Middle East

Middle East

Trump’s Art of the Deal Meets Iran’s Long Memory of Foreign Exploitation

Tanya Goudsouzian / Responsible Statecraft Jun 4, 2026 Washington may view these talks as a standard business transaction, but history has taught Tehran that a compromise with the West is a trap. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Media

‘Buffer Zone’: The Media’s Favorite Euphemism for Israeli Occupation

Gregory Shupak / FAIR May 27, 2026 Corporate media have been reluctant to use clear, direct language to characterize U.S.-backed Israeli land grabs in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Wounds of War

World War Trump

Nick Turse / TomDispatch May 22, 2026 Since January 2025, the U.S. has killed more than 2,000 civilians in a furious blitz of global war-making across Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Middle East

‘The Passage of the Palm Groves’: The Strait of Hormuz in Iranian History

M. Reza Behnam / ZNetwork May 22, 2026 Long before it became the jugular vein of the modern global economy, the stretch of water was the sacred and strategic maritime gateway to the Persian empire. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Wounds of War

As Militaries Expand Drone Usage, Populations Live in Terror

Stavroula Pabst / Responsible Statecraft May 21, 2026 What governments are hailing as the future, ordinary civilians from Ukraine to Congo call harbingers of death and destruction. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Middle East

The U.S.-Israeli ‘Special Relationship 2.0’ Takes Shape

Mitchell Plitnick / Mondoweiss May 20, 2026 Last weekend’s AI+ Expo in Washington opened a window onto Israel’s pivot away from direct U.S. aid and toward a model of joint research into AI and cyberwarfare. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Activism

The Fight to Overturn Illinois’ Anti-BDS Law

Michael Arria / Mondoweiss May 12, 2026 Activists and lawmakers are pushing to repeal the nation's first anti-BDS law, which became the model for dozens of other states. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

TD Original

Kurds in the Crossfire

Matt Broomfield / Truthdig May 7, 2026 The Kurds are on the front lines of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. After their betrayal in Syria, can they survive another fight? Dig deeper ( 10 Min. Read )

Interview

America’s Hate-Hate Affair With Iran: A Collision Course for the Ages

Eldar Mamedov / Responsible Statecraft May 5, 2026 An interview with diplomat, scholar and author Dr. Shireen Tahmaaseb Hunter. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Middle East

1979 Redux: The Carterization of Donald Trump

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Apr 29, 2026 The hostage of today’s war isn’t US embassy personnel, but the world’s energy supply. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Media

For Commentators on Iran, Mass Murder Is Magic

Gregory Shupak / FAIR Apr 27, 2026 Violent fantasies about imposing total domination over Iran are perhaps a symptom of the U.S. being unable to do so in reality. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Europe

The Rise of a European Restrainer

Eldar Mamedov / FPIF Apr 22, 2026 In his opposition to the Iran War and condemnation of the genocide in Gaza, the Spanish prime minister has supported a principled multilateralism. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )