Middle East

The Origins of the Muslim Brotherhood: Hassan al-Banna and the Birth of Political Islam

Ismailia, 1928. In this city on the Suez Canal under British control, Hassan al-Banna, the 22-year-old schoolteacher and son of an imam, gathered six workers around a single pledge: to restore the greatness of Islam. From this modest circle would emerge a movement that would leave a profound mark on the Middle East throughout the twentieth ...

The Maghreb: The Muslim Brotherhood and the Challenge of Power

As the Arab Spring unfolded, several political movements inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood sought to rise to power across the Maghreb. In Tunisia, it was Ennahda; in Morocco, the Justice and Development Party (PJD); and in Algeria, the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP). The period proved favorable to the Muslim Brotherhood and its ideology, ...

Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood: Rivalry, Similarities, and Tactical Convergences

The relationship between Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood illustrates the paradoxes of political Islam in the Middle East. Temporary alliances, strategic interests, and deep sectarian divides intersect—from the war in Syria to Palestinian factions—producing a shifting balance between cooperation and antagonism. On June 19, 2025, amid the ...

Turkey and Qatar: Key Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood?

The outbreak of the Arab Spring in many Middle Eastern countries gave the Muslim Brotherhood a major opportunity to assert itself within newly emerging governments, most notably in Egypt and Tunisia. Behind this rise, Qatar and Turkey were accused by critics of actively supporting and promoting the movement through financial backing, diplomatic ...

Syria Foils Two Islamic State Plots to Assassinate Sharaa

According to Reuters, Syrian authorities have thwarted two separate Islamic State (IS) plots to assassinate President Ahmed al-Sharaa in recent months, in what officials described as a direct threat to the leader as he prepares to join a U.S.-led coalition against the militant group. Two senior officials, one Syrian and one from the broader ...

Trump says 'Open' to Considering Lifting Iran Sanctions

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran has asked for heavy US sanctions against Tehran to be lifted -- and that he is open to having a discussion about it. "Frankly, Iran has been asking if the sanctions could be lifted. Iran has got very heavy US sanctions, and it makes it really hard," Trump said during a dinner with Central Asian ...

Yitzhak Rabin: Oslo Accords Architect Assassinated 30 Years Ago

On November 4, 1995, in Tel Aviv, three gunshots ended the life of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, plunging the nation into shock. On what was then Kings of Israel Square, now Rabin Square, the architect of the Oslo peace process fell, struck by the bullets of an ultranationalist Israeli Jew. The assassin, Yigal Amir, a far-right ...

Nintendo Hikes Switch 2 Annual Unit Sales Target

Nintendo said Tuesday it aims to sell 19 million Switch 2 consoles within this financial year, up from its previous target of 15 million for the smash-hit gadget. The Switch 2 became the world's fastest-selling games console after launching in June to a frenzy of excitement from fans of "Super Mario" and other top titles. "The hardware has seen ...

White House Withdraws Joel Rayburn’s Nomination for Deputy Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs

The White House has withdrawn the nomination of Joel Rayburn for the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, according to the American media outlet Axios. Rayburn’s nomination had stirred controversy over his alleged role in concealing U.S. troop levels in Syria from then-President Donald Trump during his first term, ...

Saudi Hosts World's Business Elite with Eyes on Gigaprojects, AI

Saudi Arabia welcomes heads of state and the global business elite at a major investment conference this week as it seeks support for its sprawling "gigaprojects" and sky-high AI ambitions. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, joined by several ministers and more than 150 business leaders, and Syria's interim president are among the guests at the ...

Lebanon and the Middle East: Between Irrationality and Paradox

When irrationality and reckless behavior come to define the actions of a powerful political faction, it doesn’t take long before red lines are dangerously breached. As a result, serious threats hang over the lives of populations directly exposed to the faction’s erratic excesses. This is exactly what we are witnessing today among several of ...