Middle East

Ex-top Mossad official: Barnea led agency to unprecedented operational reach - interview

Former senior Mossad official Ilan Rom says Barnea’s leadership expanded the agency’s capabilities, allowing dozens of operations at once and boosting Israel’s regional influence.

Mossad chief David Barnea attends a farewell ceremony in his honor, at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, on July 14, 2024.
FOR IRAN’S Christian community, the postwar crackdown has been particularly severe, with at least 50 members detained by authorities. Here, Iranian Christians take part in the New Year prayer ceremony at a church in Tehran last January.

Iran’s ethnic groups could alter the balance of power - opinion

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman

The moment for a Saudi peace initiative has arrived, but on new terms - opinion

MEMBERS OF the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) participate in an exercise in southern Iran.

Iran’s dangerous shift from deterrence to destiny - opinion


US-Saudi civil nuclear pact nears signing without toughest safeguards urged by Democrats

A State Department letter dated May 18 to Democratic Senator Edward Markey says the pact only requires Washington and Riyadh to forge a less onerous "bilateral safeguards agreement."

U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman attend a bilateral meeting at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025.

Why did Gulf states ask Trump to hold off on Iran strikes? - analysis

According to regional analysts, Gulf leaders fear that even a limited American strike on Iranian energy or military infrastructure could provoke retaliatory attacks targeting vital infrastructure.

People walk past a caricature depicting US President Donald Trump, in Tehran, Iran, May 4, 2026.

Evolving regional economic opportunities

The UAE as a strategic economic partner

David Alexander, Deputy CEO of Phoenix Financial

Turkey’s strategy for long-term dominance in the Middle East - opinion

After Assad’s fall, Turkey is quietly building a new sphere of influence across Syria.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, meets with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Ankara, last April. Ankara is quietly assembling the architecture of permanent regional power, the writer says.

Iraq condemns drone attacks on Saudi Arabia amid US pressure on Iranian-backed militias

Iraq condemned recent drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, vowed cooperation in the investigation, and moved to distance Iranian-backed militias amid growing US pressure.

Smoke rises above Riyadh, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 5, 2026.

At least two lightly wounded following drone explosion in northern Israel with no sirens

Earlier today, the IDF intercepted a "suspicious aerial target" launched at an IDF position in southern Lebanon, and no sirens sounded, as is protocol.

 A drone is seen during an Iranian Army exercise dubbed 'Zulfiqar 1400', in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman, Iran, in this picture obtained on November 7, 2021

IDF has destroyed 60% of Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, senior commander says

Up to the Forward Defense Line forces aim to destroy enemy infrastructure and clear the area of militants. Beyond the Forward Defense Line, operations are conducted in a targeted manner.

A Hezbollah weapons storage facility uncovered by the IDF in southern Lebanon on May 15, 2026.

Does pragmatism mean we must accept Hamas as part of Gaza’s future? - opinion

Despite talk of transition, doubts remain about Hamas’s willingness to truly relinquish control in Gaza.

- Samer Sinijlawi addresses the Future of Israel conference, Tel Aviv University, June 19, 2024.

Nearly 80% of Gazans open to emigrating from Strip, COGAT survey finds - exclusive

Nearly 80% of respondents sought information on relocating through Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings, according to findings presented to senior Israeli officials

Palestinians live among the ruins of their destroyed homes after returning to the town of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, February 8, 2026

Hamas names former intelligence head Mohammed Ouda as new leader of military wing - report

Ouda was reportedly offered the role of military head after the assassination of Mohammed Sinwar in May of 2025, but turned it down.

 Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas and mourners attend the funeral of Al-Qassam fighters who were killed during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Al-Shati camp, in Gaza City, February 28, 2025.