Understanding the Yemen-based militia now exerting control over international shipping in the Red Sea means understanding its roots, context, and regional alliances
Qassem Soleimani spent years building a network of pro-Iranian proxies or state allies in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Syria fell in December 2024. At the end of June, so did two others
His recent appointment as a national security advisor adds to the trend of more pragmatic sections of the establishment—who advocate negotiating with the West—coming to the fore
For decades, Iran's supreme leader—first Khomeini, then Khamenei—pursued a strategy of backing regional militias to fight Israel, but with the 'resistance axis' in tatters, Iran is left to fight alone
Both Tehran and Washington have powerful incentives to resolve the conflict through negotiations, but actors on all sides have reasons to derail these efforts
Beijing has been expanding its base in Djibouti, the tiny state that sits opposite Yemen across the Bab al-Mandab Strait. With numerous other states also in play, this is a region to watch
From machines that develop human emotions to societies governed by artificial intelligence, Arab novelists explore the promises and perils of a radically transformed future