Middle East
Regional security, proxy networks, escalation risk, and conflict diplomacy across the Middle East.
181 Dispatches
Iran's Hidden Power Struggle: Who Really Runs Tehran After the War
How assassinations gutted Iran's leadership, handing the IRGC unprecedented power and turning US ceasefire talks into a battle between hardliners and a fractured regime.
What a US Invasion of Cuba Would Look Like
With Cuba choking under a near-total US oil blockade and Trump declaring it "next," we map the five military options Washington could use against Havana.
Iraq: Caught Between Washington and Tehran as War Engulfs the Region
Fifty days into the US-Iran war, Iraq is trapped between its two most vital partners as Iran-backed militias it bankrolls turn their guns on American troops.
Iran War Update: A Blockade Run, a Seized Ship, and the Chaos in the Strait of Hormuz
Inside a frantic week of the Iran war — a US blockade run and ship seizure, regime infighting over Hormuz, and a fragile ceasefire racing a Wednesday deadline.
Why Iran Now Wants the Bomb: Deterrence in the Shadow of the Mushroom Cloud
How a bruising war shattered Iran's threshold strategy and pushed Tehran toward the one deterrent that has reliably worked: a nuclear weapon.
Ukraine, Guardian of the Gulf: How Kyiv Became the Middle East's Drone-Defense Lifeline
How Ukraine, the world's leader in attritional drone warfare, exported its air-defense expertise to the Gulf states during the Iran War, and what Kyiv gets in return.
Is the Iran War Even Winnable Anymore?
Seven weeks into the US-Israeli war on Iran, no belligerent is closer to victory. We examine what winning would look like for Tehran, Washington, and Jerusalem.
The Strait of Hormuz Blockade: How the US-Iran Ceasefire Collapsed
Talks in Islamabad failed, Trump ordered a Hormuz blockade, and US resupply flights surged—signs the Iran War may not be over yet.
The Gaza Disarmament Deadline: Why the Ceasefire Could Split the Strip in Two
Gaza's ceasefire faces a make-or-break disarmament deadline. Inside the Board of Peace plan, Hamas's defiance, and the risk of two Gazas.
Three Deals, No Agreement: Why the US-Iran Ceasefire Collapsed in Twelve Hours
The US-Iran ceasefire fractured within a day over Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz, and three rival versions of the deal. Here is what fell apart and why.
The Iran Ceasefire: What We Know and What We Don't
Inside the two-week Iran ceasefire over the Strait of Hormuz, the rival US and Iranian peace plans, the pressures that forced both sides to the table, and whether it can hold.
Iran War Update: The F-15 Rescue, a Rejected Ceasefire, and Trump's Hormuz Deadline
How US forces extracted a downed F-15E airman deep inside Iran, why Tehran rejected Pakistan's ceasefire, and the strikes converging on Iran's energy grid.