Middle East

Maya Carlin The Rafale will undoubtedly elevate Ukraine’s defensive efforts against Russia. Ukraine’s defensive arsenal against Russia continues to grow. From main battle tanks and airframes to drones and infantry fighting vehicles, Kyiv has received billions of dollars’ worth of military aid and equipment from the United States …

Abdulla Al Junaid US-Saudi ties need real momentum behind them, not just a series of business deals and continued discussion about Israeli normalization. As Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman touches down in Washington on November 18 for his first visit to the United States in seven years, …

Sarah Paulson The modern battlefield no longer begins or ends with tanks and trenches. From the skies above Ukraine to the tunnels of Gaza, war has become a multidimensional contest—industrial, informational, psychological, and increasingly, algorithmic. The new face of conflict, as illuminated in the Center for Strategic and …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh Iran’s quiet mobilisation, Russia’s warnings, and Europe’s subtle preparations hint at a global system bracing for trouble Tehran says it wants to move people out of its thirsty capital. Officially, it is about drought: too little rain, too many people, and too many dry reservoirs. …

Maya Carlin USS Ford (CVN-78) represents a generational leap in the Navy’s power projection strategy. While the US Navy’s 10 Nimitz-class supercarriers have earned their reputation as true forces of power projection, the service’s newest carrier class is considered to be even more capable. Currently, the USS Gerald R. …

Shai Feldman Only a small few predicted that President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the Gaza war would succeed. In the Middle East and especially in the realm of the Arab-Israeli conflict, it has always been safe to bet that peace efforts will fail. Something is bound to …

Dr. Ju Hyung Kim As Moscow and Beijing intensify their cooperation through institutions including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the probability of a dual contingency—Russia embarking on a full-fledged military offensive in Europe, while China conducts an assault against Taiwan—is no longer a long-term hypothesis. Although US policymakers …

Shalom Lipner President Trump’s steamrolling toward a lasting deal in Gaza could deliver a crowning blow to the Israeli government. A potent version of the Changing of the Guard, viewed annually by millions of spectators at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, is playing out presently on the British Empire’s …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh In one of the most unexpected political turns of the post-war Syrian landscape, Washington has hosted Ahmed al-Sharaa — formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Joulani — signaling what may be the beginning of a new American chapter in Damascus. The meeting, quietly held at the …