Is the world entering a new age of global disorder? Signs point to yes: we see simultaneously the biggest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, a war in the Levant, and a short, sharp war in the Caucasian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. These seemingly separate conflicts are in fact connected not just by a

Yemen’s Houthi movement surprised Middle East watchers when it fired drones and cruise missiles at Israel on October 19. Few had expected the group’s saber rattling to be much more than words, considering how inaccurate most of the Houthis’ long-range weapons are, not to mention their history of empty threats against Israel. Some assumed, incorrectly

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has joined Iran and other pariah nations in using “ghost ships” to transport oil and other goods and bypass international sanctions. Russia’s ghost fleet primarily consists of older vessels that have a higher risk of breaking down and being involved in accidents. Beyond the inherent risks of

International politics is now defined by a world at war. The United States is consumed with a stalemate in Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression and what promises to be a long war by Israel to eradicate the terror group Hamas and its affiliates. This Middle East conflict may escalate as Iran, through its proxies, carries

This is the third of three posts on potential Congressional action to tighten the screws on Iran and Iran’s network of friends, supporters, and proxies. There are massive amounts being contemplated in the supplemental for Israel and/or Ukraine. Before shipping any cash for any “humanitarian aid” to either the West Bank or Gaza either directly

This is the second of three posts on potential Congressional action to tighten the screws on Iran and Iran’s network of friends, supporters, and proxies. Oversight is often unsexy. It’s behind the scenes, it’s not splashy like legislation, not public like a tweet or a speech or a TV hit. But consistent oversight is one

This is the first of three posts on potential Congressional action to tighten the screws on Iran and Iran’s network of proxies and supporters. In the aftermath of the Iran-backed Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, there have been more than 100 bills introduced in Congress aimed at curtailing Iranian oil sales, rescinding the

Three weeks after Hamas’ abhorrent attack on its southern border, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel had entered “a new phase in the war,” deploying ground forces into Gaza. The Gaza battle is poised to be long and difficult, but even if Israel manages to achieve its maximalist aim of incapacitating Hamas, the

Just over a month ago, I highlighted the case of Gubad Ibadoghlu, a prominent scholar detained in Azerbaijan.  Ibadoghlu remains in the Baku Detention Center, nearly comatose from the prison authority’s poor treatment of his diabetes. Doctors say he is now immobile and will not survive for long in his current condition. The government of Azerbaijan refuses to cooperate or communicate with

Hamas’ horrific October 7 attack on Israel has ignited a war that risks plunging the Middle East into broader conflict that could draw in the United States. The war has already expanded beyond Israel, as Iranian-backed militias in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and even Yemen have mobilized in support of Hamas and have begun attacking Israeli and U.S.