Israel
Pardoning of Israeli soldier evokes a long history of clemency for those who kill Palestinians
Elor Azaria, who killed a wounded Palestinian assailant, had his criminal record cleared. It follows a history of such pardons and reduced sentences.
Middle East is the latest arena of political recalibration for Italy’s right‑wing but pragmatic Meloni
The Italian leader has positioned Italy as a geopolitical hinge between competing power centers. The Middle East has just given that strategy a new environment.
Crocodiles as prison guards: Israeli moat plan dehumanizes Palestinian prisoners
A court injunction has slowed plans to build a crocodile moat at a facility holding Palestinian prisoners. But Israeli government hard-liners are pushing ahead.
Gaza’s ‘road map’ is driven by Trump, but reluctant passengers and serious potholes could derail pathway to peace
Hamas sees disarmament as parallel to Israeli withdrawal from Gaza; Israel says no withdrawal before complete disarmament.
Israel’s ‘campaign between the wars’: How strategy to contain Iran and its allies risks further straining ties with US
Israel has long sought to gain a military advantage by degrading its adversaries’ military capabilities outside of times of direct conflict.
US‑Iran deal leaves the future of Lebanon uncertain – and subject to Israel playing the spoiler
President Donald Trump has talked of a potential role for Syrian forces in fighting Hezbollah – a move that would raise alarm in Lebanon.
Trump’s US‑Iran ceasefire deal is a costly return to prewar conditions – and resolving nuclear questions will run into the ‘indivisibility problem’
Iran has emerged with its uranium enrichment knowledge intact, its stockpile buried and fresh reason to believe that only a nuclear weapon would have deterred the US-Israel attack.
From a World Heritage‑listed city to sacred shrines, Lebanon’s historic sites are being destroyed
Israel’s airstrikes in the south of the country have damaged ancient Roman ruins, mosques, schools and churches.
A peace deal may bring an end to the Iran war, but what did the US and Israel truly achieve?
The deal will leave Iran in a stronger position than before the war, the US with far less leverage in the region, and Israel in the lurch.
The war in Iran – again – points to the strategic shortcomings of assassination as policy of foreign affairs
Targeted killings can disrupt an adversary, but they rarely lead to collapse — especially when the target is a nation-state like Iran.