
Middle East & Africa
List of Middle East & Africa articles

‘Super-Sparta’ Is Bad History and Bad Strategy
The Spartan model didn’t work for Sparta. It will be even worse for Israel.

On Syria’s Coast, Alawite Communities Wait for Justice
Rights advocates say the lack of accountability for massacres in March could have profound consequences.

Iraqi Kurdistan’s EV Revolution
Electric cars were a punchline here just a few years ago. Thanks to Chinese companies, that’s not the case anymore.

UNGA Puts Palestine in the Spotlight
Day 1 of the gathering’s high-level week was dominated by discussion of a two-state solution.

How Qatar Is Responding to Israel’s Sept. 9 Attack
Spokesperson: Doha strikes “a paradigm shift for the whole region.”

U.N. Warns of Hunger Among Western Sahara Refugees
As humanitarian aid dries up, Sahrawis in Algeria face a deepening crisis.

Erdogan’s Irredentism Just Can’t Keep Up
As international norms crumble, Turkey’s revisionist policies appear less provocative in comparison.

Israel Is Orchestrating an Economic Collapse in the West Bank
Job losses are only one factor in the equation driving its financial decline.

Why Hasn’t Joseph Kony Been Caught?
The Ugandan warlord recently went on trial in absentia, but he continues to elude a decades-long international manhunt.

Israel Risks Ties With Egypt at Its Peril
Netanyahu’s policies since Oct. 7 have strained relations with Cairo at the expense of Israeli security.

The Delusions Driving U.S. Policy in the Middle East
Washington is pushing outdated ideas and unrealistic goals.

Fixing Foreign Aid Requires Confronting Fundamental Tensions
Aid critics ignore competing policy goals and structural trade-offs between control and flexibility.

The Iran Deal That Isn’t Quite Yet
The would-be agreement between Iran and the IAEA hinges on U.S. willingness to come back to the table.

Are We Overestimating Autocracies?
Russia and Iran have proved weaker than many thought. So will China.

Israel’s Gaza Disengagement Worked Far Too Well
Leaving Gaza in 2005 wasn’t a failed bid for peace but a catastrophically successful effort to freeze the peace process.

Israel’s Regional War
The Israeli military has now bombed several countries in addition to its assault on Gaza.

The ICC Needs a Chief Prosecutor
Allegations against the court’s head prosecutor have hampered its effectiveness. They should be addressed immediately.

Iran’s Foreign Policy Is Changing in Real Time
The debate in Tehran is heating up—and moving in unexpected directions.

Khamenei Thinks He Can Ride This Out
Russia and China can buy Tehran time but not a deal.

Ethiopia Debuts New Mega-Dam
The project grants Addis Ababa control of the Nile River and threatens water supplies downstream.

Israel’s Strategic Declaration
By striking Qatar, Netanyahu has forsworn negotiations and expanded the battlefield.

Why Israeli Support for Settling Gaza Is Rising
The far right has normalized the idea of expelling Palestinians.

China’s Appetite for Rosewood Is Causing Chaos in Africa
Beijing should act to rein in a $2 billion industry.

Sudan, Congo, and You
From soda to sports, global consumers are implicated in Africa’s most deadly conflicts. This also creates an avenue for change.

Israel Escalates War Against Hamas With Doha Strike
Qatar decried the strike as a violation of international law.

Ankara’s New Syrian Headache
Toppling Assad didn’t solve Turkey’s problems—it made them worse.

Stop Trying to Make Somaliland Happen
The United States should not legitimize another fragile rupture in an unsettled region.

Why the World Turned on NGOs
From powerbrokers in the ’90s to pariahs today.

Africa Is Now Calling the Shots
Governments, civil society, and the private sector are reimagining development away from external interventions.

The End of Development
The West’s aid model was always a mirage. It’s time for a realistic alternative.

Qué Sharaa, Sharaa
With concrete steps, Washington can keep Syria’s future on track.

Israelis Need to Recognize the Humanity of Gazans
The unspeakable suffering of Palestinians has echoes of the persecution of the Jewish community.

How Israel’s Strikes on the Houthis Will Change Yemen
For years, the group has relied on the perception that it is untouchable.

How to Make Snapback a Success
The clock is ticking for a new nuclear deal with Iran.

Prigozhin’s Ghost Haunts Africa Corps
The Wagner Group is no more but Moscow is peddling the same false promises.

What Caused Botswana’s Public Health Emergency?
The declaration comes amid a downturn in the diamond market and U.S. foreign aid cuts.

Washington Has One Chance to Help Disarm Hezbollah
As Lebanon moves to confront the country’s most dangerous militia, U.S. support will be vital.

Ethiopia Could Still Avert the Next War With Eritrea
Keeping the Pretoria Agreement in a comatose state should not be seen as an end in itself.

The Question of Israel’s Right to Exist Is a Red Herring
Critics should be talking instead about regime change.

Why Israel’s War in Gaza Has Been So Deadly for Journalists
Israel is directly targeting media workers, rights groups warn.

Trump’s Lethal Landscapers
Is Trump hurting military readiness?

European Countries Trigger the ‘Snapback’ of Iran Sanctions
France, Germany, and the U.K. ran out of patience with Tehran and are bringing back previously halted U.N. measures.

Tehran’s Message to Trump: ‘Stop Listening to Bibi’
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on the 12-day war, Western sanctions, and a pathway to nuclear talks.

Can Tunisia’s Largest Labor Union Survive Saied?
One of the last remaining counters to the president’s power tries to fight back.

Hezbollah Is Weak Enough for Lebanon to Finally Disarm It
The government and army are taking back their own country.

America’s Relationship With Israel Is a Moral Hazard
It’s time for Washington to shift from patron to partner.

The Lost Promise of Lenacapavir
The Trump administration is throwing away a chance to end HIV worldwide.

From Berlin to Baghdad on the Ruins of a WWI Railway
The unfinished line traces a fractured region still beset by competing imperial projects.

In the Middle East, a Cold War Redux?
China and the U.S. are competing for influence in the troubled region.

How Many Peace Deals Has Trump Actually Brokered?
The U.S. president says it’s six (or maybe seven), but reality is a bit murkier.

Congo’s Peace Negotiations Fall Through
As Qatari-brokered talks are suspended, fighting is intensifying in eastern Congo.

The Time for a Paradigm Shift Is Now
Former Iranian foreign minister outlines path for diplomacy.

Can Turkey Deliver on Its Armament Ambitions?
Despite the hype, much of Ankara’s new military technology remains in development and untested.

Only Trump Can Save Israel from Its Own Government
Netanyahu’s plan to seize Gaza is a catastrophe for all.

Netanyahu Is Getting What He Wants
International condemnation is not a problem as long as the Israeli government’s long-term objectives are advanced.

Can UNESCO Accommodate Both Preservation and Human Rights?
Mass evictions and violence at World Heritage Sites around the world have sparked backlash against the U.N. body.

The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming
Both countries’ strategic calculus suggests it will be even more violent.

What Was the Tipping Point on Gaza?
After almost two years of war, Israel is feeling the growing weight of governmental opprobrium.

Gaza’s Hunger Crisis, Explained
Everything we know—and don’t know—about what’s really happening on the ground.

The West’s Turn Against Israel
Germany halts arms exports as more countries mark a shift in opinion on Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

The Political Giant the West Forgot
Kwame Nkrumah’s life demonstrates that the end of colonial rule in Africa is central to modern history.

Iran’s Taps Are Nearly Empty
After five straight years of drought, the country is running dry.

Meet the New Middle East, Same as the Old Middle East
Everything has changed in the region, and nothing is different.

Why Recognizing Palestine Is Meaningless or Even Harmful
Recent announcements by France, Britain, and Canada are mostly performative.

Washington Should Prioritize Transparency and Sanctions in Congolese Critical Minerals Deal
Peace between Rwanda and Congo is good news, but more pressure is needed to make it stick.

Israel Isn’t a Hegemon Yet, But It’s Now a Revisionist Power
Netanyahu is seeking to remake the Middle East by force.

The Islands That Can Solve the Iran Crisis
Disputed territory between the United Arab Emirates and Iran could unlock a nuclear solution.

Life Returns to Palmyra
After more than a decade of exile, locals are finally coming home.

Nigeria’s Refusal to Cave to Trump Signals a Shift in U.S.-Africa Relations
Abuja’s rejection of Washington’s third-country deportations should be a wake-up call.

Could Images of the Famine in Gaza Change Israeli Public Opinion?
A newscast showing starving children prompted sympathy—and criticism.

Tehran’s Wake‑Up Call for Beijing
The sudden U.S. attack on Iran could complicate China’s Taiwan calculus.

The Two-State Solution Gets a Lifeline
A U.N. conference tries to revive hope for a way out of the Israel-Palestine conundrum.

Iran’s Mass Deportations Are Fueling Regional Instability
Refugees returning to Afghanistan face economic hardship and uncertain futures.

Can Turkey Make Multicultural Authoritarianism Work?
Erdogan’s negotiations with the PKK seek peace and possibly pluralism without democracy. Will they succeed?

Can the Vulnerable Seychelles Sustain Another Resort?
A Qatari-backed project near a coral reef pits economics against environmentalism.

Cooler Heads Prevail in the Gulf—for Now
Qatar and the Gulf chose to prioritize peace in the aftermath of Iranian strikes. Tehran shouldn’t take that for granted.

The Generation Iranian Hard-Liners Have Been Waiting for
How Israel’s strikes reshaped Iran’s political future.

Pharaohs, Maharajas, and the Making of a Multipolar World
Examples from non-Western history offer more promising precedents for the end of U.S. hegemony.

There’s More Than One Way to Build a Bomb
Iran doesn’t need to rebuild its damaged facilities to sprint for a nuclear weapon.

The Dangers of Weaponizing Antisemitism
As Gaza faces more death and starvation, criticism of Israel is needed more than ever.

The Risks of Israel’s Druze Policy
Picking and choosing between Druze leaders will prove counterproductive.

Afghanistan Can’t Handle Another Refugee Crisis
More than 500,000 Afghans were driven out of Iran in 15 days, adding to the country’s humanitarian emergency.

Why Oil Sanctions No Longer Work
Oil sanctions have failed to deliver results with Iran and Russia. It would be a mistake to try them with China.

Why Israel Keeps Attacking Syria
Despite military wins, fear remains a key driver of Israeli policy.

Trump’s Deportations Spark Anger Across Africa
Africans say that the United States is using the continent as a “dumping ground.”

Former Israeli PM Warns Netanyahu to ‘Be Very Careful’ With Trump
“Trump is not someone you want to have a direct confrontation with.”

Netanyahu’s Hold on Power Is Slipping. Will Trump Help?
The Israeli government could fall soon, triggering new elections.

Trump Has Leverage With Syria’s Neighbors—Here’s How He Should Use It
U.S. pressure on Israel and Turkey could help stabilize Syria.

No, MAGA Is Not Isolationist
Donald Trump has the support of his base for a muscular foreign policy.

New Houthi Tactics Call for New, Non-Western Solutions
As Houthi attacks target Indian sailors, the Indian Navy has a chance to step up.

The World Is Entering a Dark New Era of Hydroterrorism
International institutions need to start treating water as a national security flashpoint.

Biden’s Team Lied About Gaza. It’s Time to Hold Them Accountable.
Impunity for abetting war crimes weakens U.S. democracy.

The Israel-Syria Dilemma
Recent Israeli strikes in Syria undermine Trump’s push for normalization.

‘We Came Here to Work’
Syrians are drawn to Damascus to rebuild their country—and their lives.

In Syria, It’s Trump vs. Trump
Donald Trump wants to give Syria “a chance at greatness,” but his assault on U.S. foreign aid threatens to undo any progress achieved.

Calls Grow for Kenyan President to Step Down
Public resentment spikes as the death toll rises amid anti-government protests.

Washington Can Keep Sudan’s Civil War From Getting Worse
A concerted diplomatic push is needed to allay a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.

Despite Good Intentions, Muhammadu Buhari Failed Nigeria
A former military dictator and late convert to democracy, Nigeria’s two-time ruler lacked the discipline to enact transformational change.

Iran and the Logic of Limited Wars
No one wants a long war, and doing nothing was no longer an option.

Trump vs. BRICS
The state of the China- and Russia-backed bloc in the Trump era.