Middle East

Arab and Muslim Leaders Head to Saudi for Talks on Mideast Wars

Arab and Muslim leaders have begun arriving in Saudi Arabia for a summit scheduled for Monday that will focus on Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Saudi state media said. The Saudi foreign ministry announced the summit in late October during the first meeting of an "international alliance" pushing for a two-state solution to the ...

Iran Warns of Expansion of War "Beyond the Middle East"

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday warned that the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, where Israel is battling Tehran-backed groups, could spill over beyond the Middle East. "The world should know that in case of the expansion of war, its harmful effects will not be limited only to the West Asia region; insecurity and instability can ...

Iraqi PM Hopes Trump will End MidEast Wars

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani expressed hopes during a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump that he would keep his "promises to work towards ending wars" in the Middle East. Amid Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Sudani -- who was named premier by a majority bloc of Iran-backed political factions -- has been in a ...

Druze Leadership on High Alert to Avert Reckless Ventures

Lebanon's political and sectarian forces cannot approach the current Israeli war as they did previous conflicts, including the 1982 invasion that reached Beirut. This war risks dismantling the existing “rules of engagement” between Lebanese sectarian groups, potentially ushering in a new balance of power. As a result, all factions are bracing ...

Massaad Boulos: The Man Who Helped Trump Win the Election

US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos as his senior advisor for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. “I am proud to announce that Massaad Boulos will be the President's Senior Advisor for Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs,” Trump told Truth Social.  Massaad Boulos, a discreet yet powerful ...

US Presidential Election: A Race Like No Other

On the eve of the US presidential election, Walid Phares, former foreign affairs advisor to President Donald Trump, shared that a key aspect of the Republican candidate’s campaign strategy rested, beyond the strength of his electoral machine, on the spontaneous mobilization of a “popular wave” — an organic movement not necessarily guided ...

Trump's Middle East Promises Win Over Some Muslim Voters

Incoming US president Donald Trump pulled off a surprising feat late in the campaign, making gains with Muslim voters with a characteristically bold promise to end bloodshed in the Middle East. Now, his new supporters are celebrating his victory and confident he will deliver despite Israel, led by his close ally Benjamin Netanyahu, continuing its ...

Iraq Declares Its Territory Off-Limits for Mideast Hostilities

Iraq said Wednesday it would not allow its territory to be used for attacks related to conflict in the Middle East, with Iran threatening retaliation for an Israeli missile attack. After a National Security Council meeting, a statement called reports suggesting Iraqi territory might be used as a launch point "pretexts aiming to excuse ...

Le Drian and Hochstein in Lebanon after November 5

In a scenario similar to the negotiations on Gaza, all of which were dismissed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to his impossible conditions, Netanyahu has rejected the settlement plan brought by US envoy Amos Hochstein. This proposal, presented by Speaker of the House Nabih Berri, called for a ceasefire and the full implementation ...

US Presidential Vote Unlikely to Revitalize Ties with Turkey

The outcome of Tuesday's knife-edge US election is unlikely to have much of an impact on the tepid ties between Washington and Ankara, although presidential chemistry might help, experts say. Long gone is the closeness of the 1990s when the United States and Turkey saw each other as indispensable allies. Following an extended period of soul ...

The Failure of a Project, Not of a Community

Accountability is seldom found in Lebanese political life, and this is largely understandable. The societal dynamics that shape Lebanon’s social fabric—specifically the entrenched communal, regional, familial, tribal, feudal and partisan loyalties—have consistently influenced the daily lives of its people. Consequently, it is extremely ...