Middle Orient

U.S. President Donald Trump stated earlier today that, what he described as “the new Iranian leadership,” has expressed interest in negotiations. The operational authority over the security and military apparatus has reportedly become more concentrated within figures closely aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the former Supreme …

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the first American fatalities in the conflict with Iran, reporting that three U.S. service members were killed and five others wounded in attacks on regional bases. Despite the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s rapid and coordinated escalation demonstrates that regime command and …

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a series of military strikes against Iran, signifying a major escalation in a region with already elevated tensions. President Trump declared the U.S. military strikes against Iran as part of a “massive and ongoing” combat campaign, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin …

Key Takeaways: The combined US-Israeli force has struck over 2,000 targets in Iran and achieved air superiority over Tehran. The combined force has continued to target Iranian internal security institutions responsible for maintaining stability and suppressing protests, including security forces along Iran’s northwestern borders with Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan.Ali Reza …

Tensions between Washington and Tehran are rising by the day. But while much of the commentary focuses on what might happen inside Iran, more immediate danger likely lies to Israel’s north. Lebanon is shaping up as the second front of a widening confrontation. Israel has stepped up its air campaign …

Israel says it has killed the head of Iran-backed Hezbollah’s intelligence operations in Lebanon, shortly after beginning an “offensive campaign” in the country and exchanging fresh strikes with Tehran on Monday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it killed the militant group’s intelligence chief, Hussein Makled, in Beirut late on …

Shots of belching flames at the world’s first seven-star hotel aren’t the images Dubai wants Instagram influencers to share after decades spent cultivating the glittering city’s brand as a unique global hub of peace and prosperity. Nor will the shots of fallen missile debris do anything for the reputation of …

The Tehran regime’s octopus may have lost its head, but its tentacles still grip the country and the region. The joint military campaign by the United States and Israel launched on February 28 has not only targeted the regime’s ballistic missile program and military installations. It has also eliminated many …

Washington Institute experts assess the immediate implications of U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran, including the regime’s future after major leadership losses, reactions inside Iran and Lebanon, the fallout for the Gulf states, the contours of potential diplomacy once the fighting stops, and more. The statements made by President Trump and …

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute are publishing two updates daily to provide analysis on the war with Iran. The morning update will focus on US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran and the Axis of …