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

Demonstrators gather near the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to protest against a plan floated by U.S. President Donald Trump to move Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan.
Demonstrators gather near the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza to protest against a plan floated by U.S. President Donald Trump to move Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan.

Trump’s Plan to ‘Clean Out’ Gaza Could Upend Jordan

The country’s role as a regional stabilizer is at risk if it takes on more Palestinian refugees.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands next to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands next to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Good Optics But Empty Pockets

Netanyahu should lower expectations ahead of his meeting with Trump.

Residents gather around a delivery of aid boxes in Deir al-Balah in Gaza on Jan. 23.
Residents gather around a delivery of aid boxes in Deir al-Balah in Gaza on Jan. 23.

Israel’s UNRWA Ban, Explained

“It’s very hard to see how this is going to bring more stability to Gaza,” one expert said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a rally organized by his Justice and Development Party.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a rally organized by his Justice and Development Party.

Is Turkey Breaking Its Own Oil Embargo?

As Erdogan champions the Palestinian cause, evidence suggests that his regime is facilitating support for Israel.

A man holds up a sign that reads, "In Trump they trust," while another man to his left holds an Israeli flag.
A man holds up a sign that reads, "In Trump they trust," while another man to his left holds an Israeli flag.

Will Trump Follow Through on Gaza?

Only sustained U.S. pressure on Israel and Hamas will end the war.

Benjamin Netanyahu smiles slightly with his head bowed in front of a microphone as Donald Trump passes behind him, his face serious.
Benjamin Netanyahu smiles slightly with his head bowed in front of a microphone as Donald Trump passes behind him, his face serious.

Will Israel’s Netanyahu Survive the Cease-Fire?

His coalition is unraveling but he has a trump card.

Newly elected Lebanese president Joseph Aoun poses for a photograph at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, on Jan. 9, 2025.
Newly elected Lebanese president Joseph Aoun poses for a photograph at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, on Jan. 9, 2025.

Hezbollah Is Waiting for Lebanon’s New Leaders 

The country’s new president and prime minister have a mandate to reform the country—but do they have the power?

Joe Biden speaks into a microphone and gestures with his index finger as he stands at a podium decorated with the official seal of the United States. Standing on either side of him and slightly behind are Kamala Harris and Antony Blinken. All wear suits.
Joe Biden speaks into a microphone and gestures with his index finger as he stands at a podium decorated with the official seal of the United States. Standing on either side of him and slightly behind are Kamala Harris and Antony Blinken. All wear suits.

Qatar and U.S. Announce Gaza Cease-Fire and Hostage Deal

The Israeli leader has yet to comment on the deal, which would free 33 hostages and surge aid into Gaza.

Two people are silhoutted with their hands to their faces as they look over a hazy horizon toward smoke rising over Gaza.
Two people are silhoutted with their hands to their faces as they look over a hazy horizon toward smoke rising over Gaza.

One Question Looming Over Israel-Hamas Truce Deal—Why Now?

Biden has been pushing for an agreement for more than a year.

Smoke rises above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip during an Israeli army bombardment.
Smoke rises above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip during an Israeli army bombardment.

Why Gaza Is Israel’s Forever War

Israelis want the fighting to end but their leaders don’t.

Benjamin Netanyahu talks on a cell phone in the back of a vehicle, one foot up on his other knee.
Benjamin Netanyahu talks on a cell phone in the back of a vehicle, one foot up on his other knee.

The Case Against Benjamin Netanyahu

With leaked interrogation footage, “The Bibi Files” portrays a corrupt Israeli leader.

A man pulls a man on a mattress on a rubble-strewn street.
A man pulls a man on a mattress on a rubble-strewn street.

Why Are We Ignoring Human Rights Criticism of Israel?

Major international organizations condemn Israel’s conduct in Gaza—and they’re not getting enough attention.

A double exposure portrait of a man with glasses in a suit against a blue sky with the edge of a beige brick building at right. The man is in his 30s, bald, and wears a dark suit with a tie.
A double exposure portrait of a man with glasses in a suit against a blue sky with the edge of a beige brick building at right. The man is in his 30s, bald, and wears a dark suit with a tie.

A Palestinian Who Holds Many Truths

Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib has emerged as a voice of unique clarity in the zero-sum debate over Israel-Palestine.

A Houthi fighter guards the Galaxy Leader vessel on the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, Yemen.
A Houthi fighter guards the Galaxy Leader vessel on the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, Yemen.

A Year of War Has Left the Middle East Less Stable

Disorder and instability reign from Gaza to Syria and the Red Sea.

People stand atop a tank holding a Syrian flag adn celebrating with their arms raised.
People stand atop a tank holding a Syrian flag adn celebrating with their arms raised.

Assad’s Fall Is the Middle East’s 1989

One of many consequences is the demise of Iran’s self-styled Axis of Resistance.

An anti-government fighter tears down a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo on Nov. 30.
An anti-government fighter tears down a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo on Nov. 30.

What the Fall of Aleppo Means for Russia

A lightning advance by rebels will force Moscow to recalibrate its Syria strategy.

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