Since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, voices in Washington have increasingly chastised the Biden administration for what they say is an inadequate enforcement of oil sanctions against Iran. Bills have now been proposed in the U.S. Congress to prod the administration to better enforce sanctions against Iranian oil. Since the Israel-Hamas war began
What will become of Hamas after the end of its war against Israel? Given the organization’s ties to and support from Iran, its long-term future remains connected to the broader issue of Tehran’s role in the Middle East. The future connection of Iran to whatever remains of Hamas will overshadow any short- or medium-term scenarios
In the fall of 2012, I took part in an open discussion at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow on Russia’s role in the Middle East. In her presentation, an experienced American diplomat focused on how Russia was a spent force that would never be able to recapture the Soviet Union’s prominence in the region. With
Will There Be a Wider War in the Middle East? How Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, and other countries in the region are watching Israel’s war on Hamas. No audio? Hover over the video player, and tap the Click to Unmute button. Already an FP Subscriber? Login On-demand recordings of FP Live conversations are available to
On Sept. 19, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive against the autonomous ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, known in Armenia as Artsakh. Within 24 hours, Azerbaijan secured effective control over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Artsakh Defense Army was disbanded. These seismic events ended a three-decade frozen conflict, which included large-scale wars from 1988-1994 and in 2020
As the Israel-Hamas war advances, the clashes along the Lebanese-Israeli border indicate that Hezbollah does not want to engage beyond the implied rules of conflict that were set with Israel after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war—at least, not yet. As the Israel-Hamas war advances, the clashes along the Lebanese-Israeli border indicate that Hezbollah does not want
This was not supposed to happen. Israel’s vaunted military and ruthlessly efficient security services had Hamas bottled up in the Gaza Strip. Sure, every few years there was a conflict that followed a similar pattern: a provocation, Hamas rocket attacks, Israeli air strikes, Egyptian mediation, and then quiet again. Meanwhile, Israel’s diplomatic achievements piled up
As Hamas fires missiles and rockets from its Gaza stronghold while its fighters ravage Israel, the Israeli government faces another potential conflict on its northern border with a far more formidable foe: the Lebanese Hezbollah. On Sunday, a day after Hamas struck Israel, the Lebanese group fired missiles and artillery at the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the fate of women’s rights in Iran, the dissolution of the president’s cabinet in Ivory Coast, and Russian airstrikes against civilians in Ukraine. Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the fate of women’s rights in Iran, the dissolution of the president’s cabinet in
What in the World? Test yourself on the week of Sept. 30: Slovakia votes, the EU announces an aid package, and police crack down in Iran. By Drew Gorman, a deputy copy editor at Foreign Policy. Officials count votes at a polling station during the second round of the presidential election in Male, Maldives. Officials