Middle East

The illusion of change in Iraq: Baghdad's militia shake-up masks a deeper Iranian strategy

BEHIND THE LINES: The decision by Zaidan’s allies to integrate their armed elements into state security forces represents an effort by a pro-Iranian element to consolidate its power.

Qais al-Khazali, head of the Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia in Iraq, speaks during a rally last year in Baghdad to present the Sadiqoon Movement ahead of parliamentary elections.
Israeli soldiers driving a tank pass a line of waving civilians on the side of a road while advancing into Syria during the Six Day War, June 1967.

Six Day War: When Israel moved from survival to revival - opinion

Mossad chief David Barnea attends a farewell ceremony in his honor, at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, on July 14, 2024.

Ex-top Mossad official: Barnea led agency to unprecedented operational reach - interview

FOR IRAN’S Christian community, the postwar crackdown has been particularly severe, with at least 50 members detained by authorities. Here, Iranian Christians take part in the New Year prayer ceremony at a church in Tehran last January.

Iran’s ethnic groups could alter the balance of power - opinion


Why Saudi Arabia is still resisting Trump's pressure to join Abraham Accords - analysis

Gulf countries tend to be cautious, and they care about protocol, respect, and ceremony - they don’t want to be seen as being used. They want to feel like partners.

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman arrives for meetings on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, November 19, 2025.

Syria’s limited Kurdish election exposes limits of Damascus’s democratic transition - analysis

Syria had already held types of limited elections in other areas of Syria last year. However, areas outside government control did not hold a vote.

Children hold signs on the day Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026.

'Weak, ineffective people': Trump slams 'Dumocrats, RINOs' who warned against rumored Iran deal

Republican lawmakers and former Trump administration officials have claimed the deal could hand Tehran a strategic victory and undermine the results of the US campaign against the Islamic Republic.

US President Donald Trump gestures at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, US, March 11, 2026.

Netanyahu orders IDF to 'hit the gas' on Hezbollah strikes amid drone strikes in northern Israel

Netanyahu's comments come after IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said that Israel should attack Beirut in response to Hezbollah's drone attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026.

Hezbollah drones target northern Israel for hours, slam into Metula home

Later on Monday, the region experienced several drone intrusions within approximately one hour. As a result, there were two reported shrapnel falls in Shomera. 

An IDF drone during a training exercise near the Syrian border, northern Golan Heights, June 26, 2025; illustrative.

Obama-era nuclear deal may be best case scenario for US, Iran peace talks, Israeli expert warns

Israel is closely watching the possibility of an interim arrangement, particularly amid reports that Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz as part of a broader understanding with Washington. 

 People wave flags next to an Iranian missile on display during the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025.

CIA knows Iran's real power center while Washington pretends otherwise - opinion

Now, after 47 years, the CIA, in coordination with Mossad, may have assumed responsibility for a campaign against the Islamic Republic in pursuit of what many describe as a “new Middle East.”

An illustration of the CIA and Iranian flags.

Diplomacy funded by illusions: Trump's deal with Iran must be more than promises - editorial

A narrow agreement that freezes one file while funding the rest of the system would create the illusion of progress and the reality of danger.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025.

US conducts 'self-defense strikes' in southern Iran as IDF strikes on Hezbollah intensify

Iran's president orders reopening of international internet access • IDF strikes city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, following surge in Hezbollah drone attacks

US President Donald Trump as he points while delivering remarks about health care costs and affordability from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, DC, US, May 18, 2026.

Iran-linked hackers targeted US, Israel and UAE, Palo Alto Networks says

Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 said the Screening Serpens group used six new remote access Trojan variants and a new attack technique against targets during the regional escalation.

 An illustration of a cyber hacker and the Iranian flag.