The Arab Case for Israel
And Other Essays from a Distant Conflict
Arabs
U.S. B-2 Bombers Strike Iran as Israel Claims Air Superiority Over Tehran Skies
B-2 Strikes and Iranian Navy Struck: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on March 1 that the U.S. Air Force launched strikes against Iran utilizing B-2 Spirit stealth bombers....
Flash Briefs
3 U.S. Service Members Killed in Action as Iranian Regime Expands Regional Assault
U.S. Announces Casualties: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that three U.S. service members were killed in action as of 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 1 during...
Flash Briefs
Palestinian factions mourn death of Iran’s leader, stop short of threatening retaliation
Palestinian armed groups issued statements mourning the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military officials who were killed in a joint American-Israeli military...
Op-eds
Houthis express solidarity with Iran but do not launch retaliatory attacks—yet
The Houthis have issued statements in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran since the start of the US-Israeli military campaign, but have not officially announced military action—instead primarily mobilizing demonstrations...
Op-eds
U.S. Deploys F-22s to Israel as Iran Tries To Intimidate Washington’s Arab Partners
In an extraordinary development, the United States deployed up to 12 F-22 fighter aircraft to Israel’s southern Ovda airbase this week after several of America’s Arab partners suggested they would...
Policy Briefs
Hamas renews threats against rival Palestinian militias in Gaza
On February 9, Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida published a written statement on his Telegram channel threatening Palestinian militias that have opposed the Islamist group’s rule in the Gaza Strip....
Op-eds
‘We Don’t Care What Others Say’: Turkey Won’t Withdraw Its Troops From Syria
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler could not have been blunter. “We have no agenda for withdrawing or leaving those areas,” Guler told the Turkish daily Hurriyet when asked whether Turkey...
Policy Briefs
Naim Qassem delivers defiant speech to mark anniversary of Mahdi Schools
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered a speech on February 3 that marked the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of Hezbollah’s Mahdi School System, which, according to Qassem,...
Op-eds
Whither the Hamas solidarity movement?
Advocates are less careful, compared to their antecedents, about distinguishing between Jews and Israelis, and utterly disinterested, to the point of contempt, when it comes to the various divides within Israeli society.
Op-eds
Turkey, The Kurds, And The U.S.: The SDF Partnership Hits a Strategic Wall
Masoud Barzani’s February 6 meeting with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi spotlights a decade of U.S. partnering that helped defeat ISIS in eastern Syria, but never produced a political endgame. After holding territory east of the Euphrates, the SDF suffered setbacks in mid-January clashes and then reached a January 30 understanding that allows Damascus to expand security control in remaining SDF areas. Some fighters could be absorbed into Syria’s army, while U.S. forces weigh next steps for ISIS detainee operations and their remaining footprint.
Op-eds
Why Saudi Arabia is turning back to Islamism – and against Israel
Economic strain and domestic pressure are pushing Riyadh toward a regional realignment. Washington ought to pay attention
Op-eds
Negotiating With Iran Is Wrong. Doing So in Oman Is Worse
The scheduled talks in Muscat between the United States and Iran on February 6 shines much needed light on the regional role of their host, the Sultanate of Oman. Oman cannot be regarded as a trusted...
Policy Briefs
Jordan’s Hedging on Iran Is Standard Practice
As the United States deliberates between negotiations with, or military action against, Iran. Jordan has become the latest Arab state to express disquiet over the latter option. Jordan is being characteristically...
Policy Briefs
U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Shoots Down Iranian Drone
Iranian Drone Downed: U.S. forces shot down an Iranian Shahed surveillance drone on February 3 as it approached the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, currently deployed...
Flash Briefs
The End of the Middle East’s Oil Bonanza
The Middle East has finally arrived at the grim reckoning long barreling toward it: a ruinous collapse of oil revenues that renders government deficits utterly unsustainable. Among the wealthy Gulf...
Op-eds
A Month of Crisis in Syria and Its Regional Ramifications
Syria has experienced another dramatic transformation. After a month of clashes that began in Aleppo and spread to eastern Syria, Damascus announced on January 30 that it had reached an agreement with...
Op-eds
Kicking and Screaming Against America and Israel
REVIEW: ‘Kicking the Hornet’s Nest: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East from Truman to Trump’ by Daniel E. Zoughbie
Op-eds
Third Time Lucky? Syrian Government and Kurdish-Led SDF Announce Latest Agreement
An escalation of conflict in northeastern Syria has been averted, at least for now. But questions persist over whether the disputes that sparked the recent offensive by Syrian government troops against...
Policy Briefs
Fighting intensifies between Damascus and Syrian Democratic Forces as diplomatic talks resume
Despite a US-mediated ceasefire, clashes continued between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria. On January 29, Syrian military drones carried...