Al Majalla rolled out its July cover story titled Iran’s waning influence. In it, Robert Ford suggests that the all-out war that unfolded in June could morph into a sustained, low-level campaign, despite a declared ceasefire. For his part, Michael Horowitz pens a piece titled Shaky Israel-Iran ceasefire points to unfinished business. In it, he says, “What Trump has dubbed the ‘12-Day War’ could be just the opening salvo of a much longer conflict.”  

And Arash Azizi says a battered Iran has two bad choices in front of it: imposed war or imposed peace. Meanwhile, Houssam Itani explains why Israeli and Iranian claims of victory ring hollow. He says, “Netanyahu did not realise his goal of ending Iran’s nuclear programme and regime change, and Iran stood alone in its war with Israel, as global and regional allies left it to fend for itself.” 

And Marco Mossad pens a piece titled Behind the bombs: the Israel-Iran cyberwar. In it, he says, “Images of rocket trails, explosions, and destruction were broadcast worldwide, but a quieter war in cyberspace was also being waged, and it was no less important.” Meanwhile, Abdel Rahman Ayas counts the cost of the Israel-Iran war and its impact on the global economy.

Switching gears, Haid Haid looks at the unprecedented bombing of St. Elias Church in Damascus, which he says exposes a deeper, systemic failure: a security apparatus seemingly incapable of anticipating or neutralising threats to vulnerable communities. And Frederic C. Hof explains why defining Lebanon’s border with Syria is so important.

In Culture, Charbel Khoury takes readers on a tour of the captivating and newly renovated family home of Ala Tannir in Beirut. He says, “Built a century ago by Ala’s grandparents, her 97-year-old uncle Aziz still lives on the third floor of this grand sea-facing property that developers would love. Instead, it is now a public space.” And finally, Ibrahim Tutunji takes readers on a magical journey through Tunisia’s northwest city of Tabarka, which he describes as a “land of jazz, cork, red coral, and nightingales.” He adds, “Here, there are plenty of reasons to be wistful, as memories of a glorious cultural era fade. Yet there are also reasons to hope.” 

And last but not least, Con Coughlin profiles New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani, whose shocking success in the primaries could mean the city gets its first Muslim mayor come November. He says, “His supporters describe his win as an inflexion point in American politics that shows the electoral viability of left-wing policies and support for Palestinian rights.”