Ghassan Charbel

Ghassan Charbel
Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper

Araghchi, the Bomb and the Iranian Train 

The United States has no interest in resorting to the military solution to resolve the dispute with Iran over its nuclear program. The use of force in the Middle East revives memories of costly experiences. President Donald Trump himself does not believe that the military solution is viable, unless…

Iraq: The Traps and Regional Roles 

Baghdad is relieved because it managed to avoid falling into several traps. Iraqi factions entertained the idea of expanding the conflict in wake of the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation in Gaza and opening of the “support front” in Lebanon. However, internal advice and external warnings steered Iraq clear…

Baghdad, Sharaa and Trump’s Shadow 

Baghdad has the unusual ability to force its visitor to open up about the past and its pains. The ability becomes more pronounced when the friends choose to have dinner on the banks of the Tigris only to find out that the current resort was once one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces. I believe people…

Trump and the Riyadh Dates

It is not unusual for President Donald Trump to kick off his first tour in Riyadh, just like he did during his first term in office. The changes that have taken place in Riyadh since his 2017 visit and his arrival on Tuesday have deepened his conviction of Riyadh’s ability to host major dates and…

Wearing Sharaa Out or Breaking Syria Apart?

Benjamin Netanyahu is leading the region to the abyss. He is driving it into tunnels that will leave us in endless conflict if his project succeeds. Netanyahu is trying to capitalize on the blows his army has delivered in recent wars, with the aim of imposing new facts on the ground in neighboring…

Iran... Pragmatism after the ‘Flood’ 

Iranian commentators appear to be relaxed about the prospects of the ongoing negotiations with the United States. Some have implied that a honeymoon period is possible with the “Great Satan” if its intentions are sincere. They speak of a mutual need. Iran needs an agreement that would end the…

The Man Who Does Not Tire of Killing

This man does not tire of killing. It is his job, and perhaps his calling. He doesn’t believe in talk about peace. The only rival he can trust is a dead one. “Peace” is an odd word in this thorny part of the world. What they call “peace” is at best a form of fragile truce. It is an open arena to…

Maps that Are Fuel for the Fire of Negotiations 

The Houthi youth cannot believe what he is reading. Positive messages have emerged from the Iranian-American meeting in Muscat. He had never expected that the supreme leader would allow Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to meet with Steve Witkoff – the envoy of the man who ordered the killing of…

Either Netanyahu or Ortagus 

When US Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus was born on July 10, 1982, the scene was as follows: General Ariel Sharon’s tanks were surrounding Beirut from all sides and his jets were bombing the capital without mercy. The general of the city of the time was Yasser Arafat, who…

The Supreme Leader’s Toughest Days

Iran is a major and prestigious country that the region has an interest in seeing become stable and prosperous, away from the rhetoric of threats to shut the Hormuz Strait and support Houthi rockets attacks in the Red Sea. The Khomeini revolution was not just a major coup in Iran, but its…