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

Two Israeli flags stand near a damaged building.
Two Israeli flags stand near a damaged building.

Does Israel Have an Exit Strategy?

Netanyahu might be bumbling into a war of attrition with Iran. This article has an audio recording

A wide view shows the skyline of Tehran at night beneath a dark sky. A massive plume of black smoke rises from an area crowded with buildings, which can be seen by their light in the dark.
A wide view shows the skyline of Tehran at night beneath a dark sky. A massive plume of black smoke rises from an area crowded with buildings, which can be seen by their light in the dark.

Israel’s Attacks Make an Iranian Bomb More Likely

Iran’s nuclear program is damaged, but its determination is heightened.

Debris of a missile fired from Iran toward Israel leaves a trail in the night sky over Jerusalem after being intercepted.
Debris of a missile fired from Iran toward Israel leaves a trail in the night sky over Jerusalem after being intercepted.

How the Israel-Iran War Might End

Scenarios include an Iranian defeat, an Israeli retreat—or an expanded regional conflict. This article has an audio recording

The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, attends a military parade in Tehran on April 17, 2024.
The head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, attends a military parade in Tehran on April 17, 2024.

Iran’s Military Just Lost Its ‘Brain Trust’

Israeli strikes killed several of Iran’s top military commanders.

A view of the night sky in Tehran, Iran.
A view of the night sky in Tehran, Iran.

A Victory for Israel

Israel’s strikes keep Iran out of the nuclear club.

The view from a living room of a residential building that was destroyed in an attack by Israel in Tehran, Iran.
The view from a living room of a residential building that was destroyed in an attack by Israel in Tehran, Iran.

Nuclear Claims Are a Smoke Screen for Hopes of Toppling Iran

The Israeli strikes aren’t about facilities or centrifuges, but regime change.

A worker in a gray uniform and white hardhat walks on pipelines.
A worker in a gray uniform and white hardhat walks on pipelines.

Oil Prices Spike After Israeli Attacks on Iran

Traders fear a wider conflict, even if oil facilities haven’t been targeted yet.

People gather outside a building that was hit by an Israeli strike.
People gather outside a building that was hit by an Israeli strike.

Iran’s Options for Retaliating Against Israel Have Narrowed

Its proxies are weakened, and its arsenals have been degraded.

Israel Katz and Benjamin Netanyahu are sitting down at an event.
Israel Katz and Benjamin Netanyahu are sitting down at an event.

Israel Is Going for the Death Blow on Iran

The Israeli attack on Iran is about much more than its nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  speaks during a visit to the Palmachim air base near  Rishon LeZion, Israel, on July 5, 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a visit to the Palmachim air base near Rishon LeZion, Israel, on July 5, 2023.

Israel Strikes Iran

The attack comes after a frenzy of speculation that Israel was planning to take military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Pro-Palestinian activists attend a demonstration called by the BDS movement and numerous unions in Massy, near Paris.
Pro-Palestinian activists attend a demonstration called by the BDS movement and numerous unions in Massy, near Paris.

Is Israel Becoming a Pariah State?

Stalwart allies are distancing themselves, including Germany and the United Kingdom.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump walk through the West Wing Colonnade on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump walk through the West Wing Colonnade on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
A motorcycle cart carries people and belongings along a dirt road in central Gaza.
A motorcycle cart carries people and belongings along a dirt road in central Gaza.

Trump Could Put Gaza on a Better Path With One Tweet

He says he wants to end the war—his Gaza Riviera plan is prolonging it.

Israeli troops work on their armored vehicles near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on May 18.
Israeli troops work on their armored vehicles near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on May 18.

Families of Hostages Speak Out Against New Israeli Offensive in Gaza

One family member warned that the military action could “endanger the lives of the hostages.”

This handout picture provided by the office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him praying inside the tomb of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on Jan. 30.
This handout picture provided by the office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him praying inside the tomb of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on Jan. 30.

Why Khamenei Is Betting on Trump

The calculus behind Iran’s stunning reversal on a new nuclear deal.

With Jared Kushner to his left, Donald Trump listens to the rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch during a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City on May 22, 2017.
With Jared Kushner to his left, Donald Trump listens to the rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch during a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City on May 22, 2017.

Trump Isn’t Following the Script on Israel

In dealing with Netanyahu, the U.S. president appears to actually be living up to his campaign slogan to put America first.

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