Middle East Crisis

News, analysis, and background on the Israel-Hamas war and regional conflict between Israel and Iran and its proxies.

 

Fire and tear gas smoke rise among a crowd in Beirut.
Fire and tear gas smoke rise among a crowd in Beirut.

Hezbollah Is Weak Enough for Lebanon to Finally Disarm It

The government and army are taking back their own country.

A black SUV is seen in the foreground as smoke billows from behind buildings in the background.
A black SUV is seen in the foreground as smoke billows from behind buildings in the background.

Israel Escalates War Against Hamas With Doha Strike

Qatar decried the strike as a violation of international law.

Smoke rises over several buildings.
Smoke rises over several buildings.

The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming

Both countries’ strategic calculus suggests it will be even more violent.

Israel-Hamas War

Samuel Zbogar, the head of the Slovenian mission to the United Nations Security Council, speaks to the press alongside other U.N. representatives ahead of a Security Council emergency meeting on Gaza at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Aug. 10.
Samuel Zbogar, the head of the Slovenian mission to the United Nations Security Council, speaks to the press alongside other U.N. representatives ahead of a Security Council emergency meeting on Gaza at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Aug. 10.

What Was the Tipping Point on Gaza?

After almost two years of war, Israel is feeling the growing weight of governmental opprobrium.

A heavily damaged building can be seen with a Syria flag nearby.
A heavily damaged building can be seen with a Syria flag nearby.
Moaz Abu Taha and Mariam Abu Dagga, who were killed by Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital on Aug. 25, take a selfie in Gaza on Jan. 18.
Moaz Abu Taha and Mariam Abu Dagga, who were killed by Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital on Aug. 25, take a selfie in Gaza on Jan. 18.

Why Israel’s War in Gaza Has Been So Deadly for Journalists

Israel is directly targeting media workers, rights groups warn.

Four people stand while holding a banner that reads Gaza: Action Not Words. On the banner the names of thousands of children who have died as a result of the war.
Four people stand while holding a banner that reads Gaza: Action Not Words. On the banner the names of thousands of children who have died as a result of the war.

Why Recognizing Palestine Is Meaningless or Even Harmful

Recent announcements by France, Britain, and Canada are mostly performative.

Iran-Israel Tensions

Men work inside an uranium conversion facility in Iran.
Men work inside an uranium conversion facility in Iran.

There’s More Than One Way to Build a Bomb

Iran doesn’t need to rebuild its damaged facilities to sprint for a nuclear weapon.

Participants place radiation signs during a simulated nuclear emergency drill in Tehran on November 5, 2015.
Participants place radiation signs during a simulated nuclear emergency drill in Tehran on November 5, 2015.

Iran’s Collapse Could Cause a Nuclear Security Nightmare

Washington would struggle to secure dangerous materials, technologies, and expertise.

The late Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaks during a memorial service beneath portraits of slain Hezbollah leader Hasssan Nasrallah, Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, and Nasrallah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, at the Grand Mosque in Tehran on Feb. 23.
The late Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaks during a memorial service beneath portraits of slain Hezbollah leader Hasssan Nasrallah, Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, and Nasrallah's successor, Hashem Safieddine, at the Grand Mosque in Tehran on Feb. 23.

Iran Is Islamism’s Last Lifeline in the Middle East

Without support from a weakened Tehran, the region’s extremist movements would wither.

A view of the destruction at Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran, after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike on June 23, viewed on July 1.
A view of the destruction at Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran, after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike on June 23, viewed on July 1.

What the War Changed Inside Iran

The regime has been pushed to the edge of strategic pivot.

Israel and Hezbollah

Mourners surround the flag-draped coffins of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in the recent war with Israel, during a funeral procession in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Selm on Dec. 6.
Mourners surround the flag-draped coffins of Hezbollah fighters who were killed in the recent war with Israel, during a funeral procession in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Selm on Dec. 6.

Hezbollah Is Trying to Spin Loss as Victory

Assad’s fall and Israel’s offensive give Lebanese a chance to reclaim their country.

A man in a vest holds a cable attached to a spool on the ground. Behind him are shrubs and a blue sky.
A man in a vest holds a cable attached to a spool on the ground. Behind him are shrubs and a blue sky.

Lebanon’s Demining Mission Faces Aid Uncertainty

Cuts to foreign assistance and a fragile cease-fire have made the urgent work more dangerous.

Lebanese celebrate the nomination of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Beirut, on Jan. 13.
Lebanese celebrate the nomination of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Beirut, on Jan. 13.

Lebanon’s Success Depends on Sidelining Hezbollah

The new government in Beirut is the country’s best chance for reform in years—but support from Washington and Riyadh will be crucial.

Hezbollah supporters chant slogans during a protest against a planned visit of a U.S. envoy to south Lebanon.
Hezbollah supporters chant slogans during a protest against a planned visit of a U.S. envoy to south Lebanon.

Washington Has One Chance to Help Disarm Hezbollah

As Lebanon moves to confront the country’s most dangerous militia, U.S. support will be vital.

Regional Dynamics

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on August 26, 2019.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on August 26, 2019.

In the Middle East, a Cold War Redux?

China and the U.S. are competing for influence in the troubled region. This article has an audio recording

Plume of smoke rise into a blue sky following an explosion from a row of low and midrise buildings, several with industrial smokestacks, several without. A road a the bottom of the image heads toward the town, with a car and a person on a motorbike heading in that direction.
Plume of smoke rise into a blue sky following an explosion from a row of low and midrise buildings, several with industrial smokestacks, several without. A road a the bottom of the image heads toward the town, with a car and a person on a motorbike heading in that direction.

Ankara’s New Syrian Headache

Toppling Assad didn’t solve Turkey’s problems—it made them worse.

A man in military garb, including face covering and helmet, stands with a gun and wears a string of jasmine in front of a crowd holding flags.
A man in military garb, including face covering and helmet, stands with a gun and wears a string of jasmine in front of a crowd holding flags.

How Israel’s Strikes on the Houthis Will Change Yemen

For years, the group has relied on the perception that it is untouchable.

Sharaa sits in an ornately decorated armchair with his hands folded in his lap. He is in his young 40s, wearing a suit and a beard. Barrack, an older bald man who also wears a suit, sits in another armchair at a diagonal. They face small low tables with water glasses on them; a Syrian flag hangs in the corner.
Sharaa sits in an ornately decorated armchair with his hands folded in his lap. He is in his young 40s, wearing a suit and a beard. Barrack, an older bald man who also wears a suit, sits in another armchair at a diagonal. They face small low tables with water glasses on them; a Syrian flag hangs in the corner.

Qué Sharaa, Sharaa

With concrete steps, Washington can keep Syria’s future on track.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Pres. Bill Clinton (C) w. (L-R) Mideast peaceniks King Hussein, PM Rabin, PLO chmn. Arafat & Pres. Mubarak in WH Rose Garden for Israeli-Palestinian accord signing.    (Photo by Dirck Halstead/Getty Images)
Pres. Bill Clinton (C) w. (L-R) Mideast peaceniks King Hussein, PM Rabin, PLO chmn. Arafat & Pres. Mubarak in WH Rose Garden for Israeli-Palestinian accord signing. (Photo by Dirck Halstead/Getty Images)

Why the Oslo Peace Process Failed

And what it means for future negotiators.

Hussein al-Sheikh attends the funeral of former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Hussein al-Sheikh attends the funeral of former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Leader Who Survived the Death of Palestine

What would it mean for Hussein al-Sheikh to lead a people whose dream of independence is no longer alive? This article has an audio recording

A Palestinian is seen from behind as they look outside through a large broken window. Some shards of fractured glass remain in the frame, but the rest of the opening reveals dark smoke billowing from a dense street of buildings in Gaza City. The sky is otherwise light but hazy.
A Palestinian is seen from behind as they look outside through a large broken window. Some shards of fractured glass remain in the frame, but the rest of the opening reveals dark smoke billowing from a dense street of buildings in Gaza City. The sky is otherwise light but hazy.
A Palestinian man carries his child to cross a roadblock in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2003. Rubble fills the land he walks across and barbed wire coils in front of him. A woman with a head covering follows behind them.
A Palestinian man carries his child to cross a roadblock in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2003. Rubble fills the land he walks across and barbed wire coils in front of him. A woman with a head covering follows behind them.

All the Palestinians Got From Oslo Was KFC

Thirty years of the peace process has left us with less land and fewer rights.

Latest Stories

Emergency and security personnel search rubble following an airstrike that hit a building next to the Iranian Embassy.
Emergency and security personnel search rubble following an airstrike that hit a building next to the Iranian Embassy.

Israel Escalates Shadow War Against Iran

An airstrike in Damascus kills a top Iranian IRGC commander.

People walk past the damaged headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza City on Feb. 15.
People walk past the damaged headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza City on Feb. 15.

Don’t Give Up on UNRWA

The agency, which goes to great lengths to remain neutral, is Palestinians’ only hope.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confers with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during their meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Tel Aviv.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confers with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during their meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Tel Aviv.

Biden-Netanyahu Tensions Roil U.S.-Israel Ties

American abstention on a U.N. vote this week caused a major public spat between the two partners.

U.S. President Joe Biden at the Israeli war cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel on Oct.. 18, 2023.
U.S. President Joe Biden at the Israeli war cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel on Oct.. 18, 2023.

Why Biden Can’t Force a Truce on Israel—or Won’t

The United States has intervened in past Mideast wars, but this one is different.

Rashid Al-Haddad, 19, a Yemeni TikToker and influencer, who has been dubbed "Tim-Houthi Chalamet" for his resemblance to Timothée Chalamet, talks to a friend on the phone during an interview at his home in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sana'a.
Rashid Al-Haddad, 19, a Yemeni TikToker and influencer, who has been dubbed "Tim-Houthi Chalamet" for his resemblance to Timothée Chalamet, talks to a friend on the phone during an interview at his home in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sana'a.

The Houthis’ Media Machine Is Going Global

The group is exploiting sympathy for Palestine to spread its propaganda.

Three sneakered feet on a black tiled floor stomp on a photo of U.S. President Joe Biden. The picture's corner is alight.
Three sneakered feet on a black tiled floor stomp on a photo of U.S. President Joe Biden. The picture's corner is alight.
U.N. Security Council members vote on a U.S.-led resolution for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war at the United Nations headquarters.
U.N. Security Council members vote on a U.S.-led resolution for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war at the United Nations headquarters.

What the Latest U.N. Cease-Fire Vote Means

The U.S.-led resolution signals a subtle shift in the Biden administration’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

A massive orange conflagration of flames and thick smoke billows from a raging fire at a storage tank of al-Awda oil field.
A massive orange conflagration of flames and thick smoke billows from a raging fire at a storage tank of al-Awda oil field.

Shifting Conflicts Hit Key Energy Routes

From Russia to Yemen, gas and oil exports have become prime targets.

A cluster of parachutes dropping supplies is seen from above over the coast of the Gaza Strip.
A cluster of parachutes dropping supplies is seen from above over the coast of the Gaza Strip.

Trucks, Piers, and Parachutes Will Not Solve Gaza’s Crisis

In the Middle East, nothing is ever simple—including the provision of humanitarian aid.

A member of the Hilltop Youth group carries a weapon during a demonstration held to prevent humanitarian aid from being sent to Gaza near the port in Ashdod, Israel, on Feb. 1.
A member of the Hilltop Youth group carries a weapon during a demonstration held to prevent humanitarian aid from being sent to Gaza near the port in Ashdod, Israel, on Feb. 1.

Israeli Civilians Are Taking Up Arms

In the wake of Oct. 7, lax gun laws have empowered militias—and the far right.

A commercial airline aircraft flies past clouds as the sun sets over Kuwait City.
A commercial airline aircraft flies past clouds as the sun sets over Kuwait City.

War-Zone GPS Spoofing Is Threatening Civil Aviation

A surge in spoofing from the Middle East to northern Europe is throwing onboard navigation systems off course.

A view of a damaged house in Kibbutz Be’eri near the border with Gaza.
A view of a damaged house in Kibbutz Be’eri near the border with Gaza.

Violence Has Failed Palestinians

A pragmatic, peaceful approach is the only way to a real state.

Palestinians stand outside of a mostly destroyed building in the Gazan city of Khan Younis. The two men closest to the camera speak to each other while gesturing at the rubble. Farther in the background, people climb hunks of broken concrete as they ascend to the roof and search for survivors in the wreckage.
Palestinians stand outside of a mostly destroyed building in the Gazan city of Khan Younis. The two men closest to the camera speak to each other while gesturing at the rubble. Farther in the background, people climb hunks of broken concrete as they ascend to the roof and search for survivors in the wreckage.

Will Gaza Ever Recover?

Chaos and turmoil will endure long after a cease-fire.

Smoke rises from Israeli air raids in Gaza City on Oct. 13, 2023.
Smoke rises from Israeli air raids in Gaza City on Oct. 13, 2023.

Why Ramadan Matters in the Israel-Hamas War

Fears are growing that clashes during the Islamic holiday could ignite the region.

Iranians celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, burning symbols and photos of European and American leaders, in Tehran on Feb. 11.
Iranians celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, burning symbols and photos of European and American leaders, in Tehran on Feb. 11.

Oct. 7 Changed Everything—but What if It Didn’t?

Why the new status quo in the Middle East might look a lot like the old one.

A crowd of people stretch their arms upward as several carry a flag-draped coffin with a picture of a man's face on it through the streets of Beirut.
A crowd of people stretch their arms upward as several carry a flag-draped coffin with a picture of a man's face on it through the streets of Beirut.
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