US and Iranian officials entered their second round of diplomatic negotiations on Saturday aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear programme. As delegates from the two sides met in Rome, Arash Azizi answers the pressing question: What if the US-Iran talks fail? describing Trump’s approach as “high risk, but high reward”. For her part, Alia Mansour pens a piece titled Iran is cornered, but is it ready to concede?. In it, she says, “Although Tehran should understand by now that its hand is weak, it remains to be seen whether it can give up its fantasy of empire. Ongoing US-Iran negotiations will be telling.”

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of talks, the US continued its punishing air strikes on Yemen. On Thursday night, it targeted the Houthi-controlled Red Sea oil port of Ras Isa, killing at least 70 people. Anwar Al-Ansi examines the US strategy in the context of pressuring Iran. He confirms a plan is underway to weaken the Houthis from the air to prepare for a Yemeni government ground offensive on the group sometime in May. For his part, Amgad Faried explains the Red Sea's importance. He says, “The waterway wedged between Africa and Asia is the preferred transit route for around 30% of global containerised trade. No wonder foreign stakeholders are all vying for bases along the route.”

Just across the Red Sea, Sudan entered its second year of civil war. Writing on the occasion, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation, addresses the humanitarian disaster there. He says, “With numbers so staggering and stories so harrowing, we can't say we don't know what's happening. More needs to be done to address what has become the world's largest displacement crisis.”

Onto yet another ongoing humanitarian tragedy, Samer Abou Hawwach highlights one child’s silent farewell to his dead friend in Gaza to deliver a scathing commentary on the silence of the world amid the slaughter of the Palestinian people. He writes, “Palestinian death is increasingly being seen through the lens of cold political calculations. The world's silence over Gaza's horrors has drowned out the desperate screams of its people.”

Meanwhile, Asaad Ghanem looks at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s consolidation of power in Israel, describing it as a “political, judicial and security coup”. He writes, “Until recently, Netanyahu’s political star appeared to be waning. But now he seems to have the proverbial 'bit between his teeth’ after firing political opponents and appointing a string of loyalists to senior security and military positions.

And Haid Haid looks at the 8th Brigade’s disbanding in Syria’s south, wondering if the government could replicate the same pressure tactics to achieve military consolidation elsewhere in the country. He says, “Even though the brigade was dismantled without blood spilt, this doesn't mean force won't be used in other instances.”

And writing on the occasion of Lebanon’s civil war anniversary, Abdulfattah Khattab explains how 50 years later, the Lebanese people are still paying the price of that conflict. “Progress was made in the early 2000s, but debt remained high as necessary structural reforms were not enacted. By 2020, Lebanon had defaulted on its debt,” he says.

Switching to Trump’s tariffs, Con Coughlin profiles US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, whom he describes as a “voice of moderation” in his administration. He says, “While he has defended US tariffs, asking critics to 'trust the process', he could also rein in some of Trump's more maximalist economic impulses.” Meanwhile, Scott Reynolds Nelson gives a historical overview in his piece titled The awful history of tariffs and depressions. He says looking at the 19th century could teach us what happens next.

And last but not least, Noor Hisham AlSaif writes on the diverse offerings of this year’s Saudi Film Festival, which kicked off last week. She says, “Featuring a production market, workshops, discussions, and international collaborations, this year’s festival shows that the event has evolved into a space that shapes films before they are made.”