Middle East

Trump says US will not return to war against Iran unless American troops are killed - report

The report came just after Netanyahu told CNBC that the US and Israel would resume military action against Iran if needed

A US Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet climbs after taking off from the former Roosevelt Roads naval base, after the U.S. struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, January 4, 2026.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu give thumbs-up at the White House in Washington, DC, US, September 29, 2025.

Trump-Netanyahu call, restraint on Beirut strike signals 'Iranian victory,’ INSS researcher warns

Bitcoins are seen on the background of the Iranian flag (illustrative)

US sanctions Iran's largest crypto exchange over IRGC links

A man is seen carrying a cardboard cutout of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iran’s ring of fire collapses: Why Oct. 7 was Tehran’s greatest strategic miscalculation - opinion


Israel needs a Suez alternative, the Ben-Gurion Canal offers one - opinion

The Ben-Gurion Canal would give the world a new trade route while boosting Israel’s economy and strategic power.

A container ship sails at the Suez Canal, in Ismailia, Egypt March 31, 2021. Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS

Iran's former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is back, at least in the headlines - analysis

With the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, it was believed that Ahmadinejad had the religious clout to take up the reins. How would he take over the presidency with Masoud Pezeshkian still in office?

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD former president of Iran, speaks at a press conference after registering as a candidate for the presidential election at the Interior Ministry, in Tehran, Iran June 2, 2024.

Israel’s critics undermine real accountability with reckless accusations - opinion

The debate over Israel, Hamas, and sexual violence raises larger questions about media standards, evidence, and political bias.

 Nicholas Kristof at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

US-Saudi civil nuclear pact nears signing without toughest safeguards urged by Democrats

A State Department letter dated May 18 to Democratic Senator Edward Markey says the pact only requires Washington and Riyadh to forge a less onerous "bilateral safeguards agreement."

U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman attend a bilateral meeting at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025.

Why did Gulf states ask Trump to hold off on Iran strikes? - analysis

According to regional analysts, Gulf leaders fear that even a limited American strike on Iranian energy or military infrastructure could provoke retaliatory attacks targeting vital infrastructure.

People walk past a caricature depicting US President Donald Trump, in Tehran, Iran, May 4, 2026.

Evolving regional economic opportunities

The UAE as a strategic economic partner

David Alexander, Deputy CEO of Phoenix Financial

Turkey’s strategy for long-term dominance in the Middle East - opinion

After Assad’s fall, Turkey is quietly building a new sphere of influence across Syria.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, meets with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Ankara, last April. Ankara is quietly assembling the architecture of permanent regional power, the writer says.

Iraq condemns drone attacks on Saudi Arabia amid US pressure on Iranian-backed militias

Iraq condemned recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, vowed cooperation in the investigation, and moved to distance Iranian-backed militias amid growing US pressure.

Smoke rises above Riyadh, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 5, 2026.

At least two lightly wounded following drone explosion in northern Israel with no sirens

Earlier today, the IDF intercepted a "suspicious aerial target" launched at an IDF position in southern Lebanon, and no sirens sounded, as is protocol.

 A drone is seen during an Iranian Army exercise dubbed 'Zulfiqar 1400', in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman, Iran, in this picture obtained on November 7, 2021

IDF has destroyed 60% of Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, senior commander says

Up to the Forward Defense Line forces aim to destroy enemy infrastructure and clear the area of militants. Beyond the Forward Defense Line, operations are conducted in a targeted manner.

A Hezbollah weapons storage facility uncovered by the IDF in southern Lebanon on May 15, 2026.