Middle East
Regional security, proxy networks, escalation risk, and conflict diplomacy across the Middle East.
192 Dispatches
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.
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.
Trump Blinked on Iran. Will Friday's New Deadline Be Different?
Day 27 of the Iran war. Trump let his ultimatum lapse, oil cratered, and a new Friday deadline looms as the Gulf turns against Tehran.
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.
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.
The United States Wants Out of Iran. Can It Actually Leave?
As the war in Iran enters its fifth week, Trump signals he wants out, but a blocked Strait of Hormuz, an unbroken Iran, and rising battlefield stakes complicate any exit.
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.
America vs. Iran's Proxies: The Tower 22 Strike and the Widening Middle East War
Inside the US retaliation for the Tower 22 drone attack, the Red Sea air campaign against the Houthis, and the slow pull toward a wider Middle East war.
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.
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.
Who's Winning the Iran War? Tactical Dominance, Strategic Deadlock
The US and Israel dominate the battlefield against Iran, yet the Islamic Republic still stands. Why neither side is winning the war.
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.