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April 17, 2026 What Victory Looks Like When Your Foe Won’t Surrender The domestic debate around the meaning of what would constitute victory in the current military conflict with Iran is nearly as fierce as the fighting itself. Part of this stems from the personage... April 16, 2026 Syrian president meets Syrian Democratic Forces leader to discuss next phase of integration Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa met with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi in Damascus on April 16. The meeting came two and a half months after an agreement between... April 16, 2026 How Sudan Became a Killing Field Three years in, Sudan’s brutal civil war shows no signs of relenting. An estimated 400,000 people have been killed since April 15, 2023. More than 12 million have been displaced internally.... April 16, 2026 Crude new world: Oil markets will never be the same – regardless of how the war in Iran ends Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a worthy goal in and of itself. But President Trump’s campaign against the Iranian regime carries far broader implications — many of them... April 15, 2026 In the Iran War, the US Needs Strategic Patience Leo Tolstoy wrote in War and Peace, “Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait…There is nothing stronger than these two: patience and time.” This adage is apt for the current... April 15, 2026 Lebanon: France Is Confusing the Symptom with the Disease *This article was originally published in French Excerpt More than 300 people were killed in a single day. On April 8, the Israeli army launched its largest wave of strikes in Lebanon since early... April 15, 2026 For Iran, Hormuz Is More a Weakness Than a Weapon On Monday, six weeks into its war with Iran, the United States imposed a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. According to conventional wisdom, the war has made Tehran realize that its control of the strait constitutes powerful leverage. In this story line, the strait turned out to be Iran’s real nuclear weapon, its potent deterrent. Because Tehran could use this chokepoint to threaten global shipping, it was able to resist pressure from the world’s most powerful air force, reject Washington’s peace demands, and ultimately gain leverage over its nemesis. Iranian leaders have repeatedly touted that leverage, while analyses in Reuters, Time, and other outlets have declared the strait a formidable tool in Iran’s arsenal. April 15, 2026 We’re only seeing the tip of the chip-smuggling iceberg Last year, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang repeatedly denied that China was obtaining America’s most advanced chips. ‘There’s no evidence of any AI chip diversion,’ he said, dismissing such reports on... April 15, 2026 Americans shouldn’t cry for Orban Never ignore the voters. After 16 years in power, Hungary’s corpulent Prime Minister Viktor Orban lost touch with the conservative base that supported him from the start, believing... April 15, 2026 New resistance alliance built to win Myanmar’s civil war Myanmar’s civil war is now 78 years old — the longest-running civil war in modern history. For most of that time, it has been a fragmented, grinding struggle with about a dozen ethnic armed... April 15, 2026 The U.S. military can clear mines but not minds After the Twelve-Day War of June 2025, President Trump probably thought something along these lines: “We gave those guys a good thrashing. They won’t want to repeat the experience anytime soon.” If... April 14, 2026 Iraq focuses on political appointees, economic challenges amid Iran ceasefire On April 14, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani met with French Ambassador to Iraq Patrick Durrel. “Mr. Al-Sudani emphasized the necessity for major powers to exert utmost efforts to curb escalation... April 14, 2026 Iran at a crossroads: Australia’s opportunities and pitfalls Over the last few weeks, the Islamist regime in Tehran has expanded the scope of its hostage-taking operation. Not satisfied with only taking Western citizens hostage and then extorting their governments,... April 14, 2026 How an Iranian Cyberattack Hit US Local Governments Iran didn’t send a missile to Indiana. It sent a fax. Last week, Saint Joseph’s County was informed by Iranian hackers that they had “completely taken control of the centralized IT infrastructure... April 14, 2026 To Prevent Antisemitism in Schools Like Berkeley, Enforce the Rules Already on the Books At California’s Berkeley High School (BHS), teachers are interrupting their normally-scheduled classroom lessons to talk about the Iran war. Given the Berkeley school district’s dismal... April 13, 2026 The “Lebanese Street” Warms up to Normalization with Israel A surprising poll offers real hope for normalization between Lebanon and Israel. Conducted by an anti-Western, anti-Israel website with a sample of 500 respondents, the survey found that only 42 percent... April 13, 2026 Christianity Is the Vanguard of Western Civilization—and America Must Protect It Abroad On Easter Sunday, the White House issued a press release stating that under President Donald Trump’s leadership, “the U.S. is once again a beacon of religious liberty — honoring the biblical... April 13, 2026 What the US naval blockade would mean for Iran’s economy The US naval blockade of Iran, which started on Monday, could rapidly cripple the country’s economy, cutting off most of its trade, halting oil exports and triggering inflation and currency pressure within... April 13, 2026 How the UAE Is Cracking Down on Illicit Iranian Finance After Iran unleashed more than 3,000 missiles and drones against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), over five weeks of the Iran War, the Gulf state’s patience snapped. The “bullying... April 12, 2026 Shadi Hamid’s argument against assimilation stumbled on itself Shadi Hamid’s argument against assimilation stumbled on itself. Demanding that Muslims leave is not a serious immigration policy. Neither is demanding an exemption from assimilation.... April 12, 2026 If Orban wins, Putin will be delighted In June 1989, a 26-year-old Viktor Orban demanded free elections and the withdrawal of Soviet troops in what was a defining moment in Hungary’s democratic awakening. He was a young... April 11, 2026 Iraqi fundraising drives linked to militias channel support to Iran and Hezbollah Efforts that Iran-backed Iraqi militias describe as humanitarian campaigns increasingly show signs of serving as a parallel financial pipeline that also fuels Iran’s current war effort and its regional... April 11, 2026 A breakdown of Israel’s heavy bombardment of Beirut on April 8 On the afternoon of April 8, Israel launched its deadliest and most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the war with Hezbollah restarted in early March. Initial reports claimed that the Israel Defense... April 10, 2026 How to assess America’s 40 days of war against Iran Washington and Tehran are both arguing that they were victorious after 40 days of fighting. A detailed analysis, however, suggests a more nuanced picture in which American forces degraded Iran’s core... April 10, 2026 Trump must secure Iran’s irreversible nuclear dismantlement or resume strikes The United States and Israel have delivered a near-devastating blow to the Iranian regime. In a sustained campaign of precision strikes, they have crippled Iran’s top military and political leadership,... April 10, 2026 Syria focuses on diplomacy amid Iran war On April 9, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al Shaibani traveled to Turkey, where he met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. It was Damascus’s second meeting with... April 10, 2026 Why Hungary’s two-faced Orbán deserves to lose his re-election bid Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary is on the ropes in his latest bid for reelection, down by double-digit margins in the latest polls. So he brought in a ringer. Vice President JD Vance, a star... April 9, 2026 How Trump Miscalculated in Iran Donald Trump threatened to end Iranian civilization, then sued for peace. If the two-week cease-fire is extended, which seems likely, the extra time won’t resolve the conflict’s underlying... April 9, 2026 From Static Inventory to Real-Time Defense: Why the SBOM conversation has to change now When the next widely exploitable vulnerability appears, your organization will have far less time to respond than the processes you have built were designed to handle. That is not a prediction. It is what... April 9, 2026 Erdogan’s words don’t pull the trigger — but they load the gun The April 7 terrorist attack outside Israel’s consulate in Istanbul should end any lingering illusions about the consequences of Turkey’s political climate under President Recep Tayyip... April 9, 2026 Washington Should Not Compromise — It Has The Upper Hand Over Iran A ceasefire is not peace. It is not the formal end of hostilities. It is a pause. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made that unmistakably clear at a Pentagon press conference... April 8, 2026 Double-dealing Pakistan is the danger looming over critical US-Iran talks President Donald Trump’s two-week cease-fire with Iran is a huge gamble — and allowing Pakistan to act as the go-between only raises the stakes. Pakistan, after all, is the nation where... April 8, 2026 The law that devoured itself *This article was originally published in French ... April 8, 2026 US, Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire in exchange for reopening of Strait of Hormuz After 39 days of fighting between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, the US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire. While there are conflicting reports regarding... April 8, 2026 Know thine enemy During World War II, my father served in the South Pacific. Who did he think he was fighting? I know from reviewing his letters back home that it wasn’t “the Imperial Japanese government.” He... April 8, 2026 What the Kremlin fears more than Ukrainian drones Major banks across Russia on Friday reported major service breakdowns. Their apps crashed, ATMs stopped working, and other capabilities collapsed. The outages caused major complications in everyday... April 8, 2026 Despite ceasefire, Iran and its militias continue attacking regional states (April 2–8 updates) Iran and its allied militias launched numerous drones and missiles against regional countries between April 2 and April 8, continuing attacks even after a ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United... April 7, 2026 Can Iran’s environment be saved? Much of the global conversation about Iran revolves around security, conflict, and nuclear risk. What is less discussed is an environmental collapse already unfolding, with consequences that extend well... April 7, 2026 Gunmen fire at police outside of Israeli consulate in Istanbul Three gunmen fired on police officers near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 7. The firefight left one attacker dead, two police officers wounded, and two suspects in custody. Footage uploaded to... April 7, 2026 Iranian ballistic missile cluster munitions strike dozens of sites in Israeli cities Iran’s increasing use of ballistic missiles containing cluster munitions has spread damage and harm across Israel. On April 6, as many as 50 sites were impacted by missiles and their cluster... April 7, 2026 Iraq’s Emboldened Terror Groups Shelly Kittleson, an American journalist, was kidnapped off the streets of Baghdad on March 31 and is now a bargaining chip for the militia that took her. It’s a tragedy on replay.... April 7, 2026 Iraq’s bake sale for the Islamic Republic Iran, under financial isolation, is turning to an old friend: Iraqi cash. Through informal financial channels and networks, currency-filled envelopes are moving across Iraq into Iran under... April 7, 2026 Hezbollah Emerged from Iran’s Revolution, Not “Resistance” to Israel A false claim, now common in Western media and academia, portrays Hezbollah as having emerged in response to Israel’s 1982 invasion and subsequent occupation of Lebanon. In reality, Hezbollah arose in... April 6, 2026 Turkey the new Iran? Ankara’s growing challenge to Western interests As Iran and its proxies take a beating from American and Israeli forces, observers are questioning whether Turkey is waiting in the wings to emerge as the region’s next “bogeyman.” The answer is... April 6, 2026 What the 2026 Intelligence Assessment Gets Right—and Wrong America’s adversaries are counting on one thing: that the United States and its national security apparatus will continue underestimating the threat they pose. This year’s Annual Threat Assessment does... April 6, 2026 IDF: Palestinian terrorists violate Gaza ceasefire 22 times since start of Iran war While the United States and Israel continue to carry out combined strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has not halted its strikes against Hamas and other Palestinian... April 3, 2026 Iran downs US fighter jet, 1 crew member recovered, rescue operation ongoing for second Iran reportedly shot down a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle on April 3, marking the first confirmed loss of a manned American fighter jet inside Iranian territory since the start of Operation Epic Fury... April 3, 2026 Israeli goals in Lebanon war shift from imminently disarming Hezbollah to reestablishing South Lebanon Security Zone The renewed Lebanon war between Israel and Hezbollah that began on March 2 is now over a month old, with little change in the overall picture or disposition of the main actors. However, Israeli officials... April 3, 2026 The Broken Promise of the Panama Papers, Ten Years On Excerpt ... April 2, 2026 How to Tackle Venezuela’s (and the World’s) ‘Odious Debt’ Problem Nicolas Maduro is gone in Venezuela, but the country is a wreck—vast numbers of its people have fled, its infrastructure is in ruins, and it is drowning in debt. A return to democracy is vital...

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