’s be crystal clear: there is nothing democratic about the PKK or the SDF. Not in structure, not in practice, not in their record! Enjoy the demo - the finished version will be ready by the end of this month.
𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢72,021 Aufrufe • vor 6 Monaten
