Al Majalla continued its coverage on the unprecedented developments sweeping the region after the US and Israel waged war on Iran on 28 February and assassinated its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Given the weight of events, we put together an emergency Cover Story titled After Khamenei: will the Islamic Republic survive? In it, Arash Aziz profiles the late leader, while Abdullah F. Alrebh gives the view from the Gulf. For his part, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy explains how Khamenei’s killing opens up a strategic abyss. In his piece, he says, “Gulf states' delicate balancing act—maintaining security partnerships with the US while cautiously reopening channels to Iran—has been shattered.”

And Emma Ashford asserts that Trump is betraying his base by waging war on Iran. In her piece, she says, “Voters were promised America First, not Bush-era interventions." This could explain Israel's race for regime change in Iran. “Israel knows its military operation cannot last forever, so it is racing to either kill or fatally wound the Islamic Republic before the clock runs out,” Michael Horowitz writes. For his part, Bilal Saab explains how willpower could trump firepower in the US-Iran war. “Washington and Tel Aviv may think the key to ending Iran’s regime is to kill its missile bank and capabilities, but sometimes strategy matters more than hardware.” 

And Con Coughlin examines the possibility of the war expanding to involve more players, asking: Will European allies be drawn into the US-Iran war? “Key US allies, like the UK and France, initially said the US attacks on Iran were unlawful, but after Trump lashed out, some are now singing a different tune,” he says. Meanwhile, Omer Onhon gives the Turkish view, explaining that "Ankara fears a refugee influx, economic disruption, and a Kurdish dimension as the US and Israel escalate their attacks."

Al Majalla also provided extensive coverage of the war's economic impact. Thuraya Shahin pens a piece titled, Oil prices soar as US-Iran war sparks supply worries. In it, she says, “European gas prices have jumped by 30% after some big GCC oil and gas producers cut supplies, and now a vital maritime trade route has effectively closed. The stakes have never been higher.” For his part, Abdelrahman Al-Ayas pens a piece titled US-Iran war: aviation industry hits turbulence.”"Gulf states' central global location has made it the perfect transit hub for global travel, but with flights cancelled due to war, the industry is scrambling to fill the void,” he writes.

In other news, James Jeffrey lays out Alternative security models for Syria amid US pullout. “The announcement last week that the US was pulling its 1,000 troops there has sparked worry, as American presence is seen as crucial for integrating the Kurds and fighting IS,” he writes.

And in Culture, Hala Al-Naji pens a piece titled Ramadan in Gaza: food scarcity compounds suffering. “The iftar table, if it still exists, no longer represents joy, but anxiety and scarcity,” she writes. And on the occasion of Women’s Day, Wael Said dedicates Al Majalla’s Film Watch to recent films by female directors.