World News Insights: Opinion Articles

In the last few days, the mediascape of Iran and the political atmosphere in Washington DC has been filled with news and speculations around the joint investigation recently published by Semafor and Iran International about a group called ‘Iran Experts Initiative’ (IEI) which is said to be an…

Entire continents are being reshaped and redrawn, with the groans of their peoples’ pains and their trembling with fear. Shifting global conflicts are being fought in several regions across the globe. Arsenals have diversified and involved a wide variety of belligerents and political leaders, as…

By now anyone interested in international politics knows who the oligarchs are. They are super-rich individuals who, by taking advantage of special political circumstances, have amassed big fortunes, often undeservedly, as a trampoline for political influence. The breed is most visible in post…

In parallel with its vicious armed conflict, another war is being fought over the rubble in Sudan. The flames of this other war also refuse to die down, rather than stop adding to the flames of the conflict. It is true that an array of factors, domestic and external, are perpetuating the conflict…

Unfounded stereotypes present a misguided and simplistic view of our region in the media. This is particularly true for coverage of Saudi Arabia. Some of this distortion is intentional, and some of it is not, but both stem from a drive to criticize, which reporters believe will validate their…

When a senior Lebanese Hezbollah official talks about the criteria that make a president of the republic acceptable to the party, he mentions phrases and terms like: "American pressure does not scare him," "Israel fears him," "he defies...", "he stands strong... ", "he confronts..." The fact…

There has been a seachange in Mohammed bin Salman’s stance on the administration of President Joe Biden since the interview he gave to The Atlantic 16 months ago, which now seems a long way away from his recent Fox News interview. When the magazine asked him what he thought of Biden’s opinion…

The visit of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr FC and its star, Cristiano Ronaldo, to the Iranian capital, Tehran, carried dimensions beyond the football match that was played there. Thousands of Iranians who eagerly flocked to see the famous player and obtain his autograph countered the claims that…

A famous person once invited me for a cup of coffee. It was an enticing prospect, as this person had had the privilege of mingling with several prominent global figures, and he had a knack for reading people, situations, and stages. He posited that a successful ruler is one who leaves his…

A week ago, a Lebanese newspaper published this piece of news in its culture section: The Cultural Councilorship of the Islamic Republic of Iran invites you to attend a seminar entitled “Desecration of Sanctities and The Perpetuation of Confrontation,” and the opening of an exhibition of caricature…

My work in journalism has taught me the importance of reading officials' statements rather than merely watching the press conference or the television interview they give. One is influenced by other things when watching while reading focuses our attention on what lies between the lines. This is…

Between a European envoy leaving and an Arab envoy arriving, the space for dialogue among the Lebanese forces (from both the loyal and opposition camps) narrows and the gap widens. However, in the Lebanese case, the ongoing political crisis since the end of the President of the Republic’s term…