Threats

US launches series of airstrikes in Iraq, Syria

Strikes were a response to deadly drone attack on U.S. troops in Jordan.

Ideas

How much influence does Iran have over its proxies?

Tehran calls Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis its "Axis of Resistance"—but that's not quite right.

Ideas

How China is winning the Middle East

China is working to present itself as a responsible alternative to the U.S. in the Middle East, just as many are questioning Washington’s long-term commitment to the region.

Threats

Defense One Radio, Ep. 142: Trouble on the Red Sea

We review how the Iran-backed Houthis are disrupting global shipping in the Red Sea, and we look back at similar dynamics near the end of the so-called tanker wars of the late 1980s.