middle east

Arrogance and Betrayal

Lebanese citizens are grappling with many questions, chief among them: how did we end up here? Why did Hezbollah pursue a war that no one asked for? Was it arrogance, or a trap? Did Iran abandon its militias, or is this just arrogance masked by empty promises? The south of Lebanon is now desolate, with over half a million displaced. Dahye is a ...

UNRWA and ICJ Favourites to Win Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded Friday, a ray of light in a dark year for world peace, with the International Court of Justice, UNRWA and UN chief Antonio Guterres seen as favourites. In the final run-up to the announcement, Nobel-watchers are struggling to predict this year's laureate, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, famine in ...

One Year After, the Fallacies of Apocalypticism

The violent outbursts of October 7, 2023, were portrayed as the last bouts of a war of liberation targeting Israel. This boring sloganeering, far from being a novelty, belongs to a trite repertoire of damning rhetoric that punctuated every single stage of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Unfortunately, this rhetoric was paired with violence, repeated ...

Macron to Netanyahu: France Committed to Israel’s Security

French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed Sunday his country's "unwavering commitment" to Israel's security in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while insisting on a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, the presidency said. "On the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas terrorist offensive against Israel, he expressed the ...

Oil Derivatives: Prices Linked to Security Concerns

In Lebanon, a country plagued by violent military actions, disruptions in the supply chain were predictable, although they remain limited for now. One of the most vulnerable sectors is the importation of oil derivatives. On Friday, tankers registered under the Italian flag were six kilometers off the Lebanese coast when they received orders to ...

US to Send Thousands of Troops to Middle East

The Pentagon announced on Monday that the United States is preparing to send "few thousand" additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if needed. The increased presence will come from multiple fighter jet squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters. The additional personnel would ...

China 'Deeply Concerned' About Situation in Middle East

China said on Sunday it was “deeply concerned” about the situation in the Middle East, following the death in Lebanon of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement, in Israeli bombardments. Hezbollah, a powerful Shiite group allied with Palestinian Hamas at war with Israel in the Gaza Strip, confirmed on Saturday the death ...

Squaring the Circle

Political analysts are quite puzzled when they observe that negotiations in the Middle East are taking place between the US and the Iranian regime, which claims exclusive representation over the whole region. Twenty-two Arab states have no say over conflicts putting at stake their security, regional peace and international incidences. What is ...

France's Macron Calls for 'Restraint' in Middle East

France's President Emmanuel Macron said Monday he had spoken to the leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and all three had urged "restraint" to avoid an escalation in the Middle East. "I have spoken to President Mohamed bin Zayed and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the situation in the Middle East. We call on all actors to be ...

The UK Takes Center Stage in the Middle East

The Middle East is now the stage for heightened tensions, pointing to an ever-increasing possibility of war. Indeed, the friction between Israel and Iran, along with its proxies such as Hezbollah, has reached unprecedented levels. In this particularly volatile environment, the role of major global diplomatic powers, especially that of the United ...

Editorial – Middle East Escalation: Foolishness Reigns

The foolishness strategy is in full swing in the region—more than ever. On the night of July 17, the Israeli Knesset quietly passed a resolution rejecting the creation of a Palestinian State… This insidious move undermines the Biden administration just as it prepares to host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week. American leaders are ...