Al Majalla’s cover story last week zoomed in on the Hormuz Strait and its importance to global trade. Abdel-Rahman Ayas explains how geography, energy, history, and power converge in the most consequential chokepoint of the global economy. For her part, Jessica Obeid says “by attacking Gulf energy infrastructure, Iran aims to apply economic and geopolitical pressure as a way to avoid large-scale conflict.” And Thuraya Shahin calculates The skyrocketing cost of Epic Fury. “From military spending to energy markets, the US-Israeli war on Iran is driving rising costs, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a central pressure point,” she says.

Meanwhile, Alex Vatanka pens a piece titled Decapitation strikes unlikely to topple Iran's regime. In it, he says, “Instead of taking down the Islamic Republic, what the assassinations have done is harden public support and accelerate the regime's militarisation.” And finally, Christopher Phillips asks Could the US-Iran war spark World War III?. “The current conflict is unlikely to go global for now, but the speed at which it has spread regionally is alarming,” he explains, while laying out the geopolitical factors that led to world wars in the past.

For his part, Stephen M. Walt highlights the Israel lobby’s responsibility for the Iran war, while Con Coughlin looks at the diverging goals between the US and Israel in their war on Iran. “Washington wants to strip Iran of its ability to develop a nuclear weapons arsenal, whereas Tel Aviv appears intent on regime change,” he says. For his part, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy asserts that US public opinion is decisively shifting against Israel. “Until fairly recently, most Americans sided with Israel. These days, most side with the Palestinians. That will eventually influence US foreign policy,” he says.

Meanwhile, in Science, Alaa Emara explains How trauma leaves a lasting imprint on the brain. “The relatively new field of epigenetics is revealing how neurological changes as a result of war, suffering, and displacement can be passed down through the generations,” he says. And Haid Haid takes stock of Syria’s transition, one year after the National Dialogue. “The rushed 2025 rollout raised questions about the government's seriousness. Since then, no meaningful record has been published, fuelling fears that it was just a show,” he explains. And last but not least, on the occasion of Mother’s Day,  Wael Said dedicates Al Majalla’s Film Watch to motherhood in cinema, laying out his choice movie picks that tackle the complicated theme.