Israel/Palestine Conflict

The fighting that erupted between Israel and Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 was no ordinary flare-up. It shattered the relative calm observed in the Middle East over the past few of years – a result of Israel’s efforts to reclaim its international status; of Iran’s efforts to reconcile with its neighbors; and of new alignments slowly forming among erstwhile enemies. Regional leadership and power dynamics are directly at stake, as is the potential shape of the Middle East itself.

Featured Content

The State of the Israeli-Gaza Conflict

The origins of the modern Arab-Israeli conflict are pretty well known. Gaza, the narrow strip of land running to the Sinai Peninsula, was originally...

The Drumbeat of War in the Middle East

Threats of impending war have permeated the Middle East since Israel’s establishment in 1948. Though Egypt made peace with Israel in 1978 and Jordan...

The Eclipse of the Palestinian Question

Until the 1970s, the Palestinian question had preoccupied the Arab world since the creation of Israel in 1948. Public figures and ordinary Arabs were...

West Bank Violence Stalls Arab-Israeli Normalization

Last month, three senior U.S. officials visited Israel and the Palestinian Territories to try to avert a third Palestinian intifada. National Security Adviser Jake...

Special Collection on the Middle East

This complete work consists of several dozen essays spread out over 8 parts tackling the region’s conflicts and historical evolution, relating them to contemporary issues. Divided into distinct regions and critical issues, the Special Collection of the Middle East is your source to better understand this volatile region and to be prepared for what comes next.

Recent Analysis: Israel & Palestine

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Daily Memo: US Offers Plan for Peace in Iran

Initial proposal. Washington is pushing for a “framework agreement” with Tehran to bring an end to the war in Iran, Israel’s Channel 12 reported,...

Lebanon on the Brink of Civil War

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem recently asserted that the Iranian-backed Shiite group will defend Lebanon until the areas of the country that were captured by...

Daily Memo: Belarusian Fertilizers, US-Japan Relations

Belarusian rapprochement. The U.S. will remove sanctions on two key Belarusian fertilizer producers amid disruptions in global supplies related to the Iran war. The...

Daily Memo: Strikes on Iran’s Navy, US Mulls Sending Reinforcements

Escalation. Israel carried out its first strike on Iranian targets in the Caspian Sea. Five Iranian navy vessels were reportedly hit in the attack...

Assessing Iran’s Capacity Amid Decapitation and Degradation

In the assessment of U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on March 18, three weeks of sustained bombardment by U.S. and Israeli forces...

Daily Memo: On US Drones and Strikes on Iran

Mass production. The Pentagon wants to mass-produce a low-cost one-way attack drone that the U.S. has been using in the Iran conflict, the Wall...

Daily Memo: Trade Disruptions, Trump Calls on Allies

Oil trade. A Pakistani-flagged oil tanker was able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and is now heading toward Pakistan, Bloomberg reported. Ship-tracking...

Iran’s Doctrine of Protracted War

The war between Iran and the U.S.-Israeli coalition is unlikely to produce a rapid or decisive outcome. Rather than a short campaign defined by...

Daily Memo: Oil Markets and Shipping Disruptions

Relief ahead? Member countries of the International Energy Agency unanimously agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves to help...

A Summary of the Iran War, So Far

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Wars can be viewed by historians later, but while they are raging and facts and lies compete for attention, it’s hard to understand what’s...

Daily Memo: Commercial Shipping and the Conflict in Iran

Tehran's reprisals. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz to Arab or European countries that expel...

The Eclipse of the Islamic Republic

U.S. President Donald Trump last week demanded an unconditional Iranian surrender to end the joint U.S.-Israeli operation that started on Feb. 28. For the...

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Audio & Video

The Battle for Lebanon’s Future

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As war rages in the Middle East, the future of Iran remains an open question. The same can be said for Lebanon, where exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel have been taking place for more than a week. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, host Christian Smith is joined by Senior Analyst Hilal Khashan for a ground-level perspective on the escalating conflict in Lebanon, and to explore the broader regional impacts of the Iran war.

Hezbollah’s End Game: Hilal Khashan Reporting from Lebanon

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As war rages in the Middle East, the future of Iran remains an open question. The same can be said for Lebanon, where exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel have been taking place for more than a week. On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, host Christian Smith is joined by Senior Analyst Hilal Khashan for a ground-level perspective on the escalating conflict in Lebanon, and to explore the broader regional impacts of the Iran war.