Israel is turning the screws on Hezbollah
The killing of Lebanese Hezbollah military chief Haytham Ali Tababtabai by Israel this week reflects how much the balance of…
Isis is stirring once more
Indications that the Islamic State (Isis) has begun to employ artificial intelligence in its efforts to recruit new fighters should…
Why Trump and Israel differ on Turkey’s involvement in Gaza
As the Gaza ceasefire struggles into its second month, a significant difference between the position of Israel and that of…
Why Israel fears Turkey’s involvement in Gaza
As the Gaza ceasefire struggles into its second month, a significant difference between the position of Israel and that of…
Will the Gaza ceasefire hold?
In the latest blow to the beleaguered Gaza ceasefire, Israeli aircraft this week struck targets in Gaza City after Hamas…
What Israel has learned from two years of war
Today marks two years of Israel’s Gaza war. The current conflict is perhaps now close to conclusion, depending on the negotiations…
The final act of Israel’s war in Gaza is under way
Israel’s operation to conquer Gaza city is now entering its third day. Two IDF divisions are engaged on the ground.…
Iran may be down, but it’s not out
The sirens began at about 5 am. A Houthi ballistic missile was on its way, over Jerusalem, in the direction…
What is the purpose of Israel’s Gaza City operation?
Israel’s security cabinet yesterday approved the Israel Defense Force’s plans for a major operation into Gaza City. The cabinet decision…
Israel has weakened Iran – but not destroyed it
With the ceasefire between Iran and Israel so far holding, a preliminary assessment of the 12-day campaign is now possible. Jerusalem…
Iran is isolated against the US and Israel
America’s entry into the war against Iran is the latest step up an escalation spiral that began in October 2023. What…
Only regime change will solve the problem of Iran
The Middle East currently stands at a crossroads. The future geopolitical balance and perhaps also the historical direction of the…
Iran is too weak to wage a ground war against Israel
As Israel advances its surgical reduction of Iran’s nuclear facilities and senior command, and Iran continues to launch missiles randomly…
Israel’s war with Iran is only getting started
With the launch of Operation ‘Rising Lion’, Israel appears to have sought to take advantage of a narrow window of…
Why Hamas won’t accept Witkoff’s Gaza ceasefire offer
US Envoy Steve Witkoff finally received an answer to his latest proposal for a ceasefire and hostage exchange in Gaza…
Iran is playing for time in the US nuclear talks
Over the weekend, the US and Iran held opening talks in Oman on Teheran’s nuclear programme. With the first round…
No one should be surprised about the Syrian massacres
Shock and outrage are appropriate, but no one really has an excuse for being surprised at the dreadful scenes that…
What is Israel’s plan for Syria?
Israeli leaders recently made clear that the IDF’s current military deployment into south-west Syria is not intended as a stop-gap…
Isis is filling the vacuum in Syria
‘Isis is taking huge advantage of the current situation in Syria,’ Ilham Ahmed told me, when we met in the…
The case for ending the Israel-Hamas ceasefire
The question now facing Israel is this: will the war in Gaza recommence? The ceasefire agreement was signed less than a…
Trump has exposed the hypocrisy of Gaza’s allies
US President Donald Trump has reiterated his call for Egypt and Jordan to accept residents of Gaza into their territory,…
Syria feels close to a zone of anarchy
Travelling from Syria’s Highway 42, which runs from Tabqa to the city of Homs, you can see the corpse of…
Hamas has exploited Israel’s weaknesses
When Hamas launched its war on Israel in October, 2023, it did so on the basis of a clear analysis…
We all knew Syria was hell
The liberation of Syria’s notorious Sednaya jail close to Damascus a week ago has resulted in a wave of belated…
What al-Jolani’s past can reveal about Syria’s future
In late February 2012 I was travelling through Syria’s Idleb province. I stayed for a few days in a town…
