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

Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh addresses supporters during a rally in solidarity with the Palestinians outside Qatar's Imam Muhammad Abdel-Wahhab Mosque in the capital Doha on May 15, 2021.
Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh addresses supporters during a rally in solidarity with the Palestinians outside Qatar's Imam Muhammad Abdel-Wahhab Mosque in the capital Doha on May 15, 2021.

Hamas’s Political Leaders Aren’t in Charge

The group’s leadership in exile has taken a back seat to its officials in Gaza.

An ambulance going to the Gaza Strip with bodies of Palestinians who died in Egyptian hospitals is seen at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, in the northeastern Sinai province, on Nov. 27.
An ambulance going to the Gaza Strip with bodies of Palestinians who died in Egyptian hospitals is seen at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, in the northeastern Sinai province, on Nov. 27.

What’s Stopping Egypt From Stepping Up in Gaza?

Internal dynamics restrict Cairo’s options for involvement in a post-Hamas Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem.

How Netanyahu Plans to Hold on to Power

The Hamas attack demolished his political standing, but Bibi has a survival strategy.

Protesters stage a demonstration in support of a cease-fire in Gaza in the Cannon House Office Building  in Washington on Oct. 18.
Protesters stage a demonstration in support of a cease-fire in Gaza in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington on Oct. 18.

Israel’s Hostage Deal Means Truce, Not Cease-Fire

Pressure may increase at home and abroad, but Israel has no interest in stopping its war on Hamas.

Members of Hamas' armed wing hold a Palestinian flag atop an Israeli tank. A border fence stretches behind them in the distance.
Members of Hamas' armed wing hold a Palestinian flag atop an Israeli tank. A border fence stretches behind them in the distance.

What Was Hamas Thinking?

The Oct. 7 attack was the culmination of a strategic shift to challenge the movement’s containment.

Bin Laden and Zawahiri sit side by side on the floor. A gun rests on the floor between them.
Bin Laden and Zawahiri sit side by side on the floor. A gun rests on the floor between them.

Why Al Qaeda’s Letter Went Viral on TikTok

Some Gen Z users did sympathize with cherry-picked parts of the letter, but the media also amplified what had been a minor blip.

Demonstrators wave Palestinian and Hezbollah flags during a protest in support of Palestinians on Oct. 20.
Demonstrators wave Palestinian and Hezbollah flags during a protest in support of Palestinians on Oct. 20.

The Future of Hamas Passes Through Tehran

Clarity about Gaza’s postwar rule requires addressing the role of Iran.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh leaves the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh leaves the Russian Foreign Ministry building in Moscow.

Russia Is the Loser in the Israel-Hamas War

Moscow’s decade as the arbiter of the Middle East is coming to an end.

People stand outside the emergency ward of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Nov. 10.
People stand outside the emergency ward of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Nov. 10.

Where Is the West’s Moral Courage on Israel?

Eliminating Hamas doesn’t justify the destruction Israel is inflicting on Gaza.

French President Emmanuel Macron answers journalists' questions on the tarmac of Cairo's airport following his crisis diplomacy visits to Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Jordan.
French President Emmanuel Macron answers journalists' questions on the tarmac of Cairo's airport following his crisis diplomacy visits to Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Jordan.

Macron Breaks Ranks With the West on Israel-Hamas War

Amid deepening internal rifts, France is trying again to punch above its weight on the world stage.

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, speaks to the media with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) following talks at the Chancellery on August 16, 2022 in Berlin, Germany.
Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, speaks to the media with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) following talks at the Chancellery on August 16, 2022 in Berlin, Germany.

Mahmoud Abbas’s Last Chance Has Finally Arrived

The Palestinian Authority president may be postwar Gaza's only option—if he’s not too unpopular for the job.

Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.
Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

A young woman wearing a headscarf screams and presses her hands to her face as she and others flee through the rubble during Israeli airstrikes on al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
A young woman wearing a headscarf screams and presses her hands to her face as she and others flee through the rubble during Israeli airstrikes on al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The Middle East Has Locked Itself in a Slaughterhouse

The region is suffering from a precipitously brutal coarsening of its politics.

Blinken and Abbas stand side by side and shake hands.
Blinken and Abbas stand side by side and shake hands.

This War Won’t Solve the Israel-Palestine Conflict

After all the death and destruction, the situation will be no closer to a resolution than it was before Oct. 7.

Members of Iran’s Basij force hold the flags of Iran, Lebanon, and proxy forces including Hezbollah during a rally commemorating Quds Day.
Members of Iran’s Basij force hold the flags of Iran, Lebanon, and proxy forces including Hezbollah during a rally commemorating Quds Day.

Iran’s Proxies in Syria Move Toward Escalation With Israel

As Israel advances in Gaza, the intensity of the response by Tehran’s so-called axis of resistance will increase.

A group of protesters stand on a street at nighttime, many of them holding signs and chanting. In the foreground, a woman with brown hair dyed with purple streaks sobs as another demonstrator hugs her. The crying woman holds a hand-painted sign that says "Israelis for ceasefire now."
A group of protesters stand on a street at nighttime, many of them holding signs and chanting. In the foreground, a woman with brown hair dyed with purple streaks sobs as another demonstrator hugs her. The crying woman holds a hand-painted sign that says "Israelis for ceasefire now."

Israelis Struggle to Imagine a Possible Peace

A wounded activist movement tries to come to terms with war.

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