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

An Israeli army self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 11, 2023.
An Israeli army self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 11, 2023.
Keys are left in a door riddled with bullet holes and stained with blood in a kibbutz in Israel after a Hamas raid on civilians.
Keys are left in a door riddled with bullet holes and stained with blood in a kibbutz in Israel after a Hamas raid on civilians.

Why the Israeli Hostages Face Grim Prospects

Boaz Ganor, an experienced hostage negotiator, explains the trade-offs confronting Israel’s government.

Israeli soldiers search among the cars and tents at the Supernova music festival site where hundreds were killed and dozens taken by Hamas militants in Kibbutz Re'im, Israel, near the border with Gaza.
Israeli soldiers search among the cars and tents at the Supernova music festival site where hundreds were killed and dozens taken by Hamas militants in Kibbutz Re'im, Israel, near the border with Gaza.

‘Israel Has No Intention of Giving Hamas a Prize’

A peace activist involved in previous hostage negotiations describes how Netanyahu will handle the release of abducted Israelis.

Palestinians gather in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Oct. 10, 2023, to express their support for the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians gather in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Oct. 10, 2023, to express their support for the Gaza Strip.

The View From Ramallah

Palestinians see a double standard in Western support for Ukraine’s fight against occupation.

An offshore oil construction platform stands in the Mediterranean Sea while oil tanker ships float nearby. No land is visible, and the horizon line is hazy between the dark water and the blue sky.
An offshore oil construction platform stands in the Mediterranean Sea while oil tanker ships float nearby. No land is visible, and the horizon line is hazy between the dark water and the blue sky.

The Israel-Hamas War Could Upend Global Energy Security

If the conflict worsens, spillover effects could disrupt gas production and major shipping chokepoints.

Palestinian militants fire rockets toward Israel from Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.
Palestinian militants fire rockets toward Israel from Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

What Israeli Intelligence Got Wrong About Hamas

Hubris and toxic politics fueled a mistaken belief in containment.

A woman gestures at Israeli security forces in the West Bank town of Hebron.
A woman gestures at Israeli security forces in the West Bank town of Hebron.

‘Palestinians Live in a State of Despair’

Regional expert Khaled Elgindy on the political future of the Palestinian people.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds a placard showing maps tracing the reduction of Palestinian territory from its historical borders, left, to then-U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for a Palestinian state under his new peace plan, far right, as he speaks in Ramallah.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds a placard showing maps tracing the reduction of Palestinian territory from its historical borders, left, to then-U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for a Palestinian state under his new peace plan, far right, as he speaks in Ramallah.

The Geopolitics of Palestine, Explained

Gaza wasn’t always the hot spot it is today.

A grid of images shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a boy carrying a Palestine and a Fatah flag, a Hamas militant holding a gun with his face covered, members of Hezbollah wearing berets, fatigues, and holding flags, PLO leader Yasser Arafat, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants.
A grid of images shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a boy carrying a Palestine and a Fatah flag, a Hamas militant holding a gun with his face covered, members of Hezbollah wearing berets, fatigues, and holding flags, PLO leader Yasser Arafat, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants.

A Guide to Palestinian and Other Anti-Israel Factions

Hamas is not the only group vying to lead the Palestinians—or the fight against Israel.

U.S. President Bill Clinton, in a dark suit and tie, smiles as he stands between Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, in a uniform and checked headscarf, and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzahk Rabin, in a dark suit, as they shake hands in front of the White House. Clinton's arms are outstretched as he gestures around the other two men.
U.S. President Bill Clinton, in a dark suit and tie, smiles as he stands between Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, in a uniform and checked headscarf, and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzahk Rabin, in a dark suit, as they shake hands in front of the White House. Clinton's arms are outstretched as he gestures around the other two men.

‘Negotiation Is the Only Solution’

Why Aaron David Miller still believes in a Middle East peace process.

Members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, take part in a gathering in Gaza on Jan. 31, 2016.
Members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, take part in a gathering in Gaza on Jan. 31, 2016.

Can Hamas Be Destroyed?

Israel’s goals in its current war may be too expansive to achieve. This article has an audio recording

A woman wearing a headscarf and dress carries a small child as she and others walk across rubble following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi mosque in Gaza City. Dust, smoke, and destroyed buildings fill the landscape.
A woman wearing a headscarf and dress carries a small child as she and others walk across rubble following an Israeli airstrike on the Sousi mosque in Gaza City. Dust, smoke, and destroyed buildings fill the landscape.

Laying Siege to Gaza Is No Solution

U.S. support for Israel’s incursion could enable mass atrocities.

Demonstrators carry a large banner featuring the words "We will free Palestine within our lifetime."
Demonstrators carry a large banner featuring the words "We will free Palestine within our lifetime."

The Hamas Attack Has Changed Everything

The starting point for the new Middle East will be an Israeli reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, not an Israeli Embassy in Riyadh.

Lebanese soldiers stand on a hill overlooking the Israeli town of Metula as a man waves the Palestinian and Hezbollah flags at the Lebanese-Israeli border in the southern village of Kafr Kila, Lebanon.
Lebanese soldiers stand on a hill overlooking the Israeli town of Metula as a man waves the Palestinian and Hezbollah flags at the Lebanese-Israeli border in the southern village of Kafr Kila, Lebanon.

Will Hezbollah Join the War Against Israel?

If the Lebanese group does more than fire a few missiles in solidarity, it would dramatically escalate the current conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wearing a dark overcoat over a shirt and tie, is seen from the shoulders up as he stands against bare branches and a wintry sky.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wearing a dark overcoat over a shirt and tie, is seen from the shoulders up as he stands against bare branches and a wintry sky.

Netanyahu’s Road to War

The Israeli leader sought to sideline the Palestinians while wooing the Arab states. Now he faces a bloody backlash.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in a suit and tie sits in front of a microphone and table decorated with flowers. The Russian and Iranian flags are seen behind him.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in a suit and tie sits in front of a microphone and table decorated with flowers. The Russian and Iranian flags are seen behind him.

What Will Russia Do With Gaza Chaos?

A possible two-front war in the Middle East will have knock-on effects for Europe.

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