All Middle East
Why Egypt’s President Sisi is rushing to embrace nation’s youthIf Egypt’s youth is indeed its future, providing for young people’s needs is sound policy for an autocratic president mindful of past instability.
First LookLebanese banks hold deposits hostage, face angry protestorsAmid a severe financial crisis, people speak out against humiliating, unlawful controls imposed by banks on cash withdrawals and money transfers.
As Iran and Iraq simmer, giants of Shiite world vie for influenceThe separation of religion and state is splitting the Shiite world, pitting the supreme leader of Iran, a theocracy, against Iraq’s grand ayatollah.
First Look'You are lying': Iran's top leader slams U.S. in rare appearanceAyatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out at Western nations that claim to support Iran and called the downing of a Ukrainian plane a "bitter accident."
First LookAn unlikely underdog, Israeli baseball heads to the OlympicsBaseball is historically unpopular in Israel, but thanks to Jewish-American pros, the Israeli Olympic baseball team has qualified for the 2020 games.
First LookDozens detained by Lebanon security forces after violent clashesAs the financial crisis deepens, protestors have returned to the street, denouncing the police's use of force.
Can Trump manage a Mideast crisis? Why Israelis have concerns.Following the U.S. killing of General Soleimani of Iran, Israel is having a crisis of confidence in the Trump administration’s policymaking process.
First LookIran warns European troops 'could be in danger'In response to pressure from Britain, France, and Germany to invoke a "dispute mechanism" in the nuclear deal, Iran pushes back with fiery rhetoric.
Under siege, are Iran’s rulers likely to do more than survive?After Tehran shot down the Ukrainian airliner and covered it up, the stunning admission sent outraged Iranians back into the streets.
How demise of Iranian nuclear deal rekindles Israel’s dilemmaPrime Minister Netanyahu campaigned hard against the Iran nuclear deal. Now it’s gone, and Israel’s options are limited. Is this what he wanted?
First LookIranian protests: A sudden shift from U.S. to Iran's leadersIranians protested in the streets this weekend after Iran's military denied, then admitted to shooting down a Ukraine-bound airliner by mistake.
First LookDespite videos of crash, Iran insists 'no missile hit the plane'If the West can prove Iran shot down the Ukrainian jetliner, even by mistake, they could shift Iranian public opinion on its leadership.
First LookOfficials say Iranian missile 'likely' downed Ukrainian planeAs details of the crash emerge, U.S. officials say it's 'highly likely' the jetliner was struck by an anti-aircraft missile in a possible error by Iran.
Iran crisis: Why Gulf Arabs increasingly see US as a liabilityPresident Trump’s clash with Iran, which blindsided America’s Gulf Arab allies, strengthened the case that an erratic U.S. is becoming a liability.
First LookIran missile attack on U.S. bases in Iraq: A de-escalation move?Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases that house American troops. Why this may offer an off-ramp away from war.
US troops out of Iraq? What that would mean for both countries.A vote in Iraq’s Parliament and a general’s draft letter suggest U.S. forces could soon leave. Neither party would benefit, say analysts, just Iran.
Women’s rights, religious sensibilities. Can Israel respect both?Are a woman’s “right” to wear shorts and a religious man’s “right” not to see her on an equal footing? It's a pressing issue in pluralistic Israel.
First LookSoleimani blowback: Iran preps to build nuclear bombIran says it will no longer abide by the limits outlined in the 2015 nuclear deal and Iraq's Parliament called for the expulsion of all U.S. troops.
Why US assassination of Soleimani is unlikely to deter IranPresident Trump’s decision to kill Gen. Soleimani is seen as an acute escalation, raising questions about U.S. expectations. Was there a disconnect?
First LookUS assassinates Iranian general in Iraq. How did we get here?A U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad is the latest in a series of escalating incidents between the U.S. and Iran.
