Al Majalla’s cover story last week focused on the run-up to Israel’s October legislative elections. Michael Horowitz profiles frontrunner Gadi Eisenkot and explains what a change in leadership could mean for Israel and the region after three years of war. 

For his part, Bilal Saab explains why some Gulf states are repositioning themselves not merely as consumers of security but as architects of it after the US war on Iran. Meanwhile, Ahmed Maher interviews CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins, who details Washington's military achievements against Tehran and its regional proxies. Anwar Ansi explains why he thinks it's a dangerous gamble for the Houthis to tie their fate to the outcome of the US-Iran war. And Rana Freifer asks whether Trump’s new ‘Economic D-Day’ sanctions against Iran will bite, and why the answer may depend on China.

On to the US, Con Coughlin explains why CIA director John Ratcliffe’s secret visit to Moscow is so concerning, while Keith Johnson argues that the US bond crisis exposes a deeper fiscal rot. Moving to Sudan, Shawgi Abdelazim wonders if the establishment of the Tasis government, a governing authority in RSF-controlled territory, could be the first institutional building block of eventual secession?

In Science, Alaa Emara explains how Global warming is turning sleep into a global health crisis, while Mohammed Mansour details how social media is transforming how people seek medical advice.

And finally, in Culture, Farouk Yousif looks at the life and legacy of the renowned Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour, who recently passed away at the age of 79. And last but not least, Nabeeb Mubarak reviews a new book that shows how an intricate system of thought devised more than 350 years ago by Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza can apply today.