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

Meet the New Middle East, Same as the Old Middle East
Everything has changed in the region, and nothing is different.

Hezbollah Is Weak Enough for Lebanon to Finally Disarm It
The government and army are taking back their own country.

Israel Escalates War Against Hamas With Doha Strike
Qatar decried the strike as a violation of international law.

The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming
Both countries’ strategic calculus suggests it will be even more violent.
Israel-Hamas War

What Was the Tipping Point on Gaza?
After almost two years of war, Israel is feeling the growing weight of governmental opprobrium.

Israel Isn’t a Hegemon Yet, But It’s Now a Revisionist Power
Netanyahu is seeking to remake the Middle East by force.

Why Israel’s War in Gaza Has Been So Deadly for Journalists
Israel is directly targeting media workers, rights groups warn.

Why Recognizing Palestine Is Meaningless or Even Harmful
Recent announcements by France, Britain, and Canada are mostly performative.
Iran-Israel Tensions

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.

Iran’s Collapse Could Cause a Nuclear Security Nightmare
Washington would struggle to secure dangerous materials, technologies, and expertise.

Iran Is Islamism’s Last Lifeline in the Middle East
Without support from a weakened Tehran, the region’s extremist movements would wither.

What the War Changed Inside Iran
The regime has been pushed to the edge of strategic pivot.
Israel and Hezbollah

Hezbollah Is Trying to Spin Loss as Victory
Assad’s fall and Israel’s offensive give Lebanese a chance to reclaim their country.

Lebanon’s Demining Mission Faces Aid Uncertainty
Cuts to foreign assistance and a fragile cease-fire have made the urgent work more dangerous.

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.

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

In the Middle East, a Cold War Redux?
China and the U.S. are competing for influence in the troubled region.

Ankara’s New Syrian Headache
Toppling Assad didn’t solve Turkey’s problems—it made them worse.

How Israel’s Strikes on the Houthis Will Change Yemen
For years, the group has relied on the perception that it is untouchable.

Qué Sharaa, Sharaa
With concrete steps, Washington can keep Syria’s future on track.
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Why the Oslo Peace Process Failed
And what it means for future negotiators.

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?

How Will This War End? How Can the Next One be Prevented?
FP asks experts two questions about the fighting between Israelis and Palestinians.

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’s Political Leaders Aren’t in Charge
The group’s leadership in exile has taken a back seat to its officials in Gaza.

What’s Stopping Egypt From Stepping Up in Gaza?
Internal dynamics restrict Cairo’s options for involvement in a post-Hamas Gaza.

How Netanyahu Plans to Hold on to Power
The Hamas attack demolished his political standing, but Bibi has a survival strategy.

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.

What Was Hamas Thinking?
The Oct. 7 attack was the culmination of a strategic shift to challenge the movement’s containment.

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.

The Future of Hamas Passes Through Tehran
Clarity about Gaza’s postwar rule requires addressing the role of Iran.

Russia Is the Loser in the Israel-Hamas War
Moscow’s decade as the arbiter of the Middle East is coming to an end.

Where Is the West’s Moral Courage on Israel?
Eliminating Hamas doesn’t justify the destruction Israel is inflicting on Gaza.

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’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 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.

The Middle East Has Locked Itself in a Slaughterhouse
The region is suffering from a precipitously brutal coarsening of its politics.

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.

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.

Israelis Struggle to Imagine a Possible Peace
A wounded activist movement tries to come to terms with war.