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

People take part in a demonstration against Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip in São Paulo on Oct. 22.
People take part in a demonstration against Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip in São Paulo on Oct. 22.

Why the Global South Is Accusing America of Hypocrisy

Many countries perceive a double standard in the West’s contrasting responses to Gaza and Ukraine.

Protesters raise their hands, painted red, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testify during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 31.
Protesters raise their hands, painted red, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testify during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 31.

The Storm of Dissent Brewing in the State Department

U.S. diplomats are split over Biden’s perceived blank-check support for Israel.

A convoy of trucks carrying aid supplies for the Gaza Strip from Egypt waits to cross into Gaza on the main Ismailia desert road on Oct. 16. A banner covering one truck displays a portrait of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
A convoy of trucks carrying aid supplies for the Gaza Strip from Egypt waits to cross into Gaza on the main Ismailia desert road on Oct. 16. A banner covering one truck displays a portrait of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Egyptian Dissidents Are the Collateral Damage of U.S. Support for Israel

Washington ignores Sisi’s human rights abuses in exchange for his enforcement of Gaza’s blockade.

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, wearing glasses, a suit jacket, and button-up shirt, is seen through a teleprompter at a news conference. Behind him is a sign with Hebrew letters in blue and red.
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, wearing glasses, a suit jacket, and button-up shirt, is seen through a teleprompter at a news conference. Behind him is a sign with Hebrew letters in blue and red.

Ehud Barak on Israel’s Next Steps

The former Israeli army chief and prime minister says: “We will probably lose the support of public opinion in many parts of the free world.”

Members of the United Nations Security Council listen as Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., speaks during a meeting on the Israel-Hamas war at U.N. headquarters in New York City.
Members of the United Nations Security Council listen as Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., speaks during a meeting on the Israel-Hamas war at U.N. headquarters in New York City.

On Gaza, the U.N. Struggles for Relevance

As on Ukraine and other critical issues, the multilateral body is trapped in political theater.

Supporters of Palestine gather at Harvard University to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza at a rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 14, 2023.
Supporters of Palestine gather at Harvard University to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza at a rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 14, 2023.

Universities Shouldn’t Ever Take Sides in a War

Why academic institutions should always avoid taking sides.

Seen from Sderot, Israel, flares fired from Israeli artillery positions descend on Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 30.
Seen from Sderot, Israel, flares fired from Israeli artillery positions descend on Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 30.

Israel’s High-Tech Surveillance Was Never Going to Bring Peace

Leaders used technology to insulate Israelis from conflict rather than addressing its root causes. This article has an audio recording

An Israeli Army M109 155mm self-propelled howitzer fires rounds toward the Gaza Strip from a position in southern Israel across the border on Oct. 28.
An Israeli Army M109 155mm self-propelled howitzer fires rounds toward the Gaza Strip from a position in southern Israel across the border on Oct. 28.

The Israel-Hamas War Has Entered a ‘New Phase.’ Here’s What to Expect.

As Israel shifts from an air-only approach to one involving its ground forces in Gaza, it will face new challenges and dilemmas.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani looks on as he waits for the U.S. Secretary of State in Lusail on October 13, 2023.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani looks on as he waits for the U.S. Secretary of State in Lusail on October 13, 2023.

How Qatar Became the Middle East’s Indispensable Mediator

Doha’s critical role in the race to free the hostages trapped in Gaza.

Family members of Valentin (Eli) Ghnassia, 23, who was killed by Hamas militants at Kibbutz Be’eri near the Israel-Gaza border, react during his funeral.
Family members of Valentin (Eli) Ghnassia, 23, who was killed by Hamas militants at Kibbutz Be’eri near the Israel-Gaza border, react during his funeral.

‘We Will Never Forgive Netanyahu for What He Did to Us’

Israeli journalist and Hamas attack survivor Amir Tibon on how his community is coping.

President Joe Biden addresses the United States on the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.
President Joe Biden addresses the United States on the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.

How Many Wars Can America Fight at the Same Time?

The country’s adversaries around the world may sense Washington is stretched too thin.

Blinken stands near a black SUV among U.S. and Saudi security personnel. A Saudi flag can be seen in the background.
Blinken stands near a black SUV among U.S. and Saudi security personnel. A Saudi flag can be seen in the background.

Saudi Arabia Is Mysteriously Absent in the Israel-Hamas War

Mohammed bin Salman has pitched the kingdom as the most influential country in the Middle East, yet he has dropped the ball on actual diplomacy.

Flares and smoke contrails extend from an Israeli F-15 Eagle fighter in flight against a blue sky.
Flares and smoke contrails extend from an Israeli F-15 Eagle fighter in flight against a blue sky.

Israel’s Military Tech Fetish Is a Failed Strategy

A fixation on technology created an illusion of safety—and an excuse to avoid hard choices.

Bursts of light fly over a city skyline at night, showing the path of a missile fired from Israel's Iron Dome air-defense system as it intercepts another missile.
Bursts of light fly over a city skyline at night, showing the path of a missile fired from Israel's Iron Dome air-defense system as it intercepts another missile.

U.S. to Bolster Israel’s Missile Defenses

The Iron Dome may not be so ironclad if Hezbollah joins the war.

A ship is seen docked at Israel’s southern Ashdod Port on May 31, 2010.
A ship is seen docked at Israel’s southern Ashdod Port on May 31, 2010.

The War With Hamas Could Threaten Israel’s Imports

If shipping companies decide Israeli ports are too risky, the country could soon find itself running out of food.

A large screen in a big conference center shows Sisi seated at a table alongside other officials.
A large screen in a big conference center shows Sisi seated at a table alongside other officials.

The World Can’t Solve the Israel-Hamas War Without Egypt

Although it will prove a challenging partner, Cairo has critical interests and strong leverage in Gaza.

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