For Tehran, negotiation is war by other means
Iran’s rulers think Trump is as beatable as his predecessors
Shia Islam
Iraq launches corruption crackdown, sets deadline for militia weapons handover
Iraq launched a series of raids targeting corrupt politicians and officials on June 28. “Elite Counter Terrorism Service units raided homes inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone...
Op-eds
Squeezing Al-Qard Al-Hassan Could Weaken Hezbollah’s Chances of Survival
If President Trump has his way, the Third Lebanon War, which Hezbollah began by attacking Israel on October 8, 2023, will soon end. But even as the group’s most intense fight against Israel comes to...
Policy Briefs
Washington Wants a Relationship With Iraq Focused On Business, but Security Can’t Be Ignored
Amid a tense regional situation, Iraq’s new government is engaged in a high-stakes balancing act. Tom Barrack, the U.S. special presidential envoy for Iraq and Syria, met with Iraq’s new prime minister,...
Policy Briefs
IDF confirms killing Hezbollah commander responsible for creating Iran-backed militias in Iraq
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it killed Ali Mousa Daqduq, a top Hezbollah military leader and a commander in the Radwan Unit, the group responsible for infiltrating the Israeli border....
Op-eds
Don’t Invite Syria Back Into Lebanon
Washington is contemplating the one thing that could rally Lebanese around Hezbollah.
Op-eds
Pro-Iran Hackers Outsmart Meta AI Chatbot, Access High-Profile Accounts
Hackers are coming after those friendly, cheerful chatbots used in customer support roles almost everywhere, and the first week of June told the tale. Attackers used a series of basic questions to exploit...
Policy Briefs
Iraq’s New Christian Patriarch Inherits a Vanishing Flock
On its surface, Polis III Nona’s installation ceremony bore all the hallmarks of a thriving church. The new patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Iraq’s largest Christian denomination,...
Op-eds
Several Iranian-backed militias in Iraq say they accept state control of weapons
On June 3 in Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met with delegations from Asaib Ahl al Haq and Kataib Imam Ali, two Iranian-backed Iraqi militias. He thanked the group’s leadership for supporting...
Op-eds
Voluntary Militia Disarmament in Iraq Sounds Too Good to Be True, and It Likely Is
Promises from Iran-backed militias in Iraq can never be taken at face value. Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), an Iran-backed militia in Iraq designated by Washington as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)...
Policy Briefs
For the War to Stop, Hezbollah Must Be Disarmed
The Lebanese government, which has voted three times to disarm Hezbollah since the summer of 2025, now faces an inescapable choice. If the cabinet decides to finish off Iran’s proxy militia, Israel will...
Op-eds
Muqtada al Sadr announces integration of his militia into the Iraqi state
On May 27, Muqtada al Sadr, the well-known Iraqi Shiite cleric and popular leader, announced the dissolution of his militia, Saraya al Salam (the Peace Brigades). “It has become necessary for...
Op-eds
Iran conducts new attacks on Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq
Iran carried out a new attack on a Kurdish Iranian opposition group in northern Iraq on the evening of May 25, one of several over the past weeks that Kurdish groups have blamed on Iran. Despite...
Op-eds
Saudi Arabia and UAE say drone attacks were launched from Iraq
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said that recent drone attacks against their countries originated from Iraq. “The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday that six drones had been launched...
Op-eds
Iraq Forms a New Government Without Resolving Cabinet Role of Iran-Backed Militias
After six months of internal discord against the background of competing foreign interests, Iraq has formed its new government, ending the stasis that followed the November 2025 election. Prime Minister...
Policy Briefs
Breaking the Myth of Hezbollah’s Captive Constituency
Israel’s Alma Center is wrong about Lebanon’s Shia population. In a recent article, the institute claimed that Hezbollah’s Shia constituency is a “captive audience” chained by dependency, fear,...
Op-eds
UAE sanctions Hezbollah-linked financial network, reflecting US designations
On May 12, the United Arab Emirates’ official news agency, Emirates News Agency, announced that Abu Dhabi had designated 16 Lebanese nationals and five Lebanon-based entities to its terrorism...
Op-eds
Mr. President, here’s your next Iran speech
With a final offer – and a final warning – to Tehran
Op-eds
Iraqi security forces and politicians react to reports of ‘secret’ Israeli base
Iraqi politicians and security forces have responded to a May 9 report in The Wall Street Journal claiming that “Israel built and defended a secret Iran war base in Iraq.” The news provoked...
Op-eds
Iraqi Corruption Is Fueling Iranian Sanctions Evasion
Iran-backed militias work through politicians, front companies, and oil smugglers to siphon billions of dollars from the Iraqi people each year in schemes to enrich both themselves and the Islamic Republic...