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The 12 Days That Redefined the Middle East

With the announcement of a ceasefire, Donald Trump blew the final whistle. Twelve days were all it took to upend the geopolitical order of the region. Twelve days of war between Israel and Iran, following years of shadow conflict, thunderous ultimatums and unspoken red lines. Twelve days that reshaped the strategic balance in the Middle East and, ...

Qatar PM Persuaded Iran to Accept Ceasefire

Qatar's prime minister persuaded Iran to agree to a US-proposed ceasefire with Israel after Iranian missiles targeted an American base near Doha, an informed source said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani spoke to the Iranians at Washington's request following Monday's unprecedented attack on Qatari soil, the ...

Israel-Iran War: A Recap of the 12 Days

From June 13 to June 24, 2025, Israel and Iran have exchanged relentless airstrikes, missile barrages and cyberattacks targeting nuclear sites, military commands and infrastructure. The conflict resulted in the deaths of key Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists, significant damage on both sides and US involvement in striking Iranian ...

Debating Tom Friedman on ‘Global Struggle’

I have great admiration for Thomas Friedman and have long followed his writings. He was instrumental in shaping my support for democracy when he argued that two democracies would not go to war. He supported toppling Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, as I did, and we both believe that the nation-state is, in some ways, a defunct concept. Today, ...

Lebanon Holds the Line as US Strike Reshapes Israel-Iran Conflict

Amid a rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Lebanon has reaffirmed its neutrality, with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri offering personal assurances to US officials that Hezbollah will not intervene. The commitment was relayed directly to President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, underscoring a unified Lebanese stance ...

Israel-Iran, Day 12: Daybreak Confusion, Ceasefire Claims Collide with Renewed Strikes

At dawn on Tuesday, uncertainty still seems to master of ceremony. What was announced just hours earlier as the beginning of a ceasefire appeared anything but, as missile sirens blared across Israeli cities and explosions lit up the skies over Tehran. As U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the ceasefire had taken effect Tuesday morning, ...

Iran Says "No Agreement" as of Now on Ceasefire With Israel

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that there was no ceasefire agreement with Israel as of now, but if it stopped its attacks then Tehran would also stop firing. "As of now, there is NO 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations," Araghchi posted on social media, shortly after the US president announced ...

New Series of Explosions in Tehran

A series of powerful explosions rocked Tehran early Tuesday morning, according to AFP journalists. Warplanes buzzed overhead as explosions shook the north and centre of Iran's capital around 3:00 am (2330 GMT). The blasts occurred just hours before a staggered ceasefire was due to take effect around 0400 GMT, with Iran unilaterally halting ...

Trump Says Israel and Iran Agree To "Total Ceasefire"

President Donald Trump announced Monday that Iran and Israel had agreed to a staggered ceasefire that would bring about an "official end" to a conflict that had threatened to escalate into a full-blown war involving the United States. "It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total ...