World News Insights: Opinion Articles

Sectarianism is the blind championing of one faction at the expense of the others, whether they are in agreement or dispute. Only those who share the same proclivities and interests see the faction’s triumph, which brings them comfort and reassurance. Like several other countries, Iraq has…

Mahmoud al-Mashhadani

As Elon Musk pursues his “draining the marshland” in Washington D.C., his plan to reduce the size of the US federal government may have a number of unintended consequences. To be sure, few people might disagree with ending monthly payment to sole 20 million former civil servants who continue…

Amir Taheri

In reaction to the tragedy on the Syrian coast, many voices have mixed regret and apology lately: We had not anticipated the force of sectarianism that was just exhibited. Where did this disregard that defies infinite past episodes come from? It would be unwise to ignore a lousy human tendency…

Hazem Saghieh

Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer just a prime minister waging war against Gaza. His war is against the world. He has resumed this war of relentless brutality without even pretending to target Hamas. Children, women, and innocent civilians are his victims today. He has starved them throughout the…

Yousef Al-Dayni

The Iranian program file has returned to the forefront of developments in the Middle East, as direct political confrontation between the United States and Iran escalates and the two sides clash by proxy. Several factors are fueling this rise in tensions, which has a variety of implications for the…

Dr. Nassif Hitti

The relationship between "the Arab Levant" and "the world," in modern times, has not been a friendly one. “The world," here, refers the West and its states- that is, the Atlantic World, while "the Arab Levant" primarily refers to the Palestinian cause as it was manufactured by military and security…

Hazem Saghieh

The new chapter in Syria, which began after it turned the page on 54 years of Assadist rule, could be undermined by the painful developments earlier this month. The new leadership in Damascus, as far as I can tell, was aware that former regime remnants had been present in the region, and of the…

Eyad Abu Shakra

The veteran politician said the latest American strikes against Houthi positions may be the last from the Donald Trump administration to Iran before the decisive moment arrives for its nuclear program. He said the region may be headed towards a major crisis should the Iranian supreme leader fail in…

Ghassan Charbel

Five years after it left the European Union, Britain may have finally found a new role on the global stage — a gig that looks curiously like its old one. In the frantic few weeks since President Trump upended the trans-Atlantic alliance with his overtures to Russia and rift with Ukraine, Britain’s…

Mark Landler and Stephen Castle

Last week, the world turned its attention to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as US and Ukrainian officials met to resolve the long-standing allies’ dispute that had exploded, two weeks ago, in the White House. The two sides chose Saudi Arabia to host this historic meeting, preferring it over the multitude of…

Mohammed al-Rumaihi

In the Arabic dictionary, the verb “yumana’” or “tamana’” derives from “mana’”, with its noun form being “mumana’a”, meaning “resistance” or “opposition.” The dictionary defines “mumana’a” as a form of “dispute” that arises between two or more parties. On the surface, Iranian officials present…

Mustafa Fahs

As France’s President Emmanuel Macron casts himself as Europe’s new leader in a joust against Donald Trump he might do well to have a look at two great Frenchmen who advised against haste and hubris. The first is that paragon of diplomacy Talleyrand who managed to survive four regimes, including…

Amir Taheri