Middle East
Regional security, proxy networks, escalation risk, and conflict diplomacy across the Middle East.
181 Dispatches
Has Netanyahu gone too far in Lebanon?
Donald Trump reportedly called Benjamin Netanyahu "f*cking crazy" in a heated phone call demanding a Lebanon ceasefire, as Israeli forces pushed north of the Litani River for the first time since 2000.
Has Israel Bitten Off More Than It Can Chew? The Strain of a Seven-Front War
Israel's near-continuous war across seven fronts is exposing manpower shortages, interceptor depletion, and a coalition collapse over the draft and settler violence.
The Gulf State Militaries Are a Joke — For Now
How the 2026 Iran war shattered the Gulf states' fantasy of safety, and the long road to rebuilding their parade-ground militaries into real fighting forces.
Iran's Sleeper Cells Weren't Real. The Alternative Is Worse.
Iran's threatened sleeper cells never materialized during the Iran War. What emerged instead was a gig-economy sabotage campaign that's harder to stop.
NATO's Turkey Problem: Ankara's Drift Toward Strategic Independence
Turkey's first ICBM, its booming arms industry, and its cold war with Israel are widening NATO's most awkward fault line under Erdogan.
Iran War Update: 'Love Taps,' Project Freedom, and a Secret Israeli Base in Iraq
A fragile Iran ceasefire is tested by fresh strikes, a stalled MOU, a secret Israeli base in Iraq, and China's quiet push for peace ahead of a Trump-Xi summit.
Is the U.S. Military Losing Its Edge? What the War With Iran Exposed
The war with Iran exposed drone vulnerabilities, interceptor shortages, and eroding alliances behind America's trillion-dollar military machine.
America Isn't Ready for the Drone Warfare Era
Advanced militaries from Israel to the Gulf are burning through interceptors against cheap drones while Ukraine quietly becomes the world's counter-drone superpower.
Iran Strikes the UAE and US Warships as the Hormuz Blockade Bites
Iran fires missiles at the UAE and US warships over the Hormuz blockade, Hezbollah refuses to disarm, and the US pulls 5,000 troops from Germany.
Syria Is Breaking Apart: What the US Withdrawal Really Left Behind
After Washington's exit, two stories of Syria compete. One sees a country turning a corner under Ahmed al-Sharaa; the other sees a state collapsing in slow motion.
The Interceptor Gap: How America's Missile Defenses Ran Dry
A few weeks of war with Iran burned through interceptors faster than the global production base can replace in years, exposing a hollowed-out supply chain.
Two Months In, Everyone Is Running Out of Time
Iran, Lebanon, and Israel are each cornered two months into the war. As economic pressure bites and talks stall, the question is who cracks first.