Shaniyat Turani

Shaniyat Turani is an investigative journalist reporting on how U.S. foreign policy, militarism, and colonial violence shape the lives of Indigenous and marginalized communities. His work combines firsthand testimony and on-the-ground reporting, with a focus on the Global South, occupied territories, and communities impacted by U.S. power. In 2024, he reported from Lebanon during the Hezbollah–Israel war and from Palestine for Mondoweiss, documenting Israeli military violence and territorial expansion, and later published an investigation into covert U.S. weapons shipments routed through JFK Airport to Israel during the war in Gaza. In March 2026, he reported with Graystak Media from Cuba on the impact of U.S. sanctions on patient care in Cuban hospitals. His reporting has also examined refugee rights, displacement at the U.S.–Mexico border, and the broader systems shaping international relations. His work has been featured by The New York Times, VICE News, and MintPress News, and he serves as Senior Editor at The Bengal Gazette. A U.S. Marine veteran raised in public housing in Queens, Turani served six years (2011–2017) as a Field Radio Operator before running for U.S. House of Representatives in New York’s 5th Congressional District in 2020. He received a master’s degree in International Relations from New York University in 2025, where he specialized in U.S. foreign policy, military arms sales, and U.S. politics. He also previously captained the India National Rugby League team and competed with the USA Rugby League squad in World Cup qualifiers.