Al Majalla | The Leading Arab Magazine

US-Iran war

Special coverage on the attack on Iran

Cover Story

Blockading the blockade

Special coverage

US-Iran war and the regional repercussions

Containers and cranes at the port of Beirut, Lebanon, on 14 April 2025.

Reuters

Business & Economy

Strings attached: Lebanon’s economic rescue tied to its openness to Israel

Proponents of a peace deal argue that by reducing security risks with Israel, Lebanon can move from a volatile frontier market into a regional hub much like the UAE.

Thuraya Shahin

Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, receives Economic Advisor to the Eritrean President Hagos Ghebrehiwet

Egypt Foreign Ministry via Twitter

Politics

Egypt brokers US-Eritrea thaw to corner Ethiopia

Cairo hopes that by helping the Americans establish relations with Egyptian allies in the region, it will be better placed to deal with the threats posed by Addis Ababa

Amr Emam

A man holds a flag featuring the late leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei and the new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, at a rally in Tehran on 29 April 2026.

Majid Asgaripour / Reuters

SPECIAL COVERAGE

Real Iran splits and the myth of division

Politics

The argument is over the price and presentation, not the basic instinct to preserve the system

Alex Vatanka

Has Iran's ideology actually hardened?

Zarif’s peace gambit meets Tehran’s limits

The US and Iran mull next moves amid shaky truce

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: a possible US partner?

Decapitation strikes unlikely to topple Iran's regime

The US-Iran war could empower the IRGC

Latest

Business & Economy

US naval blockade puts the squeeze on Iran

Abdel-Rahman Ayas

Profiles

Tim Cook wrote a winning recipe for Apple

The Economist

Culture & Social Affairs

New book recalls Beirut’s once-vibrant Jewish quarter

Abdul Rahman Mazhar Halloush

Politics

Orbán defeat: a setback for populists; a boost for Brussels

Khattar Abu Diab

Science & Technology

How China's Earth Eye helped Iran target US bases

Marco Mossad

Politics

Netanyahu's Iran victory claim falls on deaf ears in Israel

Asaad Ghanem

Popular
Editor's Pick

Sara Padovan

Business & Economy

Blockading the blockade: Trump tightens his chokehold on Iran

30 April 2026

Al Majalla examines Trump's Hormuz chess move and questions whether it is sustainable amid Tehran's proven ability to withstand US pressure tactics

Al Majalla - London

Majid Asgaripour / Reuters

Politics

Real Iran splits and the myth of division

04 May 2026

The argument is over the price and presentation, not the basic instinct to preserve the system

Alex Vatanka

Opinion

US call for UN "reform" reveals its China anxieties

03 May 2026

Recently published documents show a US no longer willing to finance an international system that doesn't reflect its strategic priorities and allows its adversaries a seat at the table

Ibrahim Hamidi

Axel Rangel Garcia

Politics

Orbán defeat: a setback for populists; a boost for Brussels

30 April 2026

After 16 years, there is finally a political transition in Budapest. This is an annoyance in Moscow and Washington, a relief in Brussels, and a warning to Europe's populists.

Khattar Abu Diab

Shutterstock

Science & Technology

How China's Earth Eye helped Iran target US bases

01 May 2026

Satellite technology from China and data analysis from Russia have helped Tehran be far more precise with its missiles and drones in its war against the US and Israel.

Marco Mossad

OPINION

Leaked torture videos rehash Syria sectarian grudges

Alia Mansour

US call for UN "reform" reveals its China anxieties

Ibrahim Hamidi

In a divided Lebanon, middle ground is largely illusory

Houssam Itani

A lasting Iran resolution needs Arab input

Brian Katulis

Infographics

Saudi Vision 2030 report predicts steady growth

Al Majalla

Politics

Real Iran splits and the myth of division

In Washington, the latest speculation is that Iran is deeply divided, perhaps too divided to make a serious diplomatic decision in the standoff with…

Alex Vatanka

Egypt brokers US-Eritrea thaw to corner Ethiopia

Egypt is acting as a bridge between the United States and Eritrea in a diplomatic effort that may prove consequential. It brought together US advisor…

Amr Emam

Orbán defeat: a setback for populists; a boost for Brussels

The electoral earthquake that shook Hungary on 12 April brought an end to 16 years of rule by Viktor Orbán, one of the most prominent symbols of the…

Khattar Abu Diab

US President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles talk as they watch a pass in review during an arrival ceremony for the king and Queen Camilla, at the White House in Washington, DC, on 28 April 2026.

King Charles, Trump toast ties despite Iran differences

In many respects, US President Donald Trump has much in common with the British monarch, King Charles III. Both men were born in the 1940s into…

Con Coughlin

Profile

Tim Cook wrote a winning recipe for Apple

Sometimes a company encapsulates its times. Ford and its Model T captured the go-getting mood of the Roaring Twenties. IBM embodied the techno…

The Economist

Simon Karam: the diplomat leading Lebanon's talks with Israel

As Lebanon begins negotiating with Israel, it has appointed Ambassador Simon Karam to head his country's delgation. A second round of talks in…

Thuraya Shahin

Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza Party, speaks during a press conference a day after the parliamentary election, in which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat, Budapest, Hungary, on 13 April 2026.

Péter Magyar: the Orbán loyalist-turned-nemesis

The stunning victory achieved by Péter Magyar in Hungary’s general election may have prompted widespread rejoicing both in his own country and across…

Con Coughlin

Viktor Orbán: Will Hungary's longtime PM hold onto his seat?

On the eve of Hungary's highly contested election, two main rivals have been heavily campaigning as Péter Magyar attempts to end 16 years of…

Con Coughlin

Documents & Memoirs

Could the US-Iran war spark World War III?

17 Mar 2026

The current conflict is unlikely to go global for now, but the speed at which it has spread regionally is alarming. A look at history shows the geopolitical factors that led to world wars.

Christopher Phillips

READ FULL ARTICLE

Eduardo Ramon

Documents & Memoirs

How the US got the SDF to capitulate to Damascus

02 February 2026

Al Majalla publishes a full account of what transpired during negotiations, the draft integration framework, and proposed constitutional amendments

Ibrahim Hamidi

Sara Gironi Carnevale

Documents & Memoirs

Could Trump actually buy Greenland?

30 January 2026

If history is any indication, then yes. While much of modern-day America was acquired through conquest, large chunks of the country were also bought from reluctant sellers under pressure.

Steve Hewitt

culture & social affairs

New book recalls Beirut’s once-vibrant Jewish quarter

01 May 2026

Veteran Lebanese journalist Nada Abdelsamad transports readers back to the time when Beirut's Jewish quarter, known at the time as Wadi al-Yahud, was thriving

Abdul Rahman Mazhar Halloush

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in ‘Michael’.

Lionsgate

Culture & Social Affairs

In a new biopic, Michael Jackson is an eccentric saint

The megastar's uncancellable songs are his rightful memorial

The Economist

Culture & Social Affairs

The Arab women raising the bar in travel literature

In recent years, travel writing has witnessed a striking revival, though along a different path, one now charted by Arab women's voices.

Ibrahim Adel

Netflix

The witty Saudi dram-com topping Netflix charts

Saudi production company Telfaz11 has moved between comedy…

Turki Harbi

CARTOON

VIDEOS

14:21

Interview with Varsen Aghabekian Shahin - Palestinian Foreign Minister

Science & Technology

How China's Earth Eye helped Iran target US bases

Satellite technology from China and data analysis from Russia have helped Tehran be far more precise with its missiles and drones in its war against the US and Israel.

Marco Mossad

Iran’s 'mosquito fleet' presents a pesky problem

The Strait of Hormuz is now poised to become the primary arena of confrontation, with Iran relying on speedboat-driven guerrilla warfare to confront the US navy.

Marco Mossad

Sara Padovan

Saving the soldiers: robots as Ukraine’s new weapon

The war in Ukraine is becoming an open laboratory for testing advanced military technologies that may yet redefine the very meaning of combat

Marco Mossad

Grace Russell

Fast food is a silent threat to fertility

Research involving almost 1,500 people reveals a link between the consumption of processed food and drink, the quality of sperm, and the womb environment. The implications are huge.

Mohammed Mansour

Sara Padovan

Business & Economy

Strings attached: Lebanon’s economic rescue tied to its openness to Israel

Proponents of a peace deal argue that by reducing security risks with Israel, Lebanon can move from a volatile frontier market into a regional hub much like the UAE.

Thuraya Shahin

US naval blockade puts the squeeze on Iran

When ships leaving Iran's ports are seized, oil buyers are hurt, as well as every stakeholder in the chain, making countries more reluctant to do business with Tehran

Abdel-Rahman Ayas

Sara Padovan

Blockading the blockade: Trump tightens his chokehold on Iran

Al Majalla examines Trump's Hormuz chess move and questions whether it is sustainable amid Tehran's proven ability to withstand US pressure tactics

Al Majalla - London

Sara Padovan

In a sea of maritime instability, Gibraltar's safety stands out

As Middle Eastern maritime waterways come under increased threat, a strait linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean shines through for its reliability

Mohamed Sharki

An MSC container ship crosses the Strait of Gibraltar from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, near the northern tip of the port of Tangier, Morocco, on 8 January 2026.

REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

English Edition Soon

30 Apr 2026

WORLD IN PHOTOS

WAKIL KOHSAR / AFP

An Afghan parkour athlete performs a stunt on the back of a vehicle on a weekend in the sandy mountainside at the Sayad area of Reg-e-Rawan in Kapisa province on 24 April 2026.

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