Middle East
Regional politics, escalation risk, energy pressure, and security decisions across the Middle East.
19 Reports
Chaos Is Iran's New Normal: Inside a Regime Ruling by Fear
After the deadliest crackdown in its 47-year history, Iran's government has restored quiet but not stability. Why the Islamic Republic is in deep trouble.
The Ayatollah Is Dead: Who Will Replace Iran's Supreme Leader?
With Ayatollah Khamenei killed in a US-Israeli strike, Iran faces a perilous succession. Here are the contenders to lead a regime fighting for survival.
Israel's Secret Nuclear Program: How a Hidden Arsenal Hides in Plain Sight
Israel has held nuclear weapons since the 1960s, yet refuses to admit it. Here is how deliberate ambiguity became a survival strategy.
Who Will Replace Iran's Supreme Leader? The Race to Succeed Khamenei
With Ayatollah Khamenei killed and Iran at war, a tangled succession fight pits hardliners, reformists, and the Larijani brothers for the top job.
Germany Opened Its Doors to a Million Refugees: How Society Changed
A decade after Merkel's open-door decision, Germany's economy, public safety, and politics still bear the imprint of a million refugees arriving.
Could the Shah Return? Reza Pahlavi and the Fight to Replace Iran's Islamic Republic
With Khamenei dead and protests sweeping Iran, exiled prince Reza Pahlavi is suddenly a serious option. But can a transition survive the Revolutionary Guards?
Who Profits From the Iran War: Inside the Trades That Cashed In Early
Anonymous traders made millions betting on the Iran war's twists. How the bets worked, why they look like insider trading, and what regulators can do.
Syria Is a Narco-State: Inside the Captagon Empire and How to Dismantle It
For half a century Syria ran a state-protected drug empire built on Captagon. With Assad gone, the labs survive. Here is what it takes to flush them out.
Qatar: How a Tiny Gulf State Became the World's Indispensable Mediator
Qatar hosts Hamas, sheltered the Taliban, and paid ransoms to al-Qaeda — yet bombing its capital only proved how dependent the world has become on it.
How Christian Zionists Came to Shape American Foreign Policy on Israel
Inside the evangelical movement that, more than AIPAC, drives US policy on Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank, and the cracks now forming in it.
Lebanon Finally Broke With Hezbollah. An Israeli Invasion Could Undo It
Lebanon turned on Hezbollah after years of war, collapse, and corruption. An Israeli invasion could hand the group the one thing it has lacked: a reason to exist.
The Middle East's Looming Water Crisis: Desalination, Drought, and War
Climate change and a widening war over Iran are pushing the Middle East's fragile water supply toward a breaking point. Here is why it matters.