Iran’s rulers are true believers
That’s why they’re so difficult to deter or constrain
Mahdi
Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: January 5–11, 2026
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous operations throughout Lebanon against Hezbollah between January 5 and January 11, 2026. Israeli activities last week were noticeably more intense and...
Op-eds
The perils of peacemaking
Sometimes, you need to give war a chance
Op-eds
Khomeini’s war: Sunni Islamists taught Shia Iran to hate Israel
The ayatollahs adopted the Muslim Brotherhood’s worldview to make the destruction of the Jewish state the regime’s holy cause. The Shia leadership in Najaf now has the chance to return the Shia world to pacifism
Op-eds
Why Hezbollah is unlikely to engage in the Israel-Iran war—for now
Israel’s inevitable strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities has finally occurred. The Israelis on Friday launched extensive, non-stop airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, coupled with...
Op-eds
Mass arrests and conflicting narratives following the Haniyeh assassination
In response to the assassination of former Hamas Political Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, the Islamic Republic has arrested over 20 senior intelligence officers and military officials,...
Op-eds
Latin America’s Hezbollah Problem
Hezbollah's presence in the region merits swift recognition and action.
Op-eds
Biden, Congress Should Defend Missile Sanctions Imposed on Iran
Memos
Iran vs. Trump: Suleimani’s Legacy, and Khamenei’s Ambitions
The supreme leader and Trump may well end the long-running, region-defining clash. We just don't know yet quite how.
Op-eds
Iran-Backed Militias Are In Iraq to Stay
Prime Minister Mahdi is trying to bring the Popular Mobilization Forces under control of the government, but even he probably knows it won’t work.
Op-eds
German police rolled out red carpet for Hezbollah-affiliated group
The US, Israel, the Arab League, and Canada classify all of Hezbollah as a terrorist entity. Germany and the EU have merely proscribed Hezbollah’s so-called military wing a terrorist organization.
Op-eds
‘America is not the enemy, the enemy is right here’
Ali Larijani, speaker of the Iranian parliament, has described the United States as a “threat to the entire world.” But his daughter Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani is safe in Ohio, where she recently c...
Op-eds
Report: Britain slated to outlaw the entire terrorist entity Hezbollah
Britain banned Hezbollah’s military wing in 2008 because the Lebanese militia attacked UK soldiers in Iraq.
Op-eds
German Governor Opens Israel Office, Refuses to Ban Hezbollah, Iran Trade
Armin Laschet, the powerful governor of the largest German state North ...
Op-eds
The Mystery Martyr
Death came suddenly for Samer Ibrahim Atoui, a 48-year-old native of the southern Lebanese village of Khiyam. On October 2, 2017, a Syrian opposition social media account posted photographs showi...
Op-eds
Hezbollah-Aligned German Center Declares ‘Resistance’ Against Israel
The chairman of the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic center Al Mahdi in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) urged his supporters to wage “resistance” against Israel on Saturd...
Op-eds
Tyrants And Their Hollow States
Frankly, I’m surprised Erdogan had to settle for a photo-finish win at the wire. Not a great result for a would-be ...
Op-eds
Tyrants And Their Hollow States
Frankly, I’m surprised Erdogan had to settle for a photo-finish win at the wire. Not a great result for a would-be ...
Op-eds
Victory Without Soldiers?
With the war in Syria becoming ever more complex and murderous, it’s worthwhile to revisit a guiding principle of Barack Obama: The use of American military power is likely to do more harm...
Op-eds
An Iranian Moderate Exposed
“To my esteemed enemy, Mohammad-Javad Zarif.” Iran’s former ambassador to the United Nations remains very proud of this dedication in his copy of Henry Kissinger’s ...