Opinion

Political Islam is considered poisonous across much of the Middle East, yet its Jewish equivalent is in the ascendency in Israel, which goes to the polls in October.

When the head of the army and the young minister revolutionising Ukraine's warfighting fell out, the president sacked the latter. When it proved unpopular, he sacked his top general too. Will it work?

At the Al-Tanf crossing on Syria's border with Iraq, a smuggling operation was recently foiled, which drew the wrath of Tehran. In securing its sovereignty, Damascus has a fine line to tread

The final farewell to Iran's Supreme Leader from Iraq's sacred precincts carried an Iranian message drawn from a distant age

Damascus is having some success stopping weapons shipments from Iraq, but for reasons of geography, technology, history, money, and training, the authorities face an uphill battle

Through pipelines, investment, and connections, trade will open up the Middle East's borders. Tehran hopes it will prove unsuccessful

In recent weeks, both the Americans and the Iranians have proposed charging merchant vessels a 'toll' for passing through the vital maritime waterway. With missiles flying, neither is backing down

The religious expansionists in Israel hate Arabs on a biblical level, while the hardliners in Iran are so blinded by ignorance that they attack their neighbours for another state's actions

Attacks by American and Iranian forces on each other, their allies, and their infrastructure shows that the short-lived truce is now a distant memory. This lets Arab nations reassess

The detention of a social media activist committed to exposing the crimes of the Assad era shows how Damascus must demonstrate that accountability beats vigilante justice

Buffeted by the region's frequent crises, Jordan has come through relatively unscathed, with a formula that combines talent and pragmatism. The challenge now is to take the country to the next level

As Iranian influence recedes, Tel Aviv turns its attention towards Ankara. As the two regional powers stake their interests, Syria could become their chosen battleground