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An anti-Israel sign is displayed in Tehran’s Palestine Square on Oct. 1 during a celebratory rally after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel in response to the killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other Iran-backed militants.
An anti-Israel sign is displayed in Tehran’s Palestine Square on Oct. 1 during a celebratory rally after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel in response to the killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other Iran-backed militants.

Our Best Reads on the Middle East Crisis

The region is perched on a knife-edge. Here’s where things could go.

Israeli army vehicles move through northern Israel on Sept. 26.
Israeli army vehicles move through northern Israel on Sept. 26.

Israel Is Going It Alone in Lebanon

Allies are trying to buy time to prevent all-out war.

The U.N. Security Council holds a meeting on the theme of “Leadership for Peace” at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on Sept. 25.
The U.N. Security Council holds a meeting on the theme of “Leadership for Peace” at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on Sept. 25.

The United Nations Is Still the Biggest Platform for Global Cooperation

Despite its failure to stop wars, the U.N. has made progress on issues from disease eradication to climate change.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on Sept. 24 in New York City.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on Sept. 24 in New York City.

Biden’s UNGA Goodbye

The outgoing U.S. president had little to offer on Ukraine and Gaza.

A view of the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Sept. 22.
A view of the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Sept. 22.

Middle East Tensions Overshadow United Nations Summit

The threat of a second Middle East war is taking away from the "Super Bowl" of diplomacy.

An overheard view shows the large central room at the U.N. headquarters. Representatives of members of the Security Council sit at a large horseshoe-shaped desk at center as they attend a meeting.
An overheard view shows the large central room at the U.N. headquarters. Representatives of members of the Security Council sit at a large horseshoe-shaped desk at center as they attend a meeting.

The United Nations Prepares for a High-Stakes Summit

Along with wars in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, the issues of sustainability, pandemic prevention, and nuclear weapons are on the agenda.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points at a map of the Gaza Strip during a press conference at the Government Press Office in Jerusalem on Sept. 4.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points at a map of the Gaza Strip during a press conference at the Government Press Office in Jerusalem on Sept. 4.

Israel’s ‘Seven-Front War’

Is Gaza just the opening battle in a war with Iran?

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House on July 25, 2024 in Washington, DC.
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House on July 25, 2024 in Washington, DC.

The White House’s Puzzling Optimism Over Prospects for Gaza Cease-Fire Deal

The Biden administration has been saying for months that the Gaza cease-fire deal is almost done.

Rebecca Lissner (left), the deputy national security advisor to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and policy advisor Ike Irby (center) speak with communications director Kirsten Allen before departing George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, on Aug. 1.
Rebecca Lissner (left), the deputy national security advisor to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and policy advisor Ike Irby (center) speak with communications director Kirsten Allen before departing George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, on Aug. 1.

The Grand Strategist Who Has Kamala’s Ear

Rebecca Lissner doesn’t want the United States to remake the world, but to keep it open.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in protest over the war in Gaza near the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, where the Democratic National Convention is taking place, on Aug. 21. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in protest over the war in Gaza near the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, where the Democratic National Convention is taking place, on Aug. 21. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

How Is Foreign Policy Driving the U.S. Vote?

A few wedge issues could help determine who ends up in the White House.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks alongside U.S. President Joe Biden during a Ukraine Compact initiative on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on July 11.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks alongside U.S. President Joe Biden during a Ukraine Compact initiative on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on July 11.

Washington Is Out of Sync With Its Wartime Allies

The White House has been kept out of the loop on several major wartime decisions by Israel and Ukraine.

Then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrives to attend the meeting of Russia’s and Iran’s presidents at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 7, 2023.
Then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrives to attend the meeting of Russia’s and Iran’s presidents at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 7, 2023.

The Kremlin Plays Mideast Crisis Broker

Russia doesn’t want Iran to escalate. But it’s also giving Tehran weapons.

A vote sign is seen in a polling location as voters check in to cast ballots in Atlanta, Georgia on May 21.
A vote sign is seen in a polling location as voters check in to cast ballots in Atlanta, Georgia on May 21.

Foreign Interference in U.S. Election Heats Up

Russia and Iran aim to sow discord in the 2024 presidential race, officials warn.

A woman reads a book on the beach in Hyères, France, on July 20.
A woman reads a book on the beach in Hyères, France, on July 20.

The Best Summer Reads for National Security Nerds

The geopolitics of Formula 1, daring women journalists of the Vietnam War, and other page-turners for the beach.

Former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential candidate pick, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, attend the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15.
Former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential candidate pick, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, attend the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15.

Trump’s VP Pick Goes America First on Foreign Policy

And the choice of J.D. Vance is causing panic among Ukrainians, Europeans, and traditional Republicans.

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