Middle East & Africa

Legal reform and structural change may lack flair, but they can improve the situation on the ground.

Tehran regards Washington’s demand as tantamount to unconditional surrender, but there may yet be a way forward.

A lot of things have gone horribly wrong—and it’s not over yet.

How the Iran war is deepening proxy conflicts around the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.

Cuts in foreign aid have been devastating. Countries have a window to step in and craft plans for success.

How Washington bargains away its Africa strategy to other regions.

Freed from Viktor Orban’s veto, the bloc should expand its actions against Israeli encroachment in the West Bank.

Rather than acting as a good-faith mediator, Trump is humiliating the Lebanese government.

A weakened state can’t disarm Hezbollah. 

The country has announced a constitutional referendum and elections. Can that bring democratic change?

A half-century of messy politics has inverted the Constitution’s design—and there’s no easy fix.

A mediation expert explains why the U.S.-Iran cease-fire is so vulnerable.

Recent violence exposes the flaws in the Kremlin’s mercenary security model.

The Iran war spotlights one of Washington’s most contentious counterfactuals.

The Tehran regime is more hard-line than ever—and has nothing left to lose.

Grievances with the Lebanese state, not sectarian loyalty, are driving popular support for the group retaining its guns.

Trump should push for zero enrichment in perpetuity as part of any deal with Tehran.

U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have led regular people to rally around the flag—for now.

Two goals have been in tension in U.S. policy for nearly half a century.

The White House ignores the threat of far-right groups.

Despite promising peace, Israeli-Gulf cooperation paved the path to war with Iran.

Cutting-edge U.S. models are too expensive for much of the world.

After years of quiet encroachment by ordinary people, the Islamic Republic reclaims the urban landscape.

Iran shows that the delusions that caused Iraq and Afghanistan persist.

Officially or not, Washington is now breaking the taboo and talking about its ally’s bombs.

Inside what analysts call a “pinky promise” between Libya’s rival factions.

Amid a regional war, political drama and drone strikes are testing Baghdad’s power.

Tehran’s latest rhetoric is reframing its abdication as a self-respecting state.

There is a way out of this mess—but not right away.

Experts say Hamas has few incentives to disarm.

Deceptive job schemes and transnational networks are pulling Kenyans into Moscow’s war.

Ukraine and its partners are holding their breath to see what’s next for Patriot air defense missile deliveries.

The West ignores the warning signs in the Sahel at its own peril.  

Collective action by lesser powers will not shape the global order.

The Western-led order that emerged after the 20th century’s three energy shocks is losing its grip.

The Iran war is choking supply of the world’s most expensive spice.

Israeli leaders seem increasingly comfortable with the collapse of the Palestinian Authority.

He hoped it would be transformational; instead, it’s just one more round in the conflict.

The geopolitical realignment goes much deeper than just oil markets.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken on Hegseth, Hormuz, and NATO.

Who is Sharaa’s investment campaign really for?

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken on Hegseth, Hormuz, and NATO’s future.

For Iran’s Sunni admirers, resistance remains the appeal.

Israel has forgotten the wisdom in an iconic funeral oration delivered 70 years ago.

Congressional Democrats fought with the U.S. defense secretary over the war and military spending in a rare public hearing.

As New Delhi feels the crunch, diplomacy in Abu Dhabi hints at expanding green cooperation.

Deals are being canceled as stockpiles run short.

Pretoria stakes high hopes on its controversial pick for ambassador to Washington.

Gita Gopinath on how countries can make themselves more resilient.

Trump’s blockade aims to force damaging shutdowns at Iranian oil fields. But Tehran has been through this before.

The war has deepened Iranian officials’ connections with one another—and with the public.

“Chinamaxxing” has become an online phenomenon.

Washington should help the two estranged neighbors cooperate against a common enemy.

The 70-year history of oil transit crises suggests engineering will prove more effective than diplomacy.

The Iran war is choking off a critical input for chipmaking and AI infrastructure.

Apocalyptic headlines overlook conservation and biodiversity successes.

The world’s worst humanitarian crisis enters its fourth year.

An economics writer known for his work on Asia turns his eye toward the fastest-growing continent.

A more active approach would help cement Riyadh’s regional clout.

Despite more colorful medieval precedents, Pope Leo’s clash with Trump reflects the Vatican’s postwar peace advocacy.

Pressure will increase on congressional Republicans to vote to end the war if it surpasses the legal time limit.

The U.S. and Iran have gone from lobbing missiles to inflicting pocketbook pain.

The talks between the neighboring countries are about defeating their mutual enemy.

Tehran is following Ho Chi Minh’s playbook in Vietnam. 

Trump’s inexplicable effort to lift sanctions on Eritrea reflects a deepening lack of strategy.

Karim Sadjadpour on the extended cease-fire and continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The truce is hanging by a thread despite Trump’s extension.

As U.S.-Iran talks falter, the political and economic risks are rising for Islamabad.

I’ve never seen a negotiation that’s quite like this one.

Key knowledge gaps make it hard to assess how the war will end.

How to make sure the cease-fire weakens Hezbollah instead of strengthening it.

Pricey oil and sanctions relief mean smiles in Moscow.

Conflict with Iran hurts American wallets, but it’s far more devastating for people in the global south.

Anthropic’s latest AI model has kick-started a new debate. 

The consequences will be felt long after the fighting ends.

Years of investment made certain provinces resilient to aid cuts, but replicating that system is another story.

The conflict is wreaking havoc on an obscure sector that is more important than you’d think.

The U.S. president is picking fights in every direction, alienating key supporters and allies.

Trump’s party is still providing cover on unauthorized war despite growing signs of misgivings.

In the war’s aftermath, key details about the regime remain opaque. 

The rise of Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr signals the consolidation of a new type of state.

A first round of U.S.-Iran talks didn’t lead to a deal, but Islamabad wants to stay at the table.

The world’s worst humanitarian crisis threatens to engulf the wider region.

From Gaza to Lebanon to Iran, Netanyahu has sought to end threats rather than manage them.

Protection is becoming inseparable from access.

Beijing’s relative quiet amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis underscores a domestic shift.

Stephen M. Walt’s prescription for anxious countries.

The U.S. president’s half-baked approach to dealmaking may be a recipe for more war.

Fighting on multiple fronts has taxed its military, economy, and ties with the United States.

AI has a place in military targeting—but it needs safeguards.

From Jordan to Nepal, solutions to urban water woes are leaving the countryside angry and parched.

Destroying bridges and power plants would violate international law and expose service members to prosecution.

How to rewrite the global economic framework for a progressive multilateralism.

The hostage crisis dominated headlines—and left a lasting impression on Donald Trump.

The regime survived, but this doesn’t make it as strong as it thinks.

The president is betting economic pressure can do what bombs couldn’t.

The U.S. war with Iran has shattered their economic model.

Even with a cease-fire deal in place, vital energy and fertilizer flows remain trapped.

As Islamabad hosts peace talks, it’s also balancing a security pact with Riyadh.

Trump has decimated the norms of diplomatic communication, and other countries have followed suit.