Middle East

Leo XIV: Leading the Church with Simplicity

When white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel on May 8, 2025, the world was introduced to Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV. At 69, the Chicago-born cleric became the first pope from the United States, a choice that surprised Vatican observers. Considered an unlikely candidate due to his nationality, Prevost was nonetheless ...

Iran: The Swan Song!

Some regimes govern with ideas; others thrive on chaos. Iran is clearly in the latter camp, lighting fires across the Middle East while hoping the smoke will hide its failures. Since 1982, Tehran has treated Lebanon—and its political-military proxy, Hezbollah—like a live grenade waved during negotiations: always a threat, never a plan. For ...

Nuclear Partnership and F-35 Sale Cement Saudi Arabia’s New Non-NATO Ally Status

The United States and Saudi Arabia announced a series of significant agreements spanning civil nuclear cooperation, advanced weapons sales, and strategic defense coordination during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high-profile visit to the White House. The meetings marked the Saudi leader’s first official White House visit in more than ...

Trump and MBS Seal Major Economic and Military Partnerships

Donald Trump received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Tuesday with full protocol honors, marking his first visit to Washington since 2018. The U.S. president and the de facto leader of the Saudi kingdom made multiple announcements during a joint press conference, covering massive investments, the sale of advanced weaponry, and ...

Sale of F-35s to Riyadh: A New Test for U.S. Alliances in the Middle East

On the eve of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, Donald Trump announced Monday his intention to approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. “We are going to sell F-35s,” the president declared from the White House, praising ties with Riyadh and describing the kingdom as “a great ally.” The announcement ...

Red Carpet and Big Deals: Trump Welcomes MBS to Washington

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will receive a lavish welcome from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, signing defense and nuclear deals during his first visit to the United States since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump is expected to roll out the red carpet for the prince with a fly-by, cannon fire, and a gala dinner ...

​​​​​​​Jordan Rally: Roger Feghali, the Lebanese Driver Who Masters Mud and Time

A total domination, worthy of the champion’s greatest days. Feghali and Matar set the tone from the very first timed stage in Wadi El-Kafrein, leaving no chance to their rivals. From mud to rocks, from wind to the torrential rain that hit the region, nothing managed to shake the Lebanese driver, who signs yet another triumph beyond his ...

Disarmament and the End of the Militia’s Whims

In a moment of deep existential crisis, there is no space for hesitation, for diluted choices or for timid calculations. When a nation’s future is pulled apart by forces bent on destabilization and backed blindly by regional powers with sweeping ambitions, the responsibility is clear. One must choose a side and do so without wavering. The ...

The Origins of the Muslim Brotherhood: Hassan al-Banna and the Birth of Political Islam

Ismailia, 1928. In this city on the Suez Canal under British control, Hassan al-Banna, the 22-year-old schoolteacher and son of an imam, gathered six workers around a single pledge: to restore the greatness of Islam. From this modest circle would emerge a movement that would leave a profound mark on the Middle East throughout the twentieth ...

Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood: Rivalry, Similarities, and Tactical Convergences

The relationship between Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood illustrates the paradoxes of political Islam in the Middle East. Temporary alliances, strategic interests, and deep sectarian divides intersect—from the war in Syria to Palestinian factions—producing a shifting balance between cooperation and antagonism. On June 19, 2025, amid the ...

From Cairo to the World: The Global Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood

Founded in 1928 in Ismailia by Hassan al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood swiftly expanded beyond Egypt’s borders to become a major transnational force across the Arab and Muslim world. Its reach was enabled by exile networks, grassroots activism, and a doctrine flexible enough to adapt to diverse political and cultural contexts. From its ...