Middle east news

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.
A woman in Tehran holds on to a picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after he was killed in Israeli and US strikes on February 28.

Khamenei's hubris: The four failures that sealed the dictator's fate - analysis

US President Donald Trump seen in the Oval Office in the White House in Washington, DC, US, January 14, 2026

Iranian protests create a short window for change - opinion

‘JAVID SHAH’ (Long Live the Shah) has become the slogan of the ongoing Iranian protests. Here, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah of Iran, sits during an interview in Paris in June, after the Israel-Iran war.

Iranians trust Reza Pahlavi more than the regime’s 'moderates' - opinion


Qatar’s Emir visits Syria in historic first meeting with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa

The rapid shift in Syria’s political landscape has drawn mixed reactions from regional and international stakeholders.

 Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meets Qatari cadets during his visit to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Camberley, Britain, December 4, 2024.

Sinai is the answer: The bold plan to solve Gaza’s crisis - opinion

Trump said the part of the world that encompasses Gaza has “had many, many conflicts” over centuries. He said resettling “could be temporary or long term.”

THE BORDER fence cuts across the arid landscape. Looking north, Egypt and the Sinai Desert are to the left of the fence and Israel and the Negev Desert lie on its right.

Saudi-Israel talks nearing breakthrough, says new Israeli ambassador to US

Leiter, who officially began his role on Friday, described normalization with Saudi Arabia as part of a broader realignment in the MidEast.

 Israel's new ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter

At least 22 killed as IDF fires on suspects returning to southern Lebanon

If the Lebanese army deploys faster to the rest of southern Lebanon, the IDF might feel compelled to complete its withdrawal faster as well.

 IDF operating in Lebanon, published January 16, 2024

War between Israel and Iran should be avoided, Saudi FM says

Saudi FM: "I don't see the incoming US administration as contributory to the risk of war, on the contrary, President Trump has been quite clear he does not favor conflict."

 Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud seen in Tehran, Iran, June 17, 2023

Yemen vice-president says Trump return pivotal in fight against Iran backed-Houthis

The war in Yemen began in 2014, when Houthi fighters swept into the capital, Sanaa, and took over government institutions.

 Aidarous al-Zubaidi, VP of Yemen.

'Technical issues' in Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal are 'just the beginning,' source says

The ceasefire and hostage deal's next test will be whether Israel will get the list on Friday before the next round of hostage releases is set to be carried out on Saturday.

'A deal or a death sentence!'. Hostage protest in Tel Aviv. August 17 2024.

Crisis between Israel, US? Trump warns against collapse of Lebanon ceasefire - exclusive

Sources close to US President-elect Donald Trump have reportedly conveyed a stern warning to Israeli officials.

 IDF troops operating in the Litani River area in Lebanon for first time in over two decades

Heart vs head: The hostage deal and the cost of compassion - analysis

The national sense of relief if and when the agreement is finalized will be real, but the true cost may only be fully reckoned in the future. 

 Former hostages speak at Tel Aviv's Hostage Square.

CENTCOM, IDF deputy chiefs meet to plan next moves versus Houthis

3 IDF soldiers killed; Kfir Brigade leaves north Gaza with some wins, but questions about Hamas comeback

 IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram (L) and US Central Command Deputy Commander Admiral Brad Cooper (R), January 7, 2025.