Middle East
Regional security, proxy networks, escalation risk, and conflict diplomacy across the Middle East.
181 Dispatches
Why Did the Iran Protests Fail? How Tehran Crushed a Nationwide Uprising
How Iran's regime crushed nationwide protests through mass killing, high-tech surveillance, a divided opposition, and the absence of foreign intervention.
Where Will Trump Strike Next? Six Nations on Washington's List
After the capture of Maduro, Trump named the nations he might target next. A clear-eyed assessment of which are truly at risk—and which are not.
The Situation Room: China, Japan, Syria, Sudan, and the Logic of the Trump Doctrine
A wide-angle analysis of a China-Japan war, Syria after Assad, the El-Fasher massacre, the Trump Doctrine, Mexico's cartels, and nuclear landmines.
The 21st Century's Deadliest Conflicts, Ranked by Death Toll
A continent-by-continent accounting of the 21st century's deadliest wars, ranked by direct death toll—from the Second Congo War to Ethiopia's Tigray War.
Yemen on the Brink Again: The STC's Lightning Offensive and the UAE-Saudi Proxy War
A UAE-backed separatist offensive has seized eastern Yemen's oil belt and population centers in days, threatening to split the country and pit the Emirates against Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-Pakistan Defense Pact: A Mutual Defense Deal Already in Doubt
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact in September. Months later, a nuclear question, an Islamic NATO debate, and an uninvoked clause cloud its future.
Germany's Rearmament, the Gaza Endgame, and the Red Sea's New Shadow War
Germany rebuilds a high-tech military, Europe and the Arab world corner Israel over Gaza, and a Houthi-al-Shabaab pact reshapes Red Sea security.
The Israel-Iran War of 2025: Inside the Twelve-Day War That Remade the Middle East
A deep analysis of the 2025 Israel-Iran war, from the nuclear standoff and Operation Rising Lion to America's B-2 strikes and the fragile ceasefire.
China's Wa State, Russia's Sahel Collapse, Colombia's Slide, and the ISIS Comeback
Four flashpoints converge in 2025: China's Wa State proxy in Myanmar, Wagner's Sahel exit, Colombia's security crisis, and an ISIS resurgence in Iraq and Syria.
Situation Room: A Yemen Ground Invasion, al-Shabaab's March on Mogadishu, Haiti's Collapse, and Nigeria's Massacres
Four conflicts at the breaking point: an imminent anti-Houthi offensive in Yemen, al-Shabaab encircling Mogadishu, Haiti past collapse, and massacres in central Nigeria.
Making Sense of Syria: Can the Nation Rebuild After Assad?
Four months after Bashar al-Assad's fall, Syria balances between sectarian bloodshed and genuine recovery. A clear-eyed look at the reconstruction.
Poland Wants to Go Nuclear: How a Single Sentence Signaled a New Age of Proliferation
Donald Tusk's nuclear remark to the Sejm, plus rising tension across Taiwan, Syria, and Pakistan's Balochistan, mark a more dangerous global moment.