On July 18, 2026, investigative journalist Matthew Vadum appeared on Al Qahera News, one of Egypt’s leading 24-hour news channels, to discuss the rapidly escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, including recent Iranian attacks on Kuwait and the broader implications for the Middle East. The show is in Arabic, but YouTube auto-dubbed the video into English and gave Vadum a female voice (maybe because the interpreter was female).

In the program Midday, hosted by journalist Hager Jalal, Vadum addressed the military dimensions of the conflict. Key points included:

•  The significant buildup of U.S. refueling aircraft at Israeli airports (Ben Gurion and Ramon), returning to pre-war levels — a clear indicator of potential imminent escalation.

•  The possibility of strong airstrikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, Revolutionary Guard assets, and power plants.

•  Iranian recklessness and failure to honor the terms of the recent memorandum of understanding (MoU), prompting a firm U.S. response under President Trump.

Vadum emphasized that while diplomacy remains an option, Iran’s aggressive actions — including missile and drone strikes on Kuwait, a close U.S. ally hosting thousands of American troops — demand strong deterrence to protect regional stability and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

“This escalation is on its way now, and this is not surprising because Iran was reckless and did not cooperate regarding the terms of the memorandum of understanding,” Vadum said.

“The Iranian position is that the United States is the one that did not cooperate, and this is an arguable point. But it seems that the United States is about to escalate its war against Iran again.”

Here is a short clip and a longer clip from the show: