REGIONS

Dana Ennab Washington’s renewed warning against travel to Iraq is more than a routine security advisory. It comes amid a regional crisis in which confrontation with Iran, attacks affecting Gulf states and concerns over threats to American personnel and interests are becoming increasingly interconnected. For Baghdad, the message …

For decades, the Strait of Hormuz has meant one thing: oil. Tehran is now pointing the world’s attention below the surface. On 21 October, a senior Revolutionary Guards general warned that Iran could target internet cables, including seven major cables running under the strait, if the United States …

By Shehab Al-Makahleh The reported shooting attack in Jordan’s southern city of Karak has raised urgent questions about public security, religious coexistence and the resilience of the country’s social fabric. According to the initial report published by Rai Al-Youm on October 23, seven people were killed and dozens …

Amanda Lee The Middle East has entered a dangerous phase in which military superiority no longer guarantees political victory, alliances offer diminishing assurances of protection, and the costs of regional confrontation are increasingly borne by Arab societies. What began as an effort by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reshape …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh On October 18, Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled the outlines of a new Israeli security doctrine built around military superiority, pre-emptive action and the principle of striking perceived threats before they mature. Five days later, an attack in Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three …

By Roya Bagher A proposal to forgive student debt in exchange for enlistment in a potential US ground force against Iran raises a fundamental question about the relationship between military power and public willingness to fight. If such a proposal gains traction, it would suggest that the challenge …

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi’s tour from Riyadh to Kuwait, Beirut, and Damascus is more than a series of routine diplomatic visits. It reflects Baghdad’s attempt to reposition itself in a region where security concerns increasingly overlap with economic interests, traditional alliances are being reshaped, and regional …

With just five days remaining before Israel’s October 27 election, speculation is mounting over whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could launch another military confrontation with Iran. Amid stalled negotiations, heightened military activity and competing political pressures in Washington and Jerusalem, the region faces a familiar but dangerous question: …

Libya’s eastern parliament has approved the 2019 maritime agreement with Turkey, marking a significant shift in the country’s fractured political landscape. The decision, adopted on October 20, 2026, reverses years of opposition by the eastern camp aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar and opens a new chapter in …