Middle East

Regional security, proxy networks, escalation risk, and conflict diplomacy across the Middle East.

192 Dispatches

Yahya Sinwar: The Mastermind Behind the October 7 Attacks
Conflicts & Crises

Yahya Sinwar: The Mastermind Behind the October 7 Attacks

An in-depth analysis of Yahya Sinwar's rise through Hamas, his years in an Israeli prison, and his strategic orchestration of the October 7 attacks.

Simon Whistler · March 4, 2026
Yemen's Decade of Crisis: Proxy War, Humanitarian Collapse, and Global Shipping
Geopolitics & Strategy

Yemen's Decade of Crisis: Proxy War, Humanitarian Collapse, and Global Shipping

Explore the complex web of factions, historical divides, and international interventions driving Yemen's catastrophic civil war and global shipping crisis.

Simon Whistler · March 4, 2026
Israel Eliminates Houthi Prime Minister in Sana'a Airstrike
Conflicts & Crises

Israel Eliminates Houthi Prime Minister in Sana'a Airstrike

An Israeli airstrike in Yemen killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several cabinet members, marking a major escalation in the Red Sea crisis.

Simon Whistler · March 3, 2026
America And Israel Have Attacked Iran. Here's What You Need To Know
Geopolitics & Strategy

America And Israel Have Attacked Iran. Here's What You Need To Know

America And Israel Have Attacked Iran. Here's What You Need To Know

Simon Whistler · February 28, 2026
The Fall of America's Kurdish Alliance: Syrian Democratic Forces Collapse
Geopolitics & Strategy

The Fall of America's Kurdish Alliance: Syrian Democratic Forces Collapse

The rapid disintegration of Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria represents one of the most significant strategic reversals for American foreign policy in

Simon Whistler · February 27, 2026
UAE's Regional Proxy Network Collapses: Middle East Realignment Against Abu Dhabi
Geopolitics & Strategy

UAE's Regional Proxy Network Collapses: Middle East Realignment Against Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates' ambitious strategy of supporting proxy forces and non-state actors across the Middle East and North Africa has suffered a

Simon Whistler · February 27, 2026
Israel-Hamas War: The First 100 Hours of Conflict
Conflicts & Crises

Israel-Hamas War: The First 100 Hours of Conflict

Within hours, a centuries-old powder keg ignited as Israel and Hamas plunged into all-out war. On October 7, 2023, a barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip

Simon Whistler · February 26, 2026
Kurdistan's Military History: A Stateless Nation's Fight
Conflicts & Crises

Kurdistan's Military History: A Stateless Nation's Fight

Nestled between the Taurus and Zagros Mountains, straddling modern-day Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, lies Kurdistan: a nation without borders. The Kurds,

Simon Whistler · February 26, 2026
Turkey's Plan to Combat Islamic State
Geopolitics & Strategy

Turkey's Plan to Combat Islamic State

Turkey has announced a new plan to combat jihadist extremism in the Middle East, which could have far-reaching implications for regional power dynamics. Th

Simon Whistler · February 26, 2026
What Would an Israel-Hezbollah War Look Like?
Conflicts & Crises

What Would an Israel-Hezbollah War Look Like?

This analysis examines What Would an Israel-Hezbollah War Look Like? in historical and strategic context. It traces how the core developments unfolded, whi

Simon Whistler · February 26, 2026
Bloodshed in Syria. Here's What We Know.
Conflicts & Crises

Bloodshed in Syria. Here's What We Know.

Pro-Assad Loyalists are Battling in Syria’s Steets. Here’s What’s Happening. Introduction. Three months after the downfall of Bashar al-Assad, the nation o

Simon Whistler · February 25, 2026
Israel has Shattered the Ceasefire in Gaza. Here's What You Need to Know.
Conflicts & Crises

Israel has Shattered the Ceasefire in Gaza. Here's What You Need to Know.

Israel Has Shattered the Ceasefire in Gaza. Here’s What You Need to Know. Introduction. In the early-morning hours of March the eighteenth, the fragile tru

Simon Whistler · February 25, 2026