As relations between Moscow and the West have deteriorated in the course of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government has been focusing on islands belonging to Western countries as possible targets for attack, especially those with complicated legal and demographic situations (see EDM, June 11). Earlier this year, Moscow …

Iran strongly condemned Israel’s operations in Lebanon, including the detonation of the communications devices, the killing of Ibrahim Aqil, and the extensive airstrikes. However, at this stage, Iran refrains from committing to direct military involvement in the campaign alongside Hezbollah, focusing instead on diplomatic efforts. These efforts are being led …

The EU’s defense commissioner could address the fragmentation of Europe’s defense industry and enhance cooperation with NATO. But limited resources, member states’ reluctance, and institutional frictions may hinder progress. No, it is necessary. Russia’s war in Ukraine the past two and a half years has made it painfully clear that …

At a moment the West – especially the US and UK – are still mulling whether to allow Ukraine forces to attack Russian territory using NATO-provided long-range missiles, President Vladimir Putin has just issued a hugely significant statement regarding his country’s nuclear doctrine. Putin on Wednesday very clearly lowered the …

The world is heading into a period where foundational rules once taken for granted no longer apply. The EU urgently needs to emerge from its peace dividend softness and build a power model that allows it to shape new alliances and deter adversaries. The fragmenting U.S.-led global order may not …

Terror organization: Hezbollah Status: Commander of Nasser unit. The Nasser unit is responsible for the area between the border with Israel and the Litani River. Role: He was an operative since the establishment of the organization. He joined Hezbollah in 1984. In 1992-1994 participated in the war in Bosnia. In …

Analysis: Israel’s military escalation aims to return displaced Israelis to the north and decouple Hezbollah from a ceasefire in Gaza. It is a high-risk gamble. There has recently been an alarming escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. On 23 September, Lebanon experienced its deadliest day since the end of its civil …

Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon killed almost 500 people, including dozens of women and children, and wounded more than 1,600, according to Lebanese authorities, in the deadliest wave of strikes since the current hostilities began in October. The Israeli military said it launched strikes against more than 1,300 locations …

In recent years, many Israelis, both regular citizens as well as policymakers, have concluded that a war with Hezbollah was necessary — perhaps inevitable — given the Lebanese militant group’s on-again, off-again missile strikes against Israel’s border communities. This perception only intensified after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, when …

Israel’s violence toward its neighbors, long out of control in its destruction of Gaza, now threatens to open new fronts, involve new nations, and even drag the United States into direct conflict. Promises of a ceasefire from the Biden Administration have come to nothing. Soft, behind the scenes diplomacy has …