
What to Do With U.S. Forces in the Persian Gulf
As the United States leaves Afghanistan, the question of troops in the Middle East to support the Afghan mission looms large.

Arafat’s Nephew Is Coming for Abbas
Veteran diplomat Nasser al-Qudwa could prompt a realignment within Palestinian politics.

Is Leaving Afghanistan Misguided or Overdue?
Biden’s withdrawal announcement is meant to end a 20-year war, but Washington has been dragged back into conflicts before.

Jordan Has Become a Banana Monarchy
The country is imploding under America’s watch.

Biden to Announce Nominees for Key Diplomatic Posts
Experts and former diplomats want to see Biden pick up the pace on nominations to better compete with China on the world stage.

U.S. Mounts All-Out Effort to Save Iran Nuclear Deal
Chief negotiator Robert Malley begins to forge a compromise with both Iran and hard-liners at home.

A Hashemite Family Reunion Can’t Hide Jordan’s Woes
Making nice after an alleged coup attempt obscures serious challenges, including water scarcity, a refugee crisis, and unhelpful neighbors.

Nuclear Sabotage Could Be What Iran Needed
This week’s attack on an Iranian enrichment facility has improved the country’s negotiating position.

Assad Regime Continues Stonewalling U.S. Aid to Syria
Syrian government is using aid deliveries as a weapon, State Department reports.

Jordan’s King Is His Own Worst Enemy
There’s much more evidence of the monarch’s poor governance than a foreign conspiracy against him.

Biden Faces His First Disasters in Yemen and Afghanistan
Unless it changes tack, the administration is about to make bad situations even worse.

The ICC’s Israel Investigation Could Backfire
It’s more likely to inflame nationalist sentiments than change anything on the ground.

Israel’s Government Has Nobody at the Wheel
A cycle of deadlocked elections has left the country without a functioning administration—and a foreign policy set on autopilot.

The Return of Palestinian Politics
Elections in May will be the first since 2006—a remarkable but risky gambit.

Benin’s King of Cotton Makes Its Democracy a Sham
Talon’s procedural reforms have hollowed out fair elections and are a master class in entrenching autocracy.

A Chance to Stop Syria and Russia From Using Chemical Weapons
Moscow and Damascus have evaded all accountability, but Biden can build a coalition to change that.

10 Years On, Syrians Have Not Given Up
A survivor of regime atrocities explains why the international community must act.

Israel’s Osirak Option
As Netanyahu forms his government, the parallels between the politics that led to a strike on Iraq’s nuclear facility and those that could result in targeting Iran today are clear.