Middle East

Dr. Dan Steinbeck A fragment of a projectile, as Israeli anti-air defence system operates after missiles were launched towards Israel from Iran, following strikes by Israel and the U.S. on Iran, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, March 1, 2026. REUTERS/Amir Cohen Originally set for March, the high-stakes summit …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh As smoke rises over Tehran following U.S.-Israeli strikes, the question dominating policy circles is not simply how far this conflict will go—but who, if anyone, has both the will and the leverage to stop it. The uncomfortable answer is this: the two powers most capable …

By Muhammad Hassan Al-Saadi The Middle East is passing through a pivotal moment in which the threads of politics are tightly interwoven with the smoke of artillery. Security threats are no longer confined to isolated fronts; instead, the region is experiencing what can be described as a state …

As tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East—particularly between the United States, Israel, and Iran—the Gulf once again finds itself at the center of the global security equation. But the conversation is no longer limited to deterrence, military balance, or strategic alignment. A more fundamental question is …

Alexander Tuboltsev Often, the classical treatises of the past centuries turn out to be incredibly relevant in their ideas. Abu Nasr al-Farabi, the famous scientist and philosopher of the 9th – 10th centuries, analyzed different types of societies in his treatises in detail. He considered aspects of city …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh President Trump is scheduled to deliver a prime‑time address from the White House on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. The stated purpose is “an important update on Iran,” but the broader context suggests a high‑stakes effort to manage domestic and international expectations amid an ongoing …

For decades, the global economy has relied on a quiet but powerful assumption: the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints will remain open. Two of the most important among them are the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb. Individually, each is a pressure point. Together, they form a …

Wars do not just redraw borders. They redraw assumptions. The ongoing confrontation with Iran has triggered something deeper than a regional crisis—it has reignited a global debate that many believed had been settled after the Cold War: does nuclear capability equal survival? Across capitals, from Europe to Asia …

In the Gulf, water is not a given. It is engineered. Across a region where vast oil wealth meets extreme natural scarcity, life depends on a technological miracle: turning seawater into drinking water. Today, Gulf states produce nearly 40 percent of the world’s desalinated water—an achievement that has …