Time for Trump’s Gaza Takeover Proposal To Die Once and for All March 31, 2025
The ceasefire in Gaza is now over. Where to go from here to bring peace is again an open question. One idea that needs to die for good, however, is President Donald Trump’s proposal to takeover Gaza and move all Palestinians out. The administratio...
Trump’s Middle East Policy Faces Crucial Tests March 31, 2025
The Trump administration faces challenges in Gaza, Iran, and Ukraine while conducting airstrikes on the Houthis and addressing tensions in Syria and Israel. ...
Al Jazeera Challenged by the Gaza Street March 29, 2025
A political earthquake shook Gaza this week. Its tremors continue to reverberate. Protests demanding the end of Hamas’s governance of Gaza and holding it responsible for the destruction of the enclave began in Beit Lahiya and have expanded to Khan Yo...
Israel’s Deep State Is Worse Than America’s March 27, 2025
For left-wing elites in Jerusalem and Washington, ‘saving democracy’ means rule by a rogue judiciary and intelligence services ...
Taliban Reject Trump’s Call To Surrender Captured u.s. Arms March 27, 2025
On 1 March 2025, after his first Cabinet meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump said the Taliban should return the equipment the U.S. abandoned in Afghanistan as it withdrew in August 2021. ...
America’s Space Strategy in a Changing Middle East March 26, 2025
The geopolitical landscape is shifting beneath our feet as the United States recalibrates its global strategy. This strategic pivot carries profound implications not just for conventional U.S. military force posture throughout the globe, but for an o...
How Campus Activism on Israel-Palestine Warps Global Security Priorities March 24, 2025
Thanks to university-driven activism over the Israel-Palestine conflict, the war in Gaza has politically sidelined the West’s commitment to global security in other regions of the world.Israel-Palestine is one of the few conflicts that inspires activ...
Western Leaders Should Think Twice Before Removing Foreign Dictators March 22, 2025
Libya. Iraq. Syria. All were countries that suffered under the decades-long reign of brutal dictators. All have been swept up into anarchic spells of violence and terror after the West moved to overthrow those dictators. With last weekend’s news of t...
Dear President Herzog March 22, 2025
You know that my love for Israel is deeply ingrained in both my body and soul. I have covered its wars. I have spent my life defending its people and its army against hatred and slander. ...
Gaza Could Get In the Way With Iran Talks March 21, 2025
Do US President Donald Trump and his advisers have a comprehensive strategy for the Middle East, or are they engaged in ad hoc efforts to put out the fires that continue to burn in the region? This is an important question brought to the fore by the ...
How to Match Ends and Means in the Middle East March 19, 2025
For years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States enjoyed superpower status in a unipolar world. Its economy roared, and its military power went unmatched. When it came to pursuing its goals, Washington had to contend with few obsta...
Trump Should Resist Another America-Last War in the Middle East March 18, 2025
In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump made clear that he wants history to remember him as a “peacemaker and a unifier.” In his telling, “we will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end—and perhap...
What Trump’s Latest Houthi Strike Really Means March 18, 2025
The administration has a broader geopolitical agenda—one that includes countering China’s economic leverage, particularly Beijing’s reliance on Iranian oil. ...
Is Turkey Playing Both Sides of Sudan’s Civil War? March 17, 2025
Ankara’s involvement in Sudan indicates its foreign policy is bereft of any values and willing to ignore sanctions intended to deter continued bloodshed. ...
Congress Should Pass the Antisemitism Awareness Act March 17, 2025
Much ink has already been spilled on the antisemitism crisis plaguing the United States. As the new Trump administration seeks to crack down on antisemitism on university campuses, Congress should finally pass legislation which treats the subject wit...
The Promise of the Egyptian Plan for Gaza March 15, 2025
In a press conference with Jordanian King Abdullah in February, U.S. President Donald Trump touted his proposal that the United States should seize control of Gaza, empty it of its roughly two million residents, and redevelop the territory as a touri...
Oman Is Supporting the Houthis March 14, 2025
Oman cannot have it both ways—it cannot benefit from American friendship and assistance while enabling a crisis in the Middle East. ...
U.S.-Saudi Cooperation Could Fortify Critical Mineral Supply Chains. March 13, 2025
President Trump returned to office facing a weakened defense industrial base, strained by the Ukraine war and threatened by China’s grip on critical inputs. Dependence on competitors like China for materials that power essential commercial and milita...
Learning the Right Lessons From Iraq and Afghanistan March 13, 2025
Our Middle East failures do not represent the true legacy of American foreign policy. ...
Give Them a Voice: Many Gazans Desperately Want to Emigrate March 12, 2025
Last week, the United States and Israel rejected the Arab League proposal for reconstruction of Gaza. The Arab leaders’ plan was a response to President Trump's call to facilitate the migration of Gazans to countries of refuge following the devastati...
Trump Must Tread Lightly With Arab Leaders March 12, 2025
If the primary goal of the Trump administration is to quickly address issues in the Middle East and prevent further wars and instability, placing additional pressure on Arab countries might actually backfire. ...
Iran Could Lose Iraq March 11, 2025
Ever since its revolution in 1979, Iran has cultivated a network of proxies and friends throughout the Middle East. For years, this strategy proved successful. Slowly but surely, Tehran’s “axis of resistance” gained influence in Iraq, Lebanon, and Sy...
How Hamas Got a Ceasefire and Released No Hostages March 10, 2025
Hamas appears to be able to secure de facto ceasefires for Ramadan each year and not have to ever do anything in return. ...
Iraq’s Plan To Transform Its Economy Is a Risky Bet March 10, 2025
Iraq’s Development Road aims to reduce dependence on oil by turning the country into a key trade corridor between Asia and Europe. ...
Is a New Middle East Forming? March 07, 2025
While the region remains a powder keg in many ways, it is clear that regional elites are ready to focus on cooperation and development. ...
Trump’s China Policy: A Complete Unknown? March 04, 2025
Only one month in, the foreign policy moves of the Trump Administration in Europe, the Middle East, and North America indicate that radical, tumultuous change, marked most notably by major reversals in long-standing U.S. stances, could be the norm ov...
PA Would Face Numerous Obstacles To Run Gaza February 17, 2025
Fatah spokesperson Maher al-Namoura says the Palestinian Authority is ready to govern and rebuild Gaza as ceasefire talks and discussions on the strip’s future continue. ...
The Fatal Flaw of the New Middle East February 17, 2025
Over the last 15 years, the Middle East has been racked by war, destruction, and displacement. ...
Russia and China Could Benefit From Trump's Gaza Plan February 14, 2025
The plan risks alienating Arab American voters, strengthening anti-U.S. sentiment in the Middle East, and reducing Washington’s credibility. ...
Trump & Iran: Same Pressure, Different Region February 14, 2025
As Donald Trump retakes the helm as president, he confronts one of America’s enduring Achilles heels—the Middle East, a region rife with seismic political and security upheavals. Adding to the recent activity in the region, Israel has recently receiv...
Europe’s Moment for Decisive Action on Ukraine February 13, 2025
While US President Donald Trump’s early foreign policy moves have been focused elsewhere in the world—from the Middle East to the Americas—Russia’s war in Ukraine is fast moving to the top of the agenda....
No Priorities, No Vision, No Peace in Trump's Plan February 12, 2025
The proposal for a US takeover of Gaza would disrupt almost every foreign policy objective the new US administration has in the Middle East. ...
Trump Has Backed Hamas Into a Corner February 12, 2025
Donald Trump’s second meeting with a Middle Eastern leader in the Oval Office – this time with King Abdullah of Jordan – was even more striking than his first with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. If last week’s encounter signalled a seismi...
The Houthis Have Paused Attacks—for Now February 12, 2025
While the Gaza ceasefire has temporarily halted the Yemeni rebel group’s attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea, they still pose a growing problem for regional security. ...
A Serious, Brilliant, Timely Vision for Gaza February 12, 2025
This past Tuesday evening, President Trump shocked the world when, in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he announced that the United States would take over Gaza, clean it up, and make it the "Riviera of the Middle East." ...
Why the Trump Administration Is Fixated on Latin America February 12, 2025
For decades, experts have accused American presidents of neglecting the Western Hemisphere in favor of faraway conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Both Republicans and Democrats have carried out a policy of either “benign” or “malign” neg...
Can Post-Assad Clashes in Syria Be Stopped? February 11, 2025
Finding common ground with Turkey will be critical to Syria’s transition. ...
Who Really Wants ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ in the Middle East? February 11, 2025
If you marched on demos saying ‘Crush Israel’, then you can hardly complain about Trump’s mad vision for Gaza....
To Stop Antisemitism, Find the Source February 10, 2025
People aren’t born antisemetic; they learn to hate Judaism from their surrounding culture. To counteract the rapid spread of antisemitism in the West, we must identify the source of its influence in our societies. Here are a few points to understand ...
Syria’s Lingering Lebanon Problem February 10, 2025
Syria’s government has only a handful of leftover Syrian regime equipment, such as old tanks that date from the 1990s or the Soviet era. ...
Suggestions for U.S. Success in the Middle East February 10, 2025
Soon, you will be traveling to the Middle East — a region where U.S. interests in energy, trade, security, artificial intelligence and countering China all converge. And your recent success in Panama sets expectations of more gains. ...
'Two-State Solution' Is a Middle East Unicorn February 10, 2025
After the sickening evidence produced on October 7, Trump is the first world leader to take a hard and honest look at Gaza and conclude: These people, right now, are just destined to detonate. Let’s build something, instead. ...
Trump Gaza Proposal May Impede Efforts With Saudi Arabia February 10, 2025
President Donald Trump’s proposal to displace all Palestinians from Gaza has complicated his efforts to secure the normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, according to Middle East analysts, but it is too early to conclude that his idea...
The U.S. Cannot Ignore China's Desire for a Naval Base in South Africa February 08, 2025
The Trump administration’s Monroe Doctrine inspired pursuit of a sphere of hegemonic influence in the Western hemisphere faces the vulnerability that it has left the entry point to the South Atlantic, the literal backdoor to that sphere, unguarded. ...
Trump Is Serious About Shaking up the Middle East February 08, 2025
Many Americans and allies in Europe and the Middle East woke up this morning confused and shocked to learn of US President Donald Trump’s declaration that the United States will “take over” the Gaza Strip, and its approximately two million inhabitant...
Iran and Trump May Head Toward a New Deal or Conflict February 07, 2025
The economic and geopolitical pressure on Iran is set to increase in 2025, with renewed U.S. sanctions, nuclear tensions, and the risk of conflict with Israel and the U.S. ...
A Paradigm Shift for the Middle East February 07, 2025
The Middle East that U.S. President Donald Trump faces today features dangers and opportunities that were not present when he first took office, eight years ago. The greatest dangers are Iran’s advances toward nuclear weapons and the close relationsh...
Trump’s Riviera Would Tear the Middle East Apart February 07, 2025
Only Donald Trump can unselfconsciously talk about one of the world’s most obstinate political and humanitarian crises in terms of its real estate opportunities. Only Trump could be taken seriously while doing so. And so here we are. ...
The End of ‘Palestine’ February 06, 2025
Yesterday, President Donald Trump single-handedly collapsed the most destructive idea of the last hundred years—Palestine. ...
Gaza Hostage Releases Are Not a Victory for Hamas February 05, 2025
The Hamas victory celebrations and use of the hostage handover to parade hostages, has led to anger in Israel. ...
There’s No Way Back in the Middle East February 05, 2025
There was a time in Israeli politics when the idea of population transfer—the mass displacement of Palestinians—was so toxic that it was met with universal condemnation. Even within Israel's fractious and divided political system, there was a line th...
5 Arab-Israeli Peace Agreements February 04, 2025
When President Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House on Tuesday, their conversation will focus on a Middle East where Israel’s stunning military prowess — supported by its American patron — has tilted the balance...
Europe and Gulf States Can Help Syria February 04, 2025
Across the Middle East, states are vying to influence the political transition in Syria following the Assad regime’s collapse. Neighbouring Turkey is set to be especially influential. But the Gulf Arab states also have strong views about what should ...
Trump’s Middle East Moment January 28, 2025
When President Joe Biden announced on Jan. 15, 2025 that the United States had successfully brokered a fragile ceasefire and phased hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas, he underscored how the cessation of violence could open the doorway for reg...
Can Trump Make a Deal for Middle East Peace? January 25, 2025
It’s Trump’s proclivity for deal-making and no mess I’m holding on to for progress toward a Palestinian state...
Trump Has a New NATO—in the Middle East January 24, 2025
In December, the United Kingdom joined the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement. More countries will follow. C-SIPA, as the still-small grouping is known, could soon become the NATO of the Middle East. ...
It’s Trump’s World Now To Win or Lose January 23, 2025
President Trump is taking the country down a very different geopolitical path. The yet-to-be-determined future of the Land of Oz lies ahead, especially in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. ...
No One Won the War in Gaza January 22, 2025
After 15 months of agony, the potential Gaza ceasefire comes as a colossal relief not just for Palestinians and Israelis, but for the wider Middle East. ...
The Fallacy of the Abraham Accords January 22, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to cement his legacy in the Middle East were well underway even before he reclaimed the White House. ...
Trump is Already Shaping America’s Middle East Doctrine January 21, 2025
The overall picture emerging from Trump’s first day and his overall doctrine is that he wants to reverse what he sees are mistakes from the last four years. ...
Trump Should Remove U.S. Troops From Syria January 20, 2025
The fall of the brutal Assad regime marks a critical opportunity for the United States to remove itself entirely from Syria, avoiding entanglement in further war. American troops have been in Syria for the past decade with the primary objective of de...
Long-Term Bullish on the Middle East January 18, 2025
If you looked at Europe in the mid-1600s, you would probably think something along the lines of “Wow, these guys are not going to make it.”...
The Donald’s Plans for the Middle East January 16, 2025
The former US president Jimmy Carterdied, at the age of 100, just before news of an imminent deal to free the last of Israel’s hostages in Gaza....
The Delicate Task of Syria’s Political Transition January 16, 2025
Syria is stepping into a new reality — but its political contours have yet to take shape. ...
Make No Mistake, Hamas Wants To Be Underestimated January 15, 2025
As Israel focuses on a potential hostage deal it is important to understand how Hamas will seek to continue to exploit the conflict with Israel. Hamas has thrived for forty years on being underestimated. ...
Trump Inherits a Planet on Fire January 14, 2025
When Donald Trump first took office in 2017, the world he inherited—while grappling with challenges like the Islamic State—was relatively stable compared to the inferno awaiting him in 2025. ISIS was on the verge of collapse, major powers were locked...
Hezbollah’s Options Are Running Out January 14, 2025
Joseph Khalil Aoun. He’s mostly unknown outside his native Lebanon, but is already helping transform the Middle East. ...
Sudan’s Descent Into Chaos January 13, 2025
Sudan, Africa’s third-largest nation by area, is engulfed in a brutal war that has catapulted its 50 million citizens into extreme despair. While the world is focused on Ukraine and the Middle East, the devastating conflict in Sudan struggles to capt...
Unrest in Iran Grows Over Economic Turmoil January 10, 2025
Iran’s public discontent surged in recent weeks as economic hardships, including widespread power outages and rising inflation, fueled calls for change, Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) researcher Benny Sabti told Maariv on Friday. ...
Iran Increases Military Presence in Venezuela January 10, 2025
Iran is increasing its military presence in Venezuela, with officials and personnel, with some members of the country's elite acquiring properties in the Latin American country and being offered political asylum should they eventually need it. The pr...
The Iran Opportunity January 06, 2025
It is hard to think of a country that has lost as much influence in as short a time as has Iran. Until recently, it was arguably the most important regional actor in the Middle East, more influential than Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey. Yet i...
The New Scramble for the Middle East January 02, 2025
From the fall of Syria to the crippling of Iran’s proxies, the balance of power fundamentally shifted in 2024....
Downturn of Pax Americana and the Middle East December 26, 2024
This essay considers structural parallels between the collapse of the Congress System in nineteenth-century Europe and the downturn of the pax americana in the Middle East today. ...
The Magical Middle East Makeover December 24, 2024
Have you been to the Middle East lately? Honestly, you won’t recognize the place. Bring a combat helmet and armored vest. It’s positively lethal this time of year. ...
It Will Take More Than Words To Stop Houthis December 24, 2024
Whatever path forward is chosen, the Houthis will need to suffer more serious blows because, currently, they feel emboldened. ...
Iran Is the Low Hanging Fruit of the Anti-American Axis December 24, 2024
After Syrian rebels toppled Bashar Assad’s regime, President-elect Donald Trump asserted that the U.S. will stay out of the civil war. He wanted to end wars, he said, not start them. ...
China's Role in Post-Assad Syria December 23, 2024
The abrupt ouster of the Assad regime in Syria after five decades of its reign caught governments around the world by surprise. This sudden transition of power and major shift in the geopolitics of the Middle East have implications for many countries...
The Crumbling Pillars of the Islamic Republic December 20, 2024
For over four and a half decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy has revolved around two central objectives: the elimination of Israel and opposition to the United States. These twin pillars have shaped its military doctrine and strate...
Trump Should Seek To Avoid War With Iran December 20, 2024
With only a month until Donald Trump’s inauguration as president, the Middle East is more chaotic than it has been in years. In early December, Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, as his regime in Syria collapsed. The western media has become focused on ...
A Saudi Path to a Peaceful, Modern Middle East December 18, 2024
Matthew Kaminski is editor-at-large, writing regularly for POLITICO Magazine on American and global affairs. He’s the founding editor of POLITICO Europe, which launched in 2015, and former editor-in-chief of POLITICO. He previously worked for the Fin...
An Israeli Order in the Middle East December 18, 2024
What is happening in the Middle East today is best understood as a struggle over a new regional order. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, three competing visions for that order have emerged and then faltered: the Hamas vision, the H...
Iran’s Very Bad Year December 17, 2024
Every dramatic development in the Middle East this year has left Iran weaker. ...
Powerbrokers in the Mid East: Israel & Turkey December 17, 2024
“Reshaped” seems to be the current word of choice for describing the Middle East. This may be a slight overstatement, as much of the region is as it was a year ago. But it is undoubtedly true that with Hamas all but decimated, Hezbollah irreparably c...
Houthis Remain ‘Last Man Standing’ Among Iranian Proxies December 16, 2024
The Houthis have not suffered a major setback since they began their attacks on Israel and on shipping in the aftermath of the Hamas October 7, 2023 attack. ...
What Hamas Wrought December 14, 2024
Instead of igniting a war that would destroy Israel, the militant group lit the fuse that set much of the region on fire, burning its own allies above all. ...
Could Trump Herald a New Era of Peace in the Middle East? December 13, 2024
Donald Trump’s astounding return to the White House has the Middle East bracing for change. In Gaza, the West Bank, and beyond, Trump 2.0 could spark a major peace and reconstruction effort backed by regional Arab allies as part of a new series of Ab...
Iran Desperately Searching for a New Proxy December 13, 2024
Syrian rebels forced President Bashar al-Assad to flee Syria for his life on Sunday. Russian President Vladimir Putin granted Assad asylum on humanitarian grounds. After 53 years of tyranny first begun by his father Hafez al-Assad, the end of the bru...
The New Middle East Chessboard December 13, 2024
The collapse of Assad’s regime marks the start of a new and volatile chapter. ...
Assad’s Fall Is a Major Blow to Russia December 12, 2024
Russia’s 2015 military intervention in Syria was a bold assertion of its great power ambitions, rescuing Bashar al-Assad's regime and projecting influence in the Middle East. However, recent rebel advances and Assad’s sudden deposal threaten to isola...
Trump to the Middle East—America is Back! December 11, 2024
With a second Trump administration in place the real work toward releasing Hamas’ hostages, implementing a ceasefire, and treconstructing Gaza can begin. ...
Stability in the Horn of Africa Is Vital to Global Trade December 11, 2024
The eyes of the world are fixed on the rising tensions in the Middle East as Israel's war continues in Gaza and Syria falls back into chaos, dominating global news coverage. Yet the world cannot afford to overlook the rising tensions in the Horn of A...
The Weakness of Israel’s Approach to War December 11, 2024
The Middle East has broken down into a state of extreme combat. The collapse of the system of governance throughout the region has opened up new fronts of warfare....
Putin Isn’t Done Yet With the Middle East December 11, 2024
Ten years ago, Putin saved Bashar al-Assad from certain defeat. Russia’s intervention raised Putin’s profile in the Middle East, and gave him some ground to claim that Russia was still a ‘great power’. ...
Israel’s Frenzied Reality December 10, 2024
This astounding military achievement was relegated to a secondary headline. It was just one more story in a news cycle overflowing with drama. ...
The Middle East’s Dangerous New Normal December 10, 2024
On October 3, 2023, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addressed a large crowd of government officials and international visitors in Tehran. As he approached his conclusion, Khamenei’s remarks turned to Israel—the Islamic Republic’s self-proclaimed ...
The Fall of the House of Assad December 10, 2024
The swift collapse, after 54 years, of Syria’s al-Assad dynasty has just transformed the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape. The lightning offensive by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militia took all of Syria’s neighbours—and everyone else...
How Biden Can Salvage Middle East Peace November 27, 2024
When U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office in January, the already-faint prospect of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may follow him out the door. ...
The Future of Saudi-Israeli Relations November 26, 2024
The relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Israel has long been shaped by a delicate interplay of ideology, geopolitics, and pragmatism. While the two nations have never engaged in direct conflict (around 1,000 Saudis fough...
Peace to Prosperity is America First in the Middle East November 26, 2024
A Fortuitous Confluence of EventsDonald Trump’s foreign policy team is shaping up to be great news for Israel, the West, and the proper definition of America First. The erosion of American interests under the Biden Administration means that Trump wi...
Trump’s Opportunity To Reset U.S.-Iran Relations November 22, 2024
The potential return of Donald Trump and the "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran could reshape U.S.-Iran relations, but regional dynamics have shifted since 2018. ...
Embracing the CCP Was U.S.’ Greatest Strategic Failure November 22, 2024
From the war in Ukraine to the horrific terror attack on Oct. 7 and the subsequent conflict in the Middle East to the roiling waters of the South China Sea, the world today is in crisis. The causes are not found in Moscow or Tehran alone, but primari...
The Democrats Must Radically Rethink Foreign Policy November 21, 2024
In domestic political terms, the foreign policy of the Biden administration has proved almost unimaginably successful – for Donald Trump, whom it enabled to run for president as the representative, however mendaciously so, of foreign policy restraint...
Iran Focused On Syria as Lynchpin of ‘Resistance’ Axis November 21, 2024
Unlike in Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, where Iran relies on proxies, Syria’s regime is directly aligned with Tehran. ...
The Makings of a Grand Trump Deal in the Middle East November 20, 2024
“Iran is a de facto threshold nuclear power,” said former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. It could be just days or weeks away from being able to assemble a nuclear warhead; nine months to a year from weaponizing it. ...
Pope Francis and the Israel-Hamas War November 20, 2024
Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s operation in Gaza constitutes genocide, according to a new book published for the Catholic Church’s jubilee year. “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the char...
The Paradox of Israeli Deterrence November 19, 2024
Last April, it appeared as though escalation between Israel and Iran could plunge the entire Middle East into conflict. ...
Activism & Isolationism: Trump's Middle East Policy November 19, 2024
Although the United States has long sought to reduce its involvement in the Middle East, the looming threat of regional war, opportunities arising from the Abraham Accords and Iran’s weakened influence, and growing US-China competition will likely pu...
Western Leaders Must Abandon Cultural Imperialism in Middle East Policy November 18, 2024
Having neutralized key leaders of Iran’s proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel appears to be preparing its long-anticipated retaliation against the Islamic Republic itself. Although currently limiting attacks to military assets, many are still demandi...
Trump’s Opportunity in Lebanon November 18, 2024
As the United States’ President-elect Donald Trump gears up for his second term in office, there are indications that Lebanon may be a focal point of his Middle East policy. ...
IDF Exposes Cracks in Hezbollah’s Support in Lebanon November 18, 2024
"The Shiites in Lebanon are under pressure they have never experienced before," says Prof. Baram, emphasizing the pressure is multifaceted. ...
Why the U.S. Should Rethink Its Arms Transfer to Israel November 16, 2024
Following retaliatory strikes on Iran, Israel has entered a new phase of escalation, marking a direct confrontation with Teheran. The intensifying situation not only risks further destabilizing the region, but also forces the U.S. to become increasi...
Iran, Hezbollah Strongholds Make Syria a ‘Hunting Ground' November 15, 2024
Syria is likely also to continue to be a hunting ground for Israeli air power working its way down the long list of Hezbollah and Iranian targets in the country. ...
Iran Is Much Weaker Than the Last Time It Faced Trump November 15, 2024
The Middle East has long been a source of misery for Washington. It could be a land of opportunity for Donald Trump. ...
How Israel and the Trump Administration Can Win the War November 14, 2024
Israel's military campaign against Hamas and Hezbollah could reshape Middle Eastern alliances and weaken Iran's regional influence. ...
Iran and War November 14, 2024
Last week, I wrote on the Middle East and promised a follow-up piece would come next. The U.S. election intruded. Now I’ll return to the second part on the Middle East. ...
Trump Is Inheriting a More Dangerous World November 14, 2024
After his January inauguration, US President Donald Trump will confront a far more dangerous world than he did during his first term, characterized by intractable wars in Europe and the Middle East, as well as increasing tensions with China over Taiw...
Peace Through Strength: How Trump Defeated Daesh November 13, 2024
With a second Trump administration on the horizon, the situation in the Middle East is bound to be taken more seriously as a national security priority for the United States. Indeed, President Trump’s own record in the region reads considerably bette...
Israel and Iran Are Preparing for Trump November 13, 2024
As Donald Trump prepares for his second US presidency, Iranian and Israeli military manoeuvring during President Biden’s lame-duck period risks drawing the US into all-out war in the Middle East...
The Axis of Resilience November 13, 2024
In response to Hamas’s October 7 attack last year, the Israeli government launched a regional war meant to reshape the Middle East....
How Iran’s Attacks on Israel Backfired November 12, 2024
Israel’s counterattacks on Iran underscore high stakes in Middle East. ...
War Without Decision: Consequences November 12, 2024
We tend to view unrest as an internal event, usually contained in a given nation or region. But sometimes there are cases in which unrest spreads through fear or greed beyond a nation’s terminus, thereby changing the region and even the world beyond....
Trump Now Faces ‘Out of Control’ Middle East November 11, 2024
Does the President-elect have what it takes to end Biden’s blank-check support for Netanyahu’s agenda and immediately begin disentangling the US? ...
The Free Press: Hezbollah Repressed a Revolution in Lebanon October 30, 2024
"Many ask why the Lebanese people have not stood up to the Hezbollah-dominated system that has made their country a failing state. The answer is that hundreds of thousands of them have. In a movement little known outside the region, in 2019, citizens...
Blinken Can Claim One Win After Mideast Trip October 30, 2024
Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived back in the U.S. just as Israel was striking Iran — its anticipated retaliation for a massive missile strike earlier this month. ...
Between Proxies and a New Attack on Israel October 30, 2024
Iran operates via proxies in several countries and territories, including Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and the Gaza Strip. ...
The Case for a New Arab Peace Initiative October 29, 2024
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, American officials have insisted that the eventual creation of a Palestinian state that would exist side by side with Israel is the only way to end the conflict in the Middle East....
The Long Roots of Iran’s Hatred for the Jewish State October 28, 2024
As the dust settles on the latest confrontation between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, the nature of the Israeli strikes against Tehran this weekend is becoming clear....
While War Continues, Lebanon Is Trapped October 28, 2024
One of the country’s biggest exasperations is Western policymakers trying to strong-arm them into hasty political reform. ...
A New Normal in the Israel-Iran Rivalry October 28, 2024
In a significant escalation of hostilities, Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian military facilities signal a critical turning point in the Israeli-Iranian conflict and the wider geopolitics of the Middle East. ...
Forgotten Wars: The Civil War in Central African Republic October 26, 2024
The conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the most complex and prolonged in sub-Saharan Africa, characterised by endemic violence, external interventions, and geopolitical interests involving global and regional powers. Its roots t...
More Milei, Less Malarky October 25, 2024
With the presidential election mere weeks away, both candidates are going all out to win over swing voters, and their promises are growing increasingly outlandish — some bordering on illegal. While American voters despair that our election politics h...
Iraq Pivots to U.S. for Support as Chinese Money Dries Up October 25, 2024
Iraq is seeking more U.S. investments to reduce gas flaring and boost gas production. ...
Death of Sinwar Is an Opportunity for the U.S. And Israel October 24, 2024
Israel confirmed it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on October 17 – just over one year since the group launched a major attack on Israel. His death marks a major moment for the war and the Middle East, with serious geopolitical implications that cou...
How To Deter a War Over Taiwan October 24, 2024
As wars rage across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Beijing is once again rattling its saber at Taiwan. ...
Can America Keep Being the World’s Policeman? October 23, 2024
America is retreating from the world stage. The country’s senile president appears absent from the dramatic events unfolding in the Middle East. Joe Biden urged Israel not to go into Rafah; to abstain from taking on Hezbollah; and to forgo retaliator...
The New Battle for the Middle East October 23, 2024
There are many Middle Eastern conflicts that could reshape the global political order. But the one most likely to do so is the battle between the region’s two dominant powers: the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. ...
Attackers Kill 4, Injure 14 at Turkish State Aviation Site October 23, 2024
Four people were killed and 14 others wounded in what the government called a terrorist attack at the Turkish Aerospace Industries' (TUSAS) headquarters on Wednesday, after witnesses said they had heard gunfire and an explosion at the site near Ankar...
Israel Won’t Be Distracted by Ceasefire Talks October 23, 2024
Two senior US officials are in the Middle East this week, with the joint mission of negotiating an end to the current war between Israel and a number of Iran-backed Islamist militias. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday. U...
Why Israel Won’t Move Toward Peace October 19, 2024
The killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar this week could be an opening that might lead to the freeing of Israeli hostages and a cease-fire, but history suggests Israel and its enemies won’t take it. That’s the assessment of former U.S. ambassador Rya...
How Hezbollah’s UAV Capabilities Evade Israeli Air Defense October 19, 2024
UAVs have given Hezbollah the ability to strike buildings in Israel with precision while complicating the detection and interception of these drones. ...
Sinwar’s Death Is an Osama Bin Laden Moment October 18, 2024
The demise of Yahya Sinwar has opened a clear gateway to an end to the war in the Middle East....
The Russia-North Korea Alliance October 17, 2024
As tensions flare in the Middle East, with some calling for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program, two other American adversaries are signaling that they are increasingly prepared to resort to their nuclear arsenals. Russian President Vladimir Pu...
Iran Should Stay on the Global Terror Finance and Money Laundering Blacklist October 16, 2024
On October 21, the plenary of the Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, will convene in Paris. Should the organization that sets global standards for countering money laundering and terror finance consider removing the Islamic Republic of Iran from i...
Is a Full-Scale Middle East War Already Here? October 16, 2024
Many analysts watching the conflict in the Middle East have warned that the present fighting could escalate further. At the moment, such fears are concentrated on the prospect of a war between Iran and Israel. ...
How China’s Iran Support Could Spark a Gulf Energy War October 15, 2024
In a statement carried by state television on Oct. 1, Iran’s military vowed to attack energy infrastructure in the Middle East if the U.S. or its partners ramp up support of Israel. ...
China Is a Bigger Problem for Oil Prices Than Israel or Iran October 15, 2024
Oil prices were tumbling early Tuesday as weak demand in China topped traders’ list of worries ahead of conflict in the Middle East. ...
War in Lebanon Could Spark Another Migration Crisis September 30, 2024
As the world’s attention focuses on whether the conflict in the Middle East escalates into a regional crisis, masses of refugees are now making their way from Lebanon to Syria....
Middle East Braces for Wider Conflict September 30, 2024
Fears of an escalation of hostilities in the Middle East continue to grow as Israel keeps up its bombing campaign in Lebanon after killing the leader of the Hezbollah militant group, Hassan Nasrallah. ...
Could a Lebanon Join the Abraham Accords? September 30, 2024
Israel's killing of Hassan Nasrallah, notorious terrorist and longtime leader of Hezbollah, has elicited an array of reactions reflecting the deep divisions within Lebanon and the Middle East....
The Last Months of Hassan Nasrallah September 30, 2024
When trying to understand the root causes of the violence towards Israel and increasing instability across the Middle East, the Iranian regime’s hateful worldview and destructive behavior are the epicenters of it all. ...
An Idiosyncratic View of Two Wars September 30, 2024
There are two major wars being fought. One, between Ukraine and Russia, has been raging for more than two and a half years but has been roughly confined to Ukraine. The other, between Israel and Hamas, has been ongoing for almost a year but is expand...
America Needs a New Strategy in the Middle East September 30, 2024
Nearly a year after Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack, the Israeli government’s ongoing escalation of its conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon has put the Middle East on the precipice of a regional war—one that could all too easily draw in the United ...
Israel Shows America How To Win Wars September 28, 2024
Friday evening in the Levant, Israel targeted buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut killing Hezbollah General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah....
Zelensky’s Pleas for Help Drowned out by the Middle East September 27, 2024
Zelensky wants more Western military support to force Russia to negotiate but world attention and resources are now more focused elsewhere ...
Iran Plays the Long Game While the U.S. Focuses on Side-Shows September 26, 2024
When mayhem erupts in the Middle East, the Biden Administration reflexively reaches for the band-aid of a ceasefire as if a small strip could staunch a hemorrhage. For months, the U.S. has invested in a hapless Hamas deal. Yet Antony Blinken, the Sec...
Hezbollah Escalates Lebanon Into New Crisis September 24, 2024
Hezbollah’s actions since October 8, 2023, have escalated Lebanon into a major crisis, reviving memories of previous conflicts. ...
How Human Error Is Driving the Wars in the Middle East September 23, 2024
Israel's ongoing war against Iranian proxy forces across multiple fronts has been characterized by daring operations and tragic human errors. From Hamas' cross-border attack to the Israeli military's bold hostage rescues, and from Houthi missiles hit...
Striking Iran: Is Time Running Out for Israel? September 21, 2024
Experts discuss whether attacking the Islamic Republic will lead to regional war that could ruin Israel, or whether now is the time to cut off the octopus’s head – before it is too late ...
A Two-State Solution That Can Work September 19, 2024
In July, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the war in Gaza and the future of the Middle East. ...
Europe and the Middle East: An Opportunity September 19, 2024
The Lebanese military militia, Hezbollah, is a formidable opponent of Israel; indeed, it is the key pawn which Iran uses to attack Israel....
Hezbollah Vows Revenge September 19, 2024
Hezbollah vows revenge for the deaths of over two dozen members in recent attacks, promising a response that Israel cannot anticipate. ...
The Case Against Israeli-Saudi Normalization September 18, 2024
When President Joe Biden leaves office early next year, he will probably do so without having realized a signature item on his agenda for the Middle East—a diplomatic normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, sealed by a formal U.S. security gua...
Close Friends, Closer Enemies: The West’s Diplomatic Quagmire With Qatar September 17, 2024
A Wahabi Islamic state which eschews every principle of democracy while actively and openly supporting half a dozen proscribed terrorist organisations, Qatar lies on that fine line which divides America's ‘Axis of evil’ from America’s ‘Major Non-NAT...
The Caliphate and the Modern Middle East September 16, 2024
The abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate left a vacuum which was filled by secular autocrats and reactionary Islamists....
Time to Launch Abraham Accords 2.0 September 14, 2024
Four years ago, the historic Abraham Accords between the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel were signed on the White House lawn. Morocco and Sudan soon followed. In the midst of the extremely challenging COVID-19 pandemic, a ray of light heralding a new era of...
Israel and the Coming Long War September 12, 2024
In the weeks since late July, when Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran and Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr was killed in Beirut, there has been much speculation about the eruption of a wider conflict in the Middle East. ...
The Abraham Accords Quietly Turns Four September 12, 2024
As Canada’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 2019 to 2022, I had a diplomatic front-row seat and occasional behind-the-scenes views into the quiet yet consistent progress that eventually led to the Abraham Accords. While I wasn’t sur...
Is Gaza War Feeding ISIS Resurgence in Middle East? September 12, 2024
As resources are drawn to Israel-Lebanon region, US troops are fighting the terror group more than ever ...
China Is Trying To Dominate the South China Sea September 10, 2024
Chinese President Xi Jinping seems to be betting that America’s entanglement in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East is sapping its military capacity and political resolve to credibly push back against his aggressive expansionism in Asia — includ...
Turkey’s ‘Islamic’ Offensive Against Israel Grows September 10, 2024
Turkey's President Erdogan is using the October 7 attack to rally Muslim countries diplomatically against Israel, seeking regional leadership. ...
Why Israel’s Iron Dome Does Not Win Wars August 29, 2024
I remember January 17, 1991 vividly. Saddam Hussein had just invaded Kuwait. After repeatedly ignoring demands to withdraw his troops, the U.S. attacked Iraq, igniting the First Gulf War. Israel was not part of the allied coalition, but Hussein made ...
Netanyahu Drags the U.S. Down a Dangerous Path August 28, 2024
The struggle in the Middle East is not between barbarians and freedom seekers, nor between those who sanctify life and those who sanctify death, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted in his recent address to Congress. ...
No, the World Isn’t Heading toward a New Cold War August 27, 2024
The past decade and a half has seen upheaval across the globe. The 2008 financial crisis and its fallout, the Covid-19 pandemic and major regional conflicts in Sudan, the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere have left residual uncertainty. Added to thi...
No Party Desires an All-Out Middle East War August 27, 2024
Another round of Israel-Hezbollah tit-for-tat attacks is over for now, but the danger of an all-out war continues to haunt the Middle East. Both sides have said that despite their reluctance to escalate, they are prepared for it. ...
Voters Blame U.S. Leadership on Afghanistan Withdrawal August 26, 2024
More than half of Americans thought 'failures of U.S. leadership and planning' led to 13 American soldiers' deaths....
Did the IDF Prevent All-Out War in Lebanon? August 26, 2024
If Hezbollah's only achievement is limited strikes with few casualties, the preemptive strike may be seen as having averted a larger disaster. ...
Israel’s Policy of Escalation Dominance August 23, 2024
Years from now, the final week of July 2024 will be marked by historians as a moment of significant escalation in the on-going conflict in the Middle East. ...
A Revealing Case in Iraq August 23, 2024
In the Middle East, much of the world’s attention is on the conflict in Gaza and appropriately so.But other challenges remain. In Iraq, where American military forces liberated the country from the evil clutches of Saddam Hussein just a few years ago...
How the U.S. Should Win Over Armenia August 21, 2024
As the Ukraine war slogs on and the Middle East is as unstable as ever, it has become clear that the world is not going the way Washington wants. ...
Iraq Returns to the Spotlight as Iran Prods August 21, 2024
Iran convinced Iraqi militias to carry out attacks on US forces in Iraq between October 2023 and January, including Kataib Hezbollah's drone attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers. ...
The Folly of Ukraine’s Russia Incursion August 20, 2024
Only a few weeks ago, the Ukraine war seemed to be reaching some kind of diplomatic endgame: The war had long settled into what was more or less a bloody stalemate; Washington was distracted by events in the Middle East; and even Ukrainian President ...
Israel’s Greatest Threat Is Time August 19, 2024
Anti-Israel boycotts continue to gain momentum in the U.S. amid a fresh wave of targeted Israel Defense Forces assassinations, further stoking tensions in the Middle East and renewed attacks from Iranian proxies. ...
The Case for a More Strategic U.S. Foreign Policy August 15, 2024
As the nation focuses on the coming presidential election, the foreign policy landscape surrounding the United States is in disarray. Israel is bracing for a retaliatory Iranian attack following their killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeah...
Iran Seems To Reconsider Retaliation Strategy August 15, 2024
Professor Uzi Rabi discussed Iran's hesitation to retaliate following Haniyeh's death, the impact of recent cyber attacks, and Hezbollah's role. ...
Israel Is the Future of the Middle East August 15, 2024
Abysmal demographics and tribal traditions mean the Muslim world will fall while a more modern Israel rises ...
Why Self-Interest May Stop the Mideast Blow-up August 14, 2024
The Middle East has been on tenterhooks over the last two weeks....
Iran’s Plans for the Region Were Interrupted by the Haniyeh Killing August 14, 2024
Following the sudden death of Iran’s president, Ibrahim Raisi, the reformist politician Masoud Pezeshkian won the snap election to replace the hard-liner, a possible successor to supreme leader Ali Khamenei.Pezeshkian campaigned on a program of chang...
How to Deal with the Muslim Brotherhood August 13, 2024
In the previous post I introduced the debate over how to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood. In this follow-up piece I argue that toleration has been tried and failed, both in the West and in the Middle East, and that legal suppression is now the only ...
More U.S. Forces in the Middle East? Here We Go Again August 13, 2024
Earlier this month, Biden administration officials announced that the U.S. military will make a series of "force posture" adjustments in the Middle East to increase support for Israel's defense. ...
Israeli Military Victory in Gaza Is Near August 13, 2024
There is desperation in Western media to declare Israel’s campaign in Gaza, Operation Swords of Iron, a failure. Over the past several months, there has been a steady supply of analysis beating the same drum: Israel is not winning. Hamas remains inta...
A Policy of Targeted Assassination Is Doomed To Fail August 13, 2024
The recent assassinations in Beirut and Tehran of two of Israel’s foes — Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah commander, and Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political chief — have put the Middle East on edge....
Report: Iran Could Attack Israel in Less Than 24 Hours August 12, 2024
Western powers have issued a joint statement Monday warning Iran and its allies to "refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions" in the Middle East as they appear to soon be heading toward a breaking point. ...
The Big War No One Wants in the Middle East July 30, 2024
Saturday’s rocket strike on a football field in the Golan Heights was precisely the type of large-casualty event that many observers have feared could ignite an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah....
Israel’s Security Is Tied to Moderates Against Jihadists July 30, 2024
Once we broaden our view to the entire Middle East, it becomes clear that Israel’s security is tied to the creation of a regional alliance of moderates against jihadists. ...
Europe Scramble To Avoid Middle East Escalation July 30, 2024
France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. are reaching out to Middle Eastern counterparts to urge calm. ...
China’s Growing Influence in the Middle East July 29, 2024
China’s economic and political engagement in the Middle East has surged over the past decade, particularly in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and amid growing perceptions of the United States’ withdrawal from the region. ...
The Dangerous Myth of ‘Arab Unity’ July 29, 2024
At the heart of the instability of the Middle East is the myth of ‘Arab unity’. It’s a myth that is often promoted by the United Nations which, since 7 October, has repeatedly shown itself to be sympathetic to the most reactionary forces in the Arab ...
Washington Can Ill-Afford To Take a Knee on Israel Now July 29, 2024
As Washington and the White House struggle to make sense of last Sunday’s not so unexpected bombshell that President Joe Biden was ending his reelection campaign and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the potential Democratic nominee – turmoil...
Erdogan Threatens Israel to Suit Domestic Agenda July 29, 2024
“Just as Hitler, who committed genocide, met his end - so Netanyahu, who committed genocide, will meet his end,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. ...
Russia’s Gateways into the Indo-Pacific July 26, 2024
In September 2022, after both the invasion of Ukraine and a military takeover in Myanmar, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met with Russian President Vladimir Putin under the umbrella of the Eastern Economic Forum (an event held in Vladivostok) to expl...
Netanyahu Goes to Washington July 23, 2024
The last time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to Washington, hopes were high for peace — or, at least, one particular vision of it. It was September 2020, and Netanyahu appeared at a White House then home to Donald Trump....
Tel Aviv Strike Shows Iran & Co. Smell Blood July 22, 2024
President Biden’s failures in the Middle East — symbolized perfectly by the floating pier he ordered for Gaza that can’t float — and his political woes at home may be emboldening Iran and its proxies in the region....
All Eyes on Iran’s Reaction to Israel's Strike in Yemen July 22, 2024
Iran wants to push both Hezbollah and the Houthis to increase their attacks as Hamas takes losses in Gaza. ...
Hezbollah Is Afraid of Starting a War July 19, 2024
Each round of regional instability and conflict provided Hezbollah with new opportunities to expand its range of activity. ...
CENTCOM: ISIS Is Reconstituting in Syria and Iraq July 18, 2024
In an unusual public statement late on July 16, United States Armed Forces’ Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that after six months of 2024, “ISIS is on pace to more than double” the number of attacks in Syria and Iraq it claimed in 2023. ...
Israel and Hezbollah Hurtle Toward Escalation July 18, 2024
With tactical and strategic panic evident among all key players, the Middle East is embroiled in serious disarray....
The Lebanon War Is Coming July 17, 2024
Israel faces a conundrum to which there is no easily discernible, sustainable solution: how best to counter the growing strategic threat posed by Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist group that runs Lebanon. ...
What Russia Wants in the Middle East July 15, 2024
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, Russia has enjoyed watching the deteriorating situation in the Middle East preoccupy its main adversary, the United States. ...
Has Japan Given up on Pacifism? July 12, 2024
“They pay in yen, we pay in blood!” Such was the refrain when, after the Gulf War broke out in 1990, Japan’s leaders decided that under the terms of its American-authored postwar constitution they could not send forces to the Middle East. ...
A Proxy War of Diminishing Geostrategic Returns July 11, 2024
As Western leaders gather in Washington, D.C. for the 75th anniversary of the NATO alliance on July 9-11, 2024, the pressures for deeper American involvement in Ukraine’s War against Russia have continued to build up. The Biden administration, which ...
Another American War in the Middle East July 06, 2024
In mid-June, the Associated Press announced that the U.S. Navy had been engaged in the most intense naval combat since the end of World War II, which surely would come as a surprise to most Americans. ...
Iran Seeks To Deter Israel From Lebanon Operation July 04, 2024
This is the latest attempt by the Iranian regime to try to protect its Hezbollah ally in Lebanon. ...
Israel’s Two Big Lies July 02, 2024
On the day of his arrest, February 12, 1974, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn released a short statement that has since become a manifesto for individuals—and societies—in times of upheaval. It’s long, though worth reading in its entirety, but it comes down to...
Iran Knows the Weaknesses of Western Powers July 02, 2024
The “West” is continuing to mishandle the provocative words and actions directed at it by the regime in Tehran and its imperial underlings across the Middle East. ...
Sunset on U.S. Hegemony in the Middle East July 02, 2024
In a seemingly minor diplomatic event in the Persian Gulf, the Kingdom of Bahrain has just agreed to begin talks with Iran to reestablish long-broken diplomatic relations between the two countries. ...
An Israel-Hezbollah War Would Devour the Middle East July 01, 2024
“The risks associated with an Israel-Hezbollah war present a doomsday scenario for American policymakers, but one they can and should avoid.” ...
Joe Biden Ignores History in the Middle East June 19, 2024
The Middle East is most secure, stable, and peaceful when the United States works in tandem with Egypt and Saudi Arabia. What was true in the 1980s remains true today. Restoring partnership requires Washington respect its allies and their interests, ...
All Roads in the Muslim World Lead To Beijing June 18, 2024
In 2013, I warned that a Pax Sinica in the Middle East might replace America's predominant role. As the largest importer of Persian Gulf oil, China wants stability in the region. To that end, China's first venture into Middle East diplomacy came in D...
Washington's Mideast Messaging Needs an Upgrade June 14, 2024
It has become painfully clear that America is losing the information war in the Middle East. ...
Six Scary Policy Scenarios for a Second Term June 14, 2024
These are difficult times. The Russian threat has returned to Europe while a brutal war rages in the Middle East. Populism is sweeping across the European continent, China seems increasingly scary, and nobody can stop looking at their phones. But in ...
China’s Do-Nothing Strategy in the Middle East June 14, 2024
Since late 2023, the Houthis in Yemen have posed an extraordinary challenge to global shipping. ...
The Real Danger of Iran Linking Hezbollah to Gaza June 13, 2024
Eight months of war have provided Israel with a deeper understanding of the role of Iran in creating multi-front threats against Israel....
Congress Digs Into Scandals Surrounding Biden Iran Envoy June 12, 2024
Few individuals have been more integral to the Obama-Biden project to “realign” the U.S. with Iran and strengthen the Middle East theocracy – at the expense of Israel, America’s Sunni Arab allies and partners, and U.S. national interest – than Rob Ma...
Israelis Say Biden’s Peace Plan Will Make a Forever War June 10, 2024
President Joe Biden has admonished Israelis to stop waging "indefinite war" and embrace his plan for Middle East peace....
Unity of Purpose in the Middle East June 08, 2024
There is broad agreement among Israelis and Arab governments on goals and tactics in Gaza, and the overarching goal of containing Iran....
The Middle East’s Perfect Storm June 07, 2024
It seems increasingly illusory that regional escalation can be controlled or stopped much longer. ...
A Three-Theater Defense Strategy June 06, 2024
Under Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, U.S. defense strategy has been premised on the optimistic notion that the United States will never need to fight more than one war at a time. During the Obama administration, in the face of ...
Hezbollah Is Filling Void Left by Hamas June 05, 2024
Hezbollah is a powerful group and also a proxy of Iran. It has a lot of things to consider in Lebanon. ...
Iran Proxies Itch To Strike Israel June 03, 2024
Iran is watching and learning from Israel’s responses. It is likely that Tehran is mobilizing other proxies to increase attacks on Israel. ...
Washington’s Ill-Fated Mideast Ambitions June 01, 2024
U.S. administrations have backed sweeping efforts for societal change in the Middle East in recent decades, with poor results. But Washington can still achieve more modest, essential goals in the region. ...
Our Tinderbox Moment: Four Flashpoints May 29, 2024
This election year could be turned on its head by an international crisis — and it won't necessarily come in the Middle East. ...
Rethinking U.S. Middle East Policy May 29, 2024
For now, direct confrontation between Israel and Iran has been defused. Yet, while efforts by both sides were calibrated to minimize potential fallout, much of the credit for de-escalation is owed to international intercession and good luck. ...
How Iran Plans To Destroy Israel May 25, 2024
The Israel-Hamas War is a prelude to future Iranian aggression in the Middle East. Iranian military leaders are explicitly drawing lessons from the war to develop concepts for fighting and destroying Israel. ...
Washington’s Blindness in the Middle East May 24, 2024
A cardinal tenet of realpolitik advises against allowing a minor ally to precipitate a major conflict. Presently, from the perspective of the US security framework, we are observing a disintegration at the very core of what might be termed the emerge...
Israel Is Succeeding in Gaza May 23, 2024
Western analysts think otherwise, because they are seeing Israel’s war through the lens of America’s own failed counterinsurgency doctrines ...
China’s Blossoming Relationship With Saudi Arabia & the UAE May 23, 2024
The blossoming but still immature relationship between China and the two key Gulf states, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has implications that reach far beyond the Middle East. ...
A U.S.-Saudi Defense Pact Shows How Warped U.S. Priorities Are May 23, 2024
It seems like ages ago now, but before Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, real momentum was building toward an Israeli-Saudi normalization deal. Israel's brutal response in Gaza halted progress on those talks. But the top U.S. and Saudi diplomats sai...
New Delhi’s Changing Worldview May 22, 2024
In the early 1990s, India responded to the end of the Cold War with a new “Look East” policy, which it subsequently rebranded as “Act East” in 2014. Today, India has developed a “Think West” policy, focused on what those in the West call the Middle E...
Behind Scenes of Israel-Saudi Deal May 22, 2024
As the Biden administration touts a bilateral deal with Saudi Arabia linked to a historic normalization with Israel, Pentagon officials are working behind the scenes to firm up what defense officials hope will be a cornerstone of Washington’s broader...
Death of Raisi Jolts Already Tense Mideast May 21, 2024
Iran's president oversees domestic affairs, but country ultimately run by 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei...
Beware the Middle East’s Forgotten Wars May 21, 2024
With global attention focused on Gaza and the attacks on Israel by Iran, to the south, nearby Sudan passed a grim milestone largely unnoticed last month. It is now over a year since the outbreak of civil war between the army and its rebellious offsho...
The Gantz Ultimatum May 21, 2024
The Israeli ex-general throws down the gauntlet to the man Israel’s elite and American policymakers see as the country’s true foe—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ...
America’s Decline as a Superpower May 21, 2024
The White House has not been physically attacked, but its current occupant has succeeded in undermining and eroding America’s standing on the global stage to a degree that was unimaginable when the Cold War ended, leaving the US the sole superpower....
Get Ready for More ‘Hard Landings’ in the Middle East May 20, 2024
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi perished in what Iranian media initially labeled a “hard landing.” That Iranians celebrated with fireworks in Raisi’s hometown Mashhad reflects the hatred with which Iranians view the regime that oppresses them. This s...
The Looming Dangers for the Greater Middle East May 17, 2024
This two-part series explores developments autocratic Arab rulers and US policymakers ignore at their peril....
Sinwar in Exchange for Rafah May 17, 2024
Why is the Biden administration dangling the Hamas chief in exchange for stopping the Gaza war? Because the terror group’s survival is key to the administration’s larger project in the Middle East. ...
The Arsenal of Democracy Is Running Low May 16, 2024
While the fallout from the war in Ukraine maintains its standing among our national headlines, there’s a critical issue that hasn’t yet reached the nightly news: in the middle of the largest land war since World War II and a substantial conflict in t...
How Hamas Saved Egypt May 15, 2024
Last fall, Egypt was on the brink of economic collapse. A decade of debt-fueled spending on a pharaonic-scale had emptied its Central Bank coffers. By February, Cairo’s public debt was 89% of its gross domestic product. External debt had soared to 46...
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