World News Insights: Opinion Articles

The escalation of US-Iranian tensions constitutes one of the most dangerous turning points in the Middle East, not only because of the potential for direct military confrontation but also because of what it reveals about the deep fragility of the regional structure surrounding Iran. From the…

This is a pivotal moment for the Middle East. The boundaries of power and diplomacy are being redrawn through a mix of explicit military threats and hard-nosed negotiation. As attention turns to the anticipated meeting between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials in Istanbul, strategic…

Many things have changed in Iran over its modern history, but one thing has not changed: its imperial consciousness and inclination. The country’s name changed in 1935, and what had been “Persia” became “Iran,” and it then became an “Islamic Republic” in 1979. Throughout, the balance of the state…

Both sides have been using the exact same language since entering the logic of war. The balance of power is completely unequal, but it's not the traditional balance here: America threatens a war in Iran, and Iran threatens wars outside its territories. America pushes with the force of missiles the…

At a moment of profound regional and international upheaval, as the rules that once governed the international system are being dismantled and redefined, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, emerges with a statement that leaves no room for interpretation: “At your service, Khamenei.” With…

The fleets have approached closer, and the generals have pored over maps. The scent of war is in the air. The region holds its breath. Coexisting with Iran’s approach is less costly than enduring the collapse of the Iranian regime. Mediation has been set in motion. The region seems locked into a…

As MP Hussein al-Hajj Hassan declared that “we have nothing to offer or to discuss north of the Litani River,” thereby reiterating Hezbollah’s insistence on its arms and “resistance,” in open defiance of the government’s decision to limit weapons throughout Lebanon to state forces, the Israeli…

Saudi Vision 2030 is not an executive program that can be reduced to particular projects or deadlines, nor achievements assessed through the logic inaugurations, closures, and delays. Profoundly, this Vision is an intellectual–cultural project that has rearranged the relationship of Saudi…

Almost every day, journalists and governments await the outbreak of an American war against Iran. Many have forgotten what the US demands from Tehran actually are — demands whose failure to be met is said to justify war. For years, the focus was on Iran’s nuclear program, until the joint twelve-day…

National sovereignty is a phrase that before President Donald Trump brought it into question with headline-grabbing shenanigans on Venezuela, Iran and Greenland among other places was seldom heard outside political science classrooms. Now, however, it is at the center of debates about…

Traditionally, the strongest response to those who argue that resistance represents a bulwark against “Israel’s ambitions” was that diplomacy and friendships would protect Lebanon from such “ambitions” and also from similar challenges. During the brief civil war of 1958, for example, arms that the …

The day the war ends will be one of jubilation for Sudan and its people. Every Sudanese awaits this day; no doubt about it. There is disagreement, however, about how to end the war: under what conditions and for what. There are many visions for how to end the war and conditions required to…