Middle Orient

Amid the immediate joy of the hostage families, and the victorious crowing of the American President, Gaza’s peace plan may yet produce a long truce. Beyond the politicking of outsiders — Donald Trump’s quest for personal glory, Qatar’s desire to draw closer to the White House — fatigue among the …

Forging a durable, just, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East should mimic the construction of a bridge. On one side, the architects of peace must build forward from where they stand today: negotiate a cease-fire agreement, uphold it, and point it toward a lasting settlement. On the opposite side, …

For the first time in nearly four decades, Iran is on the cusp of a change of leadership—and maybe even of regime. As Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s reign nears its end, a 12-day war in June laid bare the fragility of the system he built. Israel battered Iranian cities …

The captagon economy in Syria was never the creation of a single political authority. New data suggests it is part of a deeply rooted regional network that transcends borders, governments, and even regime change. When former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government fell on 8 December 2024, the world’s attention turned …

There is no shortage of failed peace plans in occupied Palestine, all of them incorporating detailed phases and timelines, going back to the presidency of Jimmy Carter. They end the same way. Israel gets what it wants initially — in the latest case the release of the remaining Israeli hostages …

Bottom Line Up Front Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, numerous seemingly sacrosanct red lines in the region have been crossed, including extensive warfare between Iran and Israel on each other’s territory, and the Houthi threat to commercial freedom of navigation through the Red Sea. The October 7 attack …

Toplines Israel and Hamas implemented a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip at 5:00 AM ET on October 10.[1] The ceasefire agreement does not address outstanding issues that were initially included in US President Donald Trump’s plan for peace in the Gaza Strip, such as Hamas’ disarmament, a full Israeli withdrawal, …

In August 22- 29, 2025, a high-level Islamic conference was held in Istanbul under the title “Gaza: An Islamic and Humanitarian Responsibility.” Sponsored by Turkey and Qatar and attended by 150 senior Muslim clerics from 50 countries, the conference was aimed at expressing unequivocal support for the Hamas terrorist organization …

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish conglomerates that two of the brothers appear to have secretly controlled, according to leaked documents. The Barzani brothers’ acquisitions …

Toplines Hamas agreed to a ceasefire with Israel on October 3 but called for negotiating other aspects of US President Donald Trump’s plan for peace in the Gaza Strip. Trump proposed a 20-point plan to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 29 that laid out a broad vision for …