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

Mahmoud Aloul of Fatah, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Moussa Abu Marzouk of Hamas attend an event at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.
Mahmoud Aloul of Fatah, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Moussa Abu Marzouk of Hamas attend an event at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

China Tries to Play Power Broker Among Palestinians

But experts say the Hamas-Fatah unity agreement Beijing brokered is unlikely to succeed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a press conference in Tel Aviv on July 13.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a press conference in Tel Aviv on July 13.

Netanyahu’s Address to Congress Is a Campaign Rally

Republicans want to help him out—but Democratic lawmakers don’t need to provide the crowd.

Israeli army soldiers patrol around a position along Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on June 13.
Israeli army soldiers patrol around a position along Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip on June 13.

Who’s in Charge of the IDF?

Evidence is growing of a command and control problem.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks in New York.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks in New York.

Ehud Olmert on Israel’s Two-Front War and the Fall of Netanyahu

The former Israeli prime minister calls for a cease-fire in Gaza and the creation of a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.

The Man Leading Israel’s Not-So-Quiet Annexation of the West Bank

Bezalel Smotrich aims to bankrupt the Palestinian Authority and cement Israeli rule.

An Israeli soldier wearing a green combat uniform uses a flashlight to examine a framed photograph of three women as he checks personal belongings in a house that was hit by a Hezbollah rocket. Behind him, a presumably broken window is boarded up with a slab of plywood.
An Israeli soldier wearing a green combat uniform uses a flashlight to examine a framed photograph of three women as he checks personal belongings in a house that was hit by a Hezbollah rocket. Behind him, a presumably broken window is boarded up with a slab of plywood.

What a War Between Israel and Hezbollah Might Look Like

The Lebanese armed group is trained and equipped much better than Hamas.

U.S. President Joe Biden reaches his arm out a table to shake hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both men wear dark suits and ties, and the Israeli and American flags hang in front of a blue curtain beyond the two leaders.
U.S. President Joe Biden reaches his arm out a table to shake hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both men wear dark suits and ties, and the Israeli and American flags hang in front of a blue curtain beyond the two leaders.

Why Biden’s Gaza Gambit Is Likely to Fail

The U.S. president wants a truce more than Israel and Hamas do.

A woman wearing a short sleeve shirt stands in a doorway inside a house. Bullet holes can be seen in the walls behind her and writing and spray paint is on a wall.
A woman wearing a short sleeve shirt stands in a doorway inside a house. Bullet holes can be seen in the walls behind her and writing and spray paint is on a wall.

Inside Israel, the Gaza War Looks Very Different

Mired in the trauma of Oct. 7, many see the war as one of existential necessity.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen from the side as he stands at a podium at the White House as he delivers remarks. Biden is a man in his 80s wearing a black suit and tie. An electric light shaped like a candelabra is visible on the sculpted wall behind him.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen from the side as he stands at a podium at the White House as he delivers remarks. Biden is a man in his 80s wearing a black suit and tie. An electric light shaped like a candelabra is visible on the sculpted wall behind him.

Biden Outlines Israeli Proposal For Gaza Cease-Fire Deal

Hamas is “no longer capable” of carrying out another major attack against Israel, the U.S. president said.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag during a pro-Palestinian “Nakba 76” rally in Washington, D.C.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag during a pro-Palestinian “Nakba 76” rally in Washington, D.C.

Why the U.S. Should Recognize Palestinian Statehood

Sovereignty would serve America’s interests—and Israel’s.

The top of a protester's head is seen slightly out of focus as they hold up a picket sign that reads “Boycott Israel” during a demonstration in Copenhagen, Denmark. The text is stamped in black block letters on the sign, which is made from bright orange fabric.
The top of a protester's head is seen slightly out of focus as they hold up a picket sign that reads “Boycott Israel” during a demonstration in Copenhagen, Denmark. The text is stamped in black block letters on the sign, which is made from bright orange fabric.
The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, a bald man in a gray suit and red tie, speaks at a podium during a press conference in Bogota. A blue ICC flag hangs behind him in front of a wood-paneled wall.
The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, a bald man in a gray suit and red tie, speaks at a podium during a press conference in Bogota. A blue ICC flag hangs behind him in front of a wood-paneled wall.

ICC Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Hamas Leaders

The announcement ramps up pressure on Israel and puts the United States in a new bind.

A pro-Palestinian protester waves a Palestinian flag on the National Mall in Washington on Oct. 21, 2023, during a demonstration calling for an Israeli cease-fire in Gaza.
A pro-Palestinian protester waves a Palestinian flag on the National Mall in Washington on Oct. 21, 2023, during a demonstration calling for an Israeli cease-fire in Gaza.

Rift or Rupture?

What the war in Gaza is doing to U.S.-Israeli relations.

Relatives and friends bid farewell to the body of Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa, who was killed in an air strike while working in Khan Younis, Gaza.
Relatives and friends bid farewell to the body of Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa, who was killed in an air strike while working in Khan Younis, Gaza.

After Al Jazeera, Will Israel Target Its Own Media?

Rights groups worry the closing of the Qatari network is just the beginning.

U.S. and Israeli rabbis and rabbinical students, joined by peace activists, march toward the Erez crossing on the border with northern Gaza Strip to call for a permanent cease-fire on April 26.
U.S. and Israeli rabbis and rabbinical students, joined by peace activists, march toward the Erez crossing on the border with northern Gaza Strip to call for a permanent cease-fire on April 26.

A Middle East Security Pact Won’t Free Palestine

The Biden administration needs to recognize that the problems lie with Israeli politics.

U.S. President Joe Biden sits with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, 2023.
U.S. President Joe Biden sits with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, 2023.

Biden Draws a Red(Ish) Line on Israel

The U.S. president pauses some military aid as tensions with Israel mount.

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