Middle East

Istanbul (Special to Informed Comment) – Major protests over the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main political rival, have entered their sixth day. Demonstrations have erupted in at least 55 out of Türkiye’s 81 provinces, according to AFP, which marks one of the most widespread waves of […]

China

Can Trump’s Plan to Target China for its Oil Imports from Iran Succeed?

Neil Thompson

London (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Since returning to office in January, US President Donald Trump has reinstated the maximum pressure campaign of his first administration on Iran. Trump wants to push Iran into ending its nuclear programme, and the White House has tried to severely curtail Iran’s oil exports as way of putting […]

Syria

After Assad: Sectarian Violence and the Struggle for Syria’s Future

Global Voices

By Weliam Sejari ( Global Voices ) – The fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, marked a pivotal moment in Syria’s history, ending over five decades of Assad family rule. This transition, however, has been marred by escalating violence, particularly against the Alawite community in Syria’s coastal regions. Beginning on March […]

Arab World

The Making of the Modern Middle East: Juan Cole on History, Politics, and Today’s Turmoil – Tamooda Interview

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Juan Cole interviewed by Martin Asser at Tamooda : “The Making of the Modern Middle East: Juan Cole on History, Politics, and Today’s Turmoil” According to LinkedIn, “ TAMOODA is a new digital, independent, liberal, and secular platform in the Arab world for opinion. It is is a non-profit initiative […]

Israel/ Palestine

The Rhetorical Tricks for Normalizing Genocide

Ramona Wadi

( Middle East Monitor ) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday that, “From now on, negotiations will be conducted under fire.” His words were total nonsense, of course, because the previous negotiations for the ceasefire agreement were definitely conducted under fire. Netanyahu’s statement condemns to oblivion the previous long months of Israel’s genocide […]

Israel/ Palestine

Unenforced ICC Arrest Warrants are just Part of the wider Israel impunity Framework

Ramona Wadi

Unenforced ICC arrest warrants are just part of the wider Zionist impunity framework ( Middle East Monitor ) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be following up on his Hungarian counterpart Victor Orban’s invitation to visit his country, Israeli media have reported. This, despite the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu, which signatories […]

Saudi Arabia

Middle Eastern Monarchies in Sudan’s War: what’s driving their Interests

The Conversation

By Federico Donelli, University of Trieste (The Conversation) – The civil war in Sudan that began in April 2023 involves several external actors. The conflict pits the Sudanese Armed Forces against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in a quest for political and economic power. The situation has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. […]

Featured

“Being Jewish after the Destruction of Gaza:” Peter Beinart in Conversation with Juan Cole

Juan Cole

Peter Beinart in conversation with Juan Cole on Beinart’s book, “Being Jewish after the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning”; Program in Arab and Muslim American Studies, Department of American Culture, University of Michigan, March 10, 2025. Excerpt from auto-generated transcript (caveat emptor): Juan Cole: … I haven’t lost my interest in Middle Eastern spirituality, and […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israel’s war on Gaza is deliberately targeting Children – new UN Report

The Conversation

By Rachel Rosen, UCL and Mai Abu Moghli, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (The Conversation) – A fresh round of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza which has killed more than 400 Palestinians has destroyed any hope that the ceasefire negotiated in January would hold. A statement from the child rights group Defence for Children Palestine claimed […]