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

A group of man stand in a rocky field. An Israeli soldier wearing green military fatigues reaches out to push a hand against the chest of another man, who wears a red T-shirt and baseball cap as he gestures toward his own head. The man in red is flanked by two other men dressed casually in blue shirts, and all four seem to be speaking intensely.
A group of man stand in a rocky field. An Israeli soldier wearing green military fatigues reaches out to push a hand against the chest of another man, who wears a red T-shirt and baseball cap as he gestures toward his own head. The man in red is flanked by two other men dressed casually in blue shirts, and all four seem to be speaking intensely.

Lines Increasingly Blurred Between Soldiers and Settlers in the West Bank

Israeli attacks on Palestinians there have surged since the Israel-Hamas war began.

Media delegates watch Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, shown on a TV screen, address the Arab League summit in Jeddah.
Media delegates watch Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, shown on a TV screen, address the Arab League summit in Jeddah.

The World Won’t Be the Same After the Israel-Hamas War

The Middle East’s latest war will have widespread geopolitical effects.

A young man walks across a ground of cracked stone in front of a cluster of small buildings below a clear blue sky. The buildings are covered with text painted in Arabic and English. One sign reads "Families, not firing zones," and another reads, "Where will I sleep?"
A young man walks across a ground of cracked stone in front of a cluster of small buildings below a clear blue sky. The buildings are covered with text painted in Arabic and English. One sign reads "Families, not firing zones," and another reads, "Where will I sleep?"

On the War’s Other Front, Palestinians Face Violence and Expulsion

Some Israeli settlers are exploiting the conflict to try to redraw the map in the West Bank.

An Arab Israeli woman waits in line before voting in the northern Israeli village of Maghar.
An Arab Israeli woman waits in line before voting in the northern Israeli village of Maghar.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani (C) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) attend a meeting, in Doha on Oct. 13.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani (C) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) attend a meeting, in Doha on Oct. 13.

The Road to Middle East Peace Runs Through Doha

Bringing together Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to administer postwar Gaza could weaken Iranian and Russian regional influence. This article has an audio recording

Individuals gather in Paris for a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people.
Individuals gather in Paris for a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people.

The Israel-Hamas War Is Dividing Europe’s Left

A political hot potato singes progressives across the continent.

Israeli volunteers tend to plants in a greenhouse growing tomatoes in Moshav Sde Nitzan, in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip, on October 25, 2023.
Israeli volunteers tend to plants in a greenhouse growing tomatoes in Moshav Sde Nitzan, in southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip, on October 25, 2023.

Israel’s Wartime Economy Can’t Hold Up Forever

The country’s massive military mobilization has created serious economic strain.

Rubble cleared in Gaza after Israeli airstrike in Israel-Hamas war.
Rubble cleared in Gaza after Israeli airstrike in Israel-Hamas war.

Can Our Leaders Avoid the Terrorism Trap?

For Israel and Palestine, the only way to break the cycle of violence is to understand the difference between justice and vengeance.

Supporters of Hezbollah gather at Ashura Square in the southern suburbs of Beirut to listen to the speech of the secretary-general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on Nov. 3.
Supporters of Hezbollah gather at Ashura Square in the southern suburbs of Beirut to listen to the speech of the secretary-general of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on Nov. 3.

Will There Be a Wider War in the Middle East?

How Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, and other countries in the region are watching Israel’s war on Hamas.

A USAID mural is pictured in the village of al-Badhan, north of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
A USAID mural is pictured in the village of al-Badhan, north of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

More U.S. Officials Are Anonymously Calling for a Gaza Cease-Fire

USAID open letter joins growing chorus of internal dissent over Biden’s Israel policy.

A young girl is silhouetted as she stands behind the metal mesh that covered the window of a building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in the southern Gaza. In front of her is a scene of destruction with the rubble of crumbled buildings and an excavator sifting through the piles.
A young girl is silhouetted as she stands behind the metal mesh that covered the window of a building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in the southern Gaza. In front of her is a scene of destruction with the rubble of crumbled buildings and an excavator sifting through the piles.

What Happens to Gaza After the War?

A set of grim scenarios emerge for the enclave’s Palestinian residents. This article has an audio recording

A large crowd gathers to watch a televised speech by Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, in Lebanon. The leader wears a black robe and head covering and gestures as he speaks. Text is seen on the screen next to and on sides above him with flags waving amid the crowd.
A large crowd gathers to watch a televised speech by Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, in Lebanon. The leader wears a black robe and head covering and gestures as he speaks. Text is seen on the screen next to and on sides above him with flags waving amid the crowd.

Hezbollah’s Nasrallah Tries to Walk a Fine Line on Israel-Hamas War

In his long-awaited speech, the Lebanese militant leader avoided committing Hezbollah to a bigger role in the conflict.

A view shows an explosion in the distance with buildings in the foreground.
A view shows an explosion in the distance with buildings in the foreground.

Israel’s Gaza Campaign Is Entering a Moral Abyss

The country must be held to the laws and conventions that regulate warfare.

Demonstrators, mostly women, wave Palestinian and Hezbollah flags and hold posters of former Quds Force leader Qassem Suleimani during a rally in Tehran.
Demonstrators, mostly women, wave Palestinian and Hezbollah flags and hold posters of former Quds Force leader Qassem Suleimani during a rally in Tehran.

Iran Can’t Afford a Regional War

Leaders in Tehran can either seize the diplomatic opportunity—or face a potential threat to their own power.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.

I Worked With Netanyahu. It’s Time for Him to Step Down.

A former U.S. ambassador to Israel on why Bibi has lost his mandate—and the confidence of his country’s closest allies.

In a pro-government demonstration on October 18, 2023, in Tehran, Iran, mock body bags are placed on the podium as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi addresses the crowds.
In a pro-government demonstration on October 18, 2023, in Tehran, Iran, mock body bags are placed on the podium as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi addresses the crowds.

How Iran Really Sees the Israel-Hamas War

Tehran’s relationship to the conflict is not nearly as straightforward as its rhetoric suggests.

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