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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced at an American Jewish leaders’ gathering that Israel aims to phase out U.S. military funding within ten years and build a fully autonomous defence industry. The goal would reshape procurement, shift fiscal burdens to Israel, and alter the leverage and dynamics of the U.S.-Israel security partnership.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly set uncompromising conditions ahead of a new round of US–Iran talks, demanding the dismantling and removal of Iran’s uranium‑enrichment infrastructure rather than merely a pause. He also insists on the complete disarmament of Hamas and signalled a desire to end US military aid to Israel after the current package expires in 2028.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to accelerate Britain’s move to spend 3% of GDP on defence, stressing that Europe must be prepared to fight and that UK security remains bound up with the Continent. The vow aims to reassure NATO allies and domestic audiences, but its strategic value will depend on execution, procurement, and cooperation with European partners.

The United States has accelerated deployments to the Middle East ahead of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva, repositioning aircraft from the UK, moving equipment to Jordan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and extending troop rotations. Washington’s actions are meant to pressure Tehran and prepare for possible military contingencies, but they raise escalation and regional-risk concerns.

A U.S. B‑52 joined Philippine aircraft in a South China Sea patrol from Feb 2–6, prompting five days of Chinese sea and air counter‑patrols. The episode illustrates how diplomatic outreach between Washington and Beijing can coexist with, and even be shadowed by, intensified military competition in the region.

Delegations from Russia, the United States and Ukraine met in Geneva on 17 February for tripartite talks hosted by Switzerland. While public details are sparse, the format suggests discussions on humanitarian issues, security guarantees and confidence‑building measures, with major disputes over territory and sanctions likely to constrain outcomes.

The 62nd Munich Security Conference exposed a quieter, deeper rift between the United States and Europe over the distribution of security responsibilities and the future of the Western order. European leaders publicly signalled a push toward greater strategic autonomy even as they remain materially dependent on US security guarantees, while civil society protests underscored domestic opposition to expanded militarisation.

Adani Group announced a $100 billion investment through 2035 to build AI‑optimised data centres powered by renewable energy, one of India’s largest private digital‑infrastructure pledges. The plan aims to meet surging demand for AI compute while reducing carbon intensity, but realization will depend on financing, grid upgrades, storage and supply‑chain partnerships.

Palestinian Ambassador Jawad celebrated his first Lunar New Year in China, using the occasion to emphasize deepening China–Palestine ties amid Beijing’s broader outreach to Arab states. His remarks—set against a $100 million Chinese pledge for Gaza reconstruction and the upcoming China–Arab Summit—underscore China’s growing diplomatic and humanitarian role in the Middle East.

The United States has moved additional air and missile-defence assets into the Middle East and repositioned aircraft from the UK ahead of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva, signaling pressure and preparing for possible military options. The surge aims to strengthen bargaining leverage but increases the risk of miscalculation and regional escalation with wide economic and strategic consequences.

Iran’s IRGC navy held major drills in the Strait of Hormuz on February 17, 2026, with its commander saying the force could close the strait rapidly if necessary. The exercise is a calibrated display of asymmetric maritime capability designed to deter adversaries and exert leverage, while full closure would be costly and escalatory for Tehran.

Apple is accelerating development of three AI-focused wearables — high-end smart glasses, a clip-or-necklace pendant and camera-enhanced AirPods — that rely on Siri and visual context awareness while remaining tethered to the iPhone. The company aims to start production on its glasses prototype by December 2026 with a 2027 launch, and is also expanding AI into home devices; success hinges on major improvements to Siri, privacy safeguards and consumer acceptance.

Elon Musk has opened a candidate public beta of Grok 4.2, requiring users to opt in and inviting public feedback. The model claims a new fast‑learning capability and will receive weekly updates accompanied by release notes, accelerating xAI’s iterative development approach but raising questions about safety and oversight.

Anthropic released Claude Sonnet 4.6, a model that can perform multi-step computer tasks like filling web forms and coordinating across browser tabs, and claims better resistance to prompt injection attacks. The upgrade accelerates practical automation while raising new security and governance challenges as AI agents gain control of interfaces.

Apple is rapidly developing three AI-focused wearables—a pair of smart glasses, a clip-or-necklace pendant and more capable AirPods—each built around a visually aware Siri and integrated tightly with the iPhone. The initiative signals Apple’s ambition to lead multimodal, AI-enabled consumer hardware while navigating technical, privacy and regulatory hurdles.

The United States has redeployed aircraft, extended troop rotations and sent more air‑defence systems and a second carrier strike group into the Middle East ahead of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva on 17 February. Washington intends the posture to squeeze Tehran at the negotiating table while retaining the option of military action if diplomacy fails, a gambit that raises the risk of regional escalation and market disruption.

A Chinese report says that after Tehran signalled a possible US move away from military action, President Trump issued a one-month ultimatum and the US sent a second carrier group to the Middle East. The combination of hardline deadlines, naval deployments and a volatile regional context raises the risk of miscalculation with serious implications for energy markets and global stability.

A firm reported buying 2,486 bitcoins for about $168.4 million, bringing its holdings to 717,131 BTC with a total spend of roughly $54.52 billion and an average cost of $76,027 per coin. The move underscores growing corporate adoption of bitcoin but raises questions about market concentration, accounting, and financing risks.

The US has sent 18 F‑35A fighters from RAF Lakenheath to the Middle East with tanker support, marking one of the largest recent F‑35 movements to the region. The deployment is a calibrated show of advanced airpower intended to deter Iran but carries risks of escalation and logistical strain.

U.S. F-16s scrambled twice on 15 February to investigate high-altitude objects over northern California and Nevada; NORAD later determined the contacts were meteorological balloons and not a threat. The response underscores persistent post-2023 sensitivity to unidentified aerial objects and the operational burden of distinguishing benign payloads from hostile surveillance.