The Stories They Carried
Children’s books provide a glimpse into the values that shape life in Iran today.
How Islamabad Just Sidestepped Decades of Failed Middle East Policy
The Pakistan-brokered ceasefire in the Iran war signals a shift in the center of the diplomatic world.
Negotiating with Bombs
Trump and Netanyahu are not just trying to destroy Iran. They’re trying to destroy the very concept of diplomacy.
The Gaza Stress Test for the UN System
Although forced to shoulder the arduous logistics of aid distribution, the UN has been excluded from the high-level diplomatic processes shaping Gaza’s future.
Water Under Fire
Attacks on desalination plants could escalate the Iran conflict.
A Ground War in Iran Would Be America’s Worst Strategic Mistake Yet
Boots on the ground in Iran will be a demonstration not of U.S. strength but of its limits.
The War That Changed the Terms of Iran’s Crisis
The war has shifted the crisis onto ground that favors the regime’s hardest institutions and away from the domestic contest over legitimacy that had left the state most exposed.
Women Pay the Highest Price for U.S. ‘Wars of Liberation’
As an Iraqi, I’ve spent my life fleeing, surviving, and bearing witness to wars justified by lies. In Iran, we’re seeing yet another.
Israel Didn’t ‘Drag’ the U.S. Into War—American Hawks Have Wanted This for Decades
Blaming Israel alone for this catastrophe lets U.S. leaders off the hook for their actions.
The GCC Economies Are Facing the Challenges of War
Trump’s apocalyptic prioritization of Israeli interests has weakened the interdependence of the Gulf States.
You Cannot Bomb an Ideology Out of Existence
Each additional strike reinforces the narrative that sustains the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Existential Crisis of Mainstream Economics
The financial crisis of 2008 should have exposed how compromised most economists are. Only a bigger crisis might make the profession more relevant to contemporary society.
China’s Great Pivot: From Scale to Substance
The era of growth at any cost has officially yielded to a model defined by three pillars: domestic demand, technological self-reliance, and a radical green transition.
Trump’s Terrifying Talent for Multitrashing
The frog of America is not in a pot of water coming to a slow boil. The frog of America is in the middle of a pile of rapidly accumulating rubble.