Middle East

Voices from the Arab press: The Middle East in 30 years

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

Region Reshaping in real time: The Middle East, as seen from space.
Crew members look on as US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier which is out at sea near Norfolk, Virginia, October 5, 2025.

USS George H.W. Bush to deploy to Mediterranean, become third aircraft carrier in region - report

A DEMONSTRATOR holds an image of deceased Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a protest outside City Hall in Los Angeles, last week. The supreme leader thought he was invincible, but he was a lazy thinker, the writer notes.

Israel’s strategic independence: The transformation of Middle East politics - opinion

Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 2, 2026.

Israel threatens Lebanon with 'disastrous' consequences if Hezbollah is not disarmed


Who benefits from the 'break Iran apart' narrative? - opinion

Why the idea of dividing Iran serves propaganda more than geopolitical reality.

Protesters including Iranians hold up portraits of son of Iran's last shah, Reza Pahlavi, former Iranian flags and American flags during a solidarity march with Iranian people on Dam Square in Amsterdam on March 7, 2026.

Khamenei built Iran’s terror empire - poetic justice finally caught up with him - opinion

The man who built his power through violence, assassinations, and intimidation met his end within the very reality of perpetual conflict that he himself cultivated.

Satellite imagery from an alleged Israeli strike on the bunker where Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is being guarded.

How a Chabad house in Panama built the world’s most critical retreat model for IDF veterans

Israeli combat soldiers find healing and community in structured retreats that combine nature, and emotional support.

The Chabad House overlooking the  Pacific in Playa Venao stands as an unlikely  yet essential sanctuary where structure  and nature meet to support Israeli combat  veterans in recovery.

Traders warn $100-a-barrel oil is imminent if Iran war keeps raging

While oil and gas prices have surged this week, as ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has all but halted, they remain far below the highs seen just after Russia invaded Ukraine.

A sign shows gasoline prices that are significantly higher than the day before, when Super E10 was still below EUR 1.80, at a petrol station on March 02, 2026 in Berlin, Germany.

Gulf leaders are about to pass up the Iran moment - comment

Most world leaders are thinking of the next election. These leaders are freer to make long-term decisions for long-term stability.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan receives Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates December 7, 2021.

Trump, Netanyahu and the irony of Responsibility to Protect in Iran - opinion

Trump and Netanyahu may unintentionally act in line with the UN’s Responsibility to Protect principle.

US first lady Melania Trump presides over a United Nations Security Council meeting, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, March 2, 2026.

US intel report: Large-scale military assault unlikely to topple Iran regime - The Washington Post

The National Intelligence Council report was completed a week before the start of the war, which broke out last Saturday.

A man waves a giant Iranian flag during a rally marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Tehran on February 11, 2026.

From Shushan to Tehran: Purim’s story repeats itself - opinion

Again and again, the pattern returns: a decree of destruction, a sudden fall, a people still standing.

People celebrate Purim in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem.

Echoes of Egypt: Haggadah that brings ancient Egypt to your seder

Experience a Haggadah that brings 3,000 years of Egyptian imagery to life.

Close-up of the Merenptah Stele, mentioning Israel on line 27.

Israel and Iran once shared a future - now, they may do so again - opinion

Before 1979, Iran and Israel traded openly, there were flights between the countries, and they cooperated on security, agriculture, and oil.

THE HISTORY of Jewish-Persian friendship goes back over 2,500 years, and it is unlikely there is any other example of two civilizations enjoying such a long and prosperous relationship.