Middle East

Ex-top Mossad official: Barnea led agency to unprecedented operational reach - interview

Former senior Mossad official Ilan Rom says Barnea’s leadership expanded the agency’s capabilities, allowing dozens of operations at once and boosting Israel’s regional influence.

Mossad chief David Barnea attends a farewell ceremony in his honor, at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, on July 14, 2024.
FOR IRAN’S Christian community, the postwar crackdown has been particularly severe, with at least 50 members detained by authorities. Here, Iranian Christians take part in the New Year prayer ceremony at a church in Tehran last January.

Iran’s ethnic groups could alter the balance of power - opinion

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman

The moment for a Saudi peace initiative has arrived, but on new terms - opinion

MEMBERS OF the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) participate in an exercise in southern Iran.

Iran’s dangerous shift from deterrence to destiny - opinion


INTERPOL arrests 201 suspects in largest cybercrime operation to date

Operation Ramz, focused on neutralizing phishing and malware threats while tackling cyber scams that have imposed significant financial burdens in the region.

The Interpol logo

Iran's intensified closure of Strait of Hormuz piles misery on stranded sailors

Sailors interviewed by Reuters in recent weeks have described the hardships and anxieties of their experience, and a federation representing them warns of dire conditions.

Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula on May 17, 2026.

Shavuot’s lesson for Israel: Sovereignty without purpose cannot survive - opinion

The future of Israel will not be determined only by where its borders are drawn but by whether the nation remembers what made it a nation in the first place.

An AI-generated cartoon illustration of Moses presenting the Ten Commandments to the Israelites and linking it to sovereignty over Israel.

Will Trump strike Iran or choose diplomacy at the last minute? - opinion

Rising Iran tensions leave Trump weighing military action while allies watch closely.

US President Donald Trump gestures at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, US, March 11, 2026.

Iran war pulls some Gulf states toward Israel, while pushing others away

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: The Iran war is pushing the UAE and Israel into unprecedented cooperation, while Saudi Arabia looks elsewhere to counter Tehran without empowering Jerusalem.

US President Donald Trump attends a GCC summit photo session in Riyadh, alongside Qatari, Saudi, and  Bahraini leaders, May 2025.

Khamenei reportedly says enriched uranium must stay in Iran, Israel deports all flotilla activists

Twenty Iranian sailors returned home after capture by US • Two wounded soldiers see improvement after surgeries • US says removal of UN expert Albanese from sanctions list is not a policy change

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meets with Pakistan army chief Asim Munir, in Tehran, Iran, April 16, 2026.

Syria’s Kurds confront defeat after decades of resistance - opinion

Abandoned by allies and pressured by Turkey, Syria’s Kurds were forced to surrender autonomy to Damascus.

Armed members of the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) military police take part in a demonstration under the banner “With our will, we will protect our revolution.” in Qamishli, Syria, September 17, 2025.

Israel needs a Suez alternative, the Ben-Gurion Canal offers one - opinion

The Ben-Gurion Canal would give the world a new trade route while boosting Israel’s economy and strategic power.

A container ship sails at the Suez Canal, in Ismailia, Egypt March 31, 2021. Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS

Iran's former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is back, at least in the headlines - analysis

With the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, it was believed that Ahmadinejad had the religious clout to take up the reins. How would he take over the presidency with Masoud Pezeshkian still in office?

MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD former president of Iran, speaks at a press conference after registering as a candidate for the presidential election at the Interior Ministry, in Tehran, Iran June 2, 2024.

Israel’s critics undermine real accountability with reckless accusations - opinion

The debate over Israel, Hamas, and sexual violence raises larger questions about media standards, evidence, and political bias.

 Nicholas Kristof at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.