- English Newsletter July 7
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Al Majalla continued with its cover story, Iran’s waning influence, last week. James Jeffrey lays out a working plan for Middle East states to capitalise on Iran’s regional setbacks. In it, the US security umbrella would focus on Iran's direct threats, but regional states would deal with Tehran's residual proxy groups in the region. And Majed Kayali explains What the war took from Iran and what it spared. In his piece, he notes that despite suffering strategic setbacks, Tehran remains standing. “Is that a victory of sorts?” he asks. Read his piece to know the answer.
Meanwhile, Steve Hewitt pens a piece titled Diplomatic deceit: US faces trust deficiency after tricking Iran. In it, he says, “The notion of the US as an honest broker was always a dubious one, particularly given its largely unquestioning support for Israel, but its recent actions towards Iran shatter the concept completely.” For his part, Christopher Phillips pens a piece titled Trump’s selective intelligence on Iran echoes past missteps, drawing parallels between Trump’s prioritisation of intelligence reports to support US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and how former President George W. Bush did the same to get backing for his invasion of Iraq.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Hamidi interviews Rabbi Abraham Cooper, a key architect of the Abraham Accords, who explains why Trump is key to Israel-Syria peace. For his part, Hussein al-Sharaa explains why administration is integral to Syria’s state-building task.
And Paul Salem looks at Lebanon’s second chance at statehood. He says, “The crippling of Hezbollah’s dominance and the Assad regime's fall in Syria has opens a narrow but historic opening for the Lebanese people.” But Houssam Itani explains why the issue of Hezbollah’s arms is far from the only thing holding Lebanon back, adding that “disarmament is hardly a magical pill that will resolve Lebanon’s myriad problems.”
Meanwhile, Hala Al-Naji pens a piece titled Gaza’s ‘death trap’ aid distribution centres: a real-life Hunger Games. In it, she says, “If people are not killed by starvation, they are killed by bullets or stampedes at the US-Israeli-backed GHF centres.”
And Neil Quilliam explains How Oman is quietly redefining its development model and quietly setting a new standard for sustainable economic development in the region. And finally, Khodr Al Agha reviews some of the books he believes are worth a read this month, across the rich and diverse offerings of the world of Arabic literature, while Tarek Emam writes on how One of the Arab world's great stories gets a new lease of life. He says, “Naguib Mahfouz’s The Thief and the Dogs has been adapted into a graphic novel, in a compelling version that does justice to it and may take it to a younger audience.”

Diplomatic deceit: US faces trust deficiency after tricking Iran
The notion of the US as an honest broker was always a dubious one, particularly given its largely unquestioning support for Israel, but its recent actions towards Iran shatter the concept completely

Trump’s selective intelligence on Iran echoes past missteps
Determined to show that Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs to justify the US invasion of Iraq, George W. Bush prioritised intel that supported his preferred outcome

How the Middle East can capitalise on Iran’s regional setback
The US security umbrella will focus on Iran's direct threats, but regional states should deal with Tehran's residual proxy groups in the region

Gaza’s ‘death trap’ aid centres: a real-life Hunger Games
Israel's commandeering of aid distribution in Gaza forces starving Palestinians to run the gauntlet at centres with biometric monitoring systems, armed security, and life-or-death hazards
Hala Al-NajiLebanon’s second chance at statehood
Paul SalemHezbollah arms are not the only thing holding Lebanon back
Houssam ItaniWhat the war took from Iran and what it spared
Majed Kayali
Oman is quietly redefining its development model
It is no longer the Gulf's quiet outlier but a country quietly setting a new standard for sustainable economic development in the region

Administration is integral to Syria’s state-building task
'Look to the woman,' as the French say, for it is the woman that runs the household. Likewise, it is the state's administration that runs the ministries and achieves the objectives set by ministers.

One of the Arab world's great stories gets a new lease of life
Naguib Mahfouz's 'The Thief and the Dogs' has been adapted into a graphic novel, in a compelling version that does justice to it and may take it to a younger audience

Al Majalla's Book Watch
A tour of the latest releases from Arabic publishing houses on topics covering fiction, philosophy, science, history, and politics.

Rabbi behind the Abraham Accords: Trump key to Israel-Syria peace
American Rabbi Abraham Cooper has just met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, weeks after meeting Syria's foreign minister in New York. Al Majalla went to ask his thoughts.