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

Lines Increasingly Blurred Between Soldiers and Settlers in the West Bank
Israeli attacks on Palestinians there have surged since the Israel-Hamas war began.

The World Won’t Be the Same After the Israel-Hamas War
The Middle East’s latest war will have widespread geopolitical effects.

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.

‘Too Israeli for the Palestinians and too Palestinian for the Israelis’
How the war in Gaza is squeezing Arab Israelis.

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.

The Israel-Hamas War Is Dividing Europe’s Left
A political hot potato singes progressives across the continent.

Israel’s Wartime Economy Can’t Hold Up Forever
The country’s massive military mobilization has created serious economic strain.

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.

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.

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.

What Happens to Gaza After the War?
A set of grim scenarios emerge for the enclave’s Palestinian residents.

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.

Israel’s Gaza Campaign Is Entering a Moral Abyss
The country must be held to the laws and conventions that regulate warfare.

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.

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.

How Iran Really Sees the Israel-Hamas War
Tehran’s relationship to the conflict is not nearly as straightforward as its rhetoric suggests.