Middle East
Iran’s hostage diplomacy
The UK Government’s reluctance to acknowledge Iran’s hostility shows the bizarre lengths to which countries must now go to appease Iran
Staying out is the hard part
There are no dominoes to fall in Afghanistan
Iran’s nuclear conspiracy theories
Fantastical elements of the ‘cyberattack’ on Iran do nothing but delay the inevitable: a bomb is still coming — just not quite yet
Jordan: The coup that wasn’t
The strength of Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy is a precious thing — and one which only gets its due in rare moments of turmoil
Yemen’s ceasefire is a sham — the war is far from over
Recent developments in Yemen’s civil war show that the Iranian-backed Houthis are clearly considered the winning side
Syria’s civil war 10 years on
Syria’s war has licensed this century’s worst growth in violent depravity – and it shows no sign of ending soon
Does Britain need more nukes?
The Integrated Review: goodbye Middle East; hello South China Sea; but still Russia first
The problem with American isolationism
Despite the histrionics of domestic American opinion, a single rocket attack in Syria does not indicate that Biden’s foreign policy is likely to be more aggressive
Is Hezbollah protected by the Lebanese political system?
And does Lokman Slim’s murder indicate a change in Hezbollah’s deployment of violence?
Syria’s war on drugs
Syria’s drug problem undermines the rule of law, empowers militia leaders, and shifts money away from a legitimate economy