The hottest Middle East Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top World Politics Topics

Up the Escalation Ladder

Johnā€™s Substack ā€¢ 12 implied HN points ā€¢ 19 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. A strike on energy facilities and Iran's retaliation risk a wider escalation that could push oil above $100 a barrel and seriously hurt the global economy.
  2. Israel seems to be pursuing a decapitation strategy, and there are real doubts about whether the US and Israel could successfully seize Iran's 60% enriched uranium.
  3. The situation puts pressure on the US to secure the Strait of Hormuz and highlights uncertainty about whether any viable political exit strategy exists to prevent further escalation.

New Issue Of JOHNSTONE: The Empire Stole Venezuela

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 1136 implied HN points ā€¢ 05 Jan 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Powerful countries are intervening in Venezuela to seize its oil and strip the nation of its sovereignty.
  2. The Monroe Doctrine is an old, made-up imperial rationale rooted in racist thinking and doesnā€™t legally or morally justify invasions.
  3. Mindless parroting of pro-empire slogans helps cover up these actions, and the empire is actively working to dominate and silence opposition across Latin America.

Israel, Its Lobby, and the Iran War

Johnā€™s Substack ā€¢ 16 implied HN points ā€¢ 18 Mar 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Middle East
  1. The Israel lobby still strongly shapes U.S. policy. It has lost control of the public conversation, and many now believe the U.S. was pulled into the Iran war by Netanyahu and the lobby.
  2. A senior U.S. official resigned, saying he could not support the Iran war and arguing the conflict began because of pressure from Israel and its American lobby.
  3. The war appears to be in a stalemate with no clear way for the U.S. to end it or win it, and there is no obvious viable exit strategy.

Why I'm long-term bullish on the Middle East

Noahpinion ā€¢ 24588 implied HN points ā€¢ 18 Jan 25
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. The Middle East is moving away from constant warfare, with many regions experiencing peace. This shift could lead to economic recovery as people focus on constructive opportunities.
  2. Technology and geography are becoming more favorable for the Middle East. Innovations like cheap solar power and desalination can help support growth in a region with traditionally limited resources.
  3. The region's demographics are shifting positively, providing a 'demographic dividend.' With a more balanced age structure, there is great potential for economic development and workforce growth in the coming years.

The Iran Thing

eugyppius: a plague chronicle ā€¢ 122 implied HN points ā€¢ 03 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Don't rush to publish hot takes; it's better to be cautious and aim for analysis that will age well rather than quick, strident opinions you might regret.
  2. Public debate is dominated by predictable tribes that cling to single narratives and defend them no matter what, which makes honest assessment harder.
  3. Avoid binary thinking and the just-world fallacy; multiple things can be true at once and outcomes rarely boil down to total catastrophe or total success.
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Wikipedia Editors Are Helping Iran Rewrite History

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 704 implied HN points ā€¢ 21 Jan 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. A coordinated campaign is using Wikipedia edits to rewrite and sanitize Iranā€™s human-rights record and historical events.
  2. This online propaganda runs alongside violent repression and internet blackouts that stop people from documenting and sharing evidence.
  3. Years of pro-regime editing make it harder for outsiders to learn the truth and let the regime shape the international narrative.

Trump's Henchmen Keep Calling Their War Slut President A Peacemaker

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 1844 implied HN points ā€¢ 08 Dec 25
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Middle East
  1. Top officials are calling him a 'President of Peace,' but that label is largely rhetorical and politically promoted.
  2. The administration has escalated U.S. military involvement worldwide ā€” carrying out airstrikes, arming proxies, and risking interventions in places like Somalia, Yemen, Gaza/Israel, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Iran.
  3. If you oppose war, supporting him because you think heā€™s making peace is misguided, since his actions contradict his peacemaker claims.

I Wrote a Novel About War. Now Iā€™m Watching It Unfold in Iran.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 134 implied HN points ā€¢ 26 Feb 26
šŸŒ International Middle East
  1. Scenarios once written as fictionā€”Russian warships operating near Iran, hypersonic threats to U.S. carriers, and a regime desperate to surviveā€”are now playing out in reality.
  2. Sudden events like the drone strike that killed General Qasem Soleimani can rapidly upend strategic assumptions and force analysts to rewrite their plans.
  3. Collaborating with experienced military thinkers can help fiction anticipate real crises, highlighting how fragile and fast-changing international security has become.

THE SHAME OF DROPPING BOMBS

Seymour Hersh ā€¢ 45 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Unopposed air wars have no real glory and are morally hollow; striking pre-selected, unprotected targets is essentially a 'turkey shoot.'
  2. US and Israeli air campaigns against Iran and Gaza, after defenses were degraded, are striking largely unchallenged targets and have caused large-scale civilian death and injury.
  3. Political leaders and media are celebrating these unopposed strikes with wartime rhetoric, echoing old propaganda and helping to normalize and glorify mass violence.

Middle East Mayhem

Diane Francis ā€¢ 719 implied HN points ā€¢ 08 Aug 24
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. There is concern that a regional war in the Middle East is actually already happening. Israel's actions have sparked wider conflict and retaliation is expected.
  2. The situation is escalating with more U.S. military presence and attacks on American soldiers in Iraq. Countries are advising their citizens to leave the area as tensions rise.
  3. Many people are leaving Israel, with reports saying nearly half a million have departed. This ongoing conflict has become more complex than just battles in Gaza and Lebanon.

China did NOT move "quickly to condemn the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran"

Pekingnology ā€¢ 124 implied HN points ā€¢ 04 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Chinaā€™s response to the U.S. and Israeli strikes was surprisingly mild and not rapid; Beijing rarely used the word "condemn" and only did so clearly after Khameneiā€™s killing and in response to civilian casualties.
  2. China repeatedly expressed concern, called for an immediate stop to military actions, urged respect for sovereignty and deā€‘escalation, and pursued diplomatic moves like a UN Security Council meeting and phone calls between Wang Yi and other foreign ministers.
  3. Beijing also condemned attacks on Gulf countries and strikes on civilians, but its overall wording and timing were more restrained than in some past cases (for example, a much stronger, quicker condemnation of an earlier U.S. attack on Venezuela), showing selective intensity.

Iranā€™s Reluctant Prince. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 431 implied HN points ā€¢ 03 Feb 26
šŸ“° News Middle East
  1. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iranā€™s shah, is being looked at by some as a possible transitional leader if the regime falters, but heā€™s a complicated and imperfect figure.
  2. The U.S. is both threatening military action against Iran and pursuing last-ditch diplomacy, demanding steep concessions like ending nuclear and missile programs and stopping support for proxy groups.
  3. The news cycle is volatile: domestic politics face a partial government shutdown and high-profile congressional/legal fights over the Epstein files, while internationally big stories include SpaceX buying xAI, deadly Russian strikes in Ukraine, and the Rafah crossing reopening in Gaza.

Forty Days Later, Iranians Honor Their Dead

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 204 implied HN points ā€¢ 19 Feb 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Forty-day memorials are being held across Iran to honor people killed in last monthā€™s demonstrations, a culturally important moment of mourning.
  2. Families are staging symbolic wedding ritualsā€”like parading a wedding dress, lifting khoncheh baskets, and decorating carsā€”to mourn young lives and the milestones that will never happen.
  3. Those 40th-day gatherings are also acting as a new form of protest, and they could spark another wave of demonstrations fueled by grief and anger.

Gallipoli II

Johnā€™s Substack ā€¢ 19 implied HN points ā€¢ 16 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. The US president appears desperate and is pushing for China and other allies to join the Iran war while openly considering force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and seize Kharg Island.
  2. Trying to force open the Strait or mount an amphibious assault on Kharg Island would be highly risky, likely to fail, and would make other countries reluctant to join a war seen as losing.
  3. Close ties to Israeli leaders and their advisers have pulled the US deeper into the conflict, a move that looks like a major strategic mistake.

March 11, 2026

Letters from an American ā€¢ 29 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. President Trump says the war with Iran is nearly over, but Iran is resisting, rejecting ceasefires, and shows no sign of accepting an immediate end.
  2. Iranā€™s mining of the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on oil infrastructure have raised global energy prices and disrupted shipping and supply chains for many industrial goods.
  3. The conflict is already costly and chaotic ā€” with U.S. casualties, heavy munitions use, likely civilian harm from a school strike, and no clear U.S. endgame as allies disagree on how long to fight.

Live: The U.S. and Israel Strike Iran

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 102 implied HN points ā€¢ 28 Feb 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. The U.S. and Israel carried out joint air strikes on multiple Iranian military sites, and initial reports claim Iranā€™s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has been killed.
  2. Iran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel and other sites across the Middle East, and Israeli authorities have instructed residents to stay in bomb shelters.
  3. The crisis risks major regional escalation and global consequences, and experts are convening live to analyze how events may unfold.

Reza Pahlavi: Iranā€™s Reluctant Prince

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 394 implied HN points ā€¢ 03 Feb 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Reza Pahlavi positioned himself as a potential leader during mass protests, calling Iranians to demonstrate and saying he has a lifelong bond with the nation.
  2. These protests were unusual because the economy was collapsing and the merchant class shut their bazaars, swelling the crowds, while the U.S. publicly signaled support for protesters.
  3. Despite his rising profile, many still question whether an exiled crown prince is fit or the right choice to lead a post-regime Iran.

The wretched of the earth I believe?

Wrong Side of History ā€¢ 398 implied HN points ā€¢ 26 Jan 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Many Western leftists and intellectuals supported the 1979 Iranian Revolution believing Khomeini would lead to socialism or an antiā€‘imperialist alliance, and they underestimated the clerical leadershipā€™s ability to seize and hold power.
  2. The revolution resulted in a brutally repressive theocratic regime that persecuted minorities, executed socialists and communists, and committed severe humanā€‘rights abuses.
  3. The revolutionā€™s rhetoricā€”invoking the ā€œdisinherited of the earthā€ and echoing Fanonā€™s languageā€”helped convince progressives to see common cause, illustrating the danger of allying with religious conservatives.

Why the Iran war is so tricky

Unreported Truths ā€¢ 30 implied HN points ā€¢ 16 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Iran already has enough enriched uranium that it could be turned into a nuclear weapon, and the size and effects of such a bomb would be uncertain but potentially catastrophic.
  2. Finding and seizing those uranium stores would be very hard and dangerous because enriched uranium is hard to detect and is likely kept in fortified or underground sites that would require a large, risky special-forces operation.
  3. This creates a brutal choice: keeping pressure and control might stop Iran from finishing a bomb but risks wider conflict and economic damage like a closed Strait of Hormuz, while easing off would likely let Iran build a weapon, so thereā€™s no easy, risk-free option.

A crime and a tragedy: the Iran war

World Game ā€¢ 21 implied HN points ā€¢ 04 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. The attack came when Iran posed little immediate threat and aimed to topple the regime without a plan, but destroying a state will create a vacuum and unpredictable, likely hostile consequences.
  2. The violence spread quickly across the region, hitting Gulf states and energy infrastructure, driving oil prices up and helping rivals while hurting Europe.
  3. The US approach favored spectacle over strategy, lacking a roadmap or understanding of the fallout, so the chaos could spiral out of control and backfire politically.

Conflict Acceleration

Pieterā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 159 implied HN points ā€¢ 03 Oct 24
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Iran launched a missile attack against Israel, but it was mostly stopped, showing the reckless nature of their actions. The attack could've hit important places, highlighting the dangers in the region.
  2. There was a recent terrorist attack in Jaffa where seven Israelis were killed. This violence adds to the ongoing struggles and tensions, and it seems to strengthen Israel's resolve to fight back.
  3. Amid these dark events, there was a positive story of a victim from ISIS being rescued in Gaza. This offers hope that, despite the violence, there are people working for good and a chance for better days.

Sudan, Venezuela, And Other Notes

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 1504 implied HN points ā€¢ 07 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Sudanā€™s Rapid Support Forces have reportedly carried out massive massacres in places like El Fasher, and the UAE is accused of arming them while Western powers largely ignore it.
  2. Calls for US military intervention in Venezuela are often suspicious and dangerous, and history shows US regime-change actions tend to make things worse rather than help civilians.
  3. People claiming emotional relationships with chatbots point to deep loneliness and emotional disconnection, since a real relationship requires genuine curiosity about another personā€™s inner experience.

US Regime Change Interventionism Is Reliably Disastrous, And Other Notes

Caitlinā€™s Newsletter ā€¢ 1671 implied HN points ā€¢ 30 Nov 25
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. US regimeā€‘change interventionism reliably causes disaster and is often sold with dishonest pretexts; current US moves on Venezuela look driven more by geopolitical interests like oil than by genuine drugā€‘control concerns.
  2. Serving in or working for the US military/intelligence apparatus can increase the risk of violent behavior back home, and US policy shows hypocrisy by pardoning allies and labeling convenient enemies while ignoring root causes.
  3. Public radicalization and moral double standards are widespread ā€” examples include celebration of extremist leaders and calls to 'deradicalize' victims instead of aggressors ā€” and generative AI is simultaneously destroying creative careers and making it harder to tell whatā€™s real online.

Does Netanyahu Have Spies in the White House?

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger ā€¢ 90 implied HN points ā€¢ 06 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Netanyahu appears to have people close to or inside the U.S. administration who pass back information about possible communications with Iran. He used that intel to ask the White House directly whether talks were happening.
  2. Figures close to Trump, especially Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are in frequent contact with Israeli leaders, creating informal channels that could relay sensitive messages. Those personal ties make it easier for information to flow outside official lines.
  3. Israeli officials fear the U.S. might seek a ceasefire before Israel achieves its goals, and there is rising talk that American forces could be drawn in as the conflict escalates. That concern drives rapid coordination and monitoring of U.S. moves.

Let's Have a War

TK News by Matt Taibbi ā€¢ 8233 implied HN points ā€¢ 17 Jun 25
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. The author is traveling to London for a free speech forum, indicating the importance of discussing free speech issues.
  2. There are emerging tensions in the Middle East that might lead to chaos, which raises concerns for many.
  3. Updates on current events will continue to be shared, emphasizing the need to stay informed.

"The Israel Lobby" after 20 Years

Johnā€™s Substack ā€¢ 18 implied HN points ā€¢ 15 Mar 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Middle East
  1. A 2006 academic essay about the Israel lobby produced intense controversy and had a lasting impact on debates over US foreign policy.
  2. Twenty years later, the argument was revisited to evaluate how the lobby's influence and the surrounding debate have changed.
  3. A recent interview with outspoken commentators shows the issue still generates heated discussion and remains a live topic in public discourse.

Coleman Hughes: The Simple Truth About the War in Gaza

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 5573 implied HN points ā€¢ 04 Aug 25
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Hamas often causes suffering in Gaza to turn global opinion against Israel. They use this suffering to manipulate how the world sees the conflict.
  2. The media shows drastic images of hunger and suffering in Gaza, stirring up strong emotions and calls for action from countries like France and Britain.
  3. Despite the complexity of the situation, it's important to recognize that Israel is often seen as the one defending against terrorism, while Hamas uses cruel tactics against both Israelis and Palestinians.

Why We Will Never Stop Bombing the Middle East

Gideon's Substack ā€¢ 38 implied HN points ā€¢ 10 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Every US administration has promised to pull back from the Middle East but has ended up deepening Americaā€™s involvement through interventions, support for allies, and periodic bombing.
  2. The core reason isnā€™t just lobbies or oil or contractors but the USā€™s hegemonic position and the publicā€™s desire to disengage without accepting the risks and costs of truly leaving, which makes withdrawal politically and strategically hard.
  3. Empires donā€™t just walk away, so the pattern of managing regional conflicts with diplomacy plus occasional force is likely to keep repeating until a major collapse or catastrophe forces a permanent change, and the current war could help trigger that instability.

Amnesty International Canā€™t Handle the Truth About Hamas

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1154 implied HN points ā€¢ 15 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Amnesty waited a long time to publish its investigation of Hamasā€™s October 7 atrocities, only releasing the report more than two years after the attacks.
  2. At the same time, the group has been vocally critical of Israel ā€” including a separate finding that Israel is committing genocide ā€” which created a stark contrast in its public focus.
  3. The lengthy delay, internal disputes, and uneven treatment of the two investigations produced a moral muddle and damaged Amnestyā€™s credibility on impartial human-rights accountability.

Top Links 981 Deutsche Bank is back (kinda). The "in-between" places of crowded Africa. The Abraham accords and the Moroccan-Algerian arms race.

Chartbook ā€¢ 529 implied HN points ā€¢ 13 Jan 26
šŸŒ International Middle East
  1. Deutsche Bank is making a comeback in global finance, but its return is partial and comes with important caveats.
  2. Across Africa, crowded urban and rural areas coexist with overlooked 'in-between' places, creating distinct social and economic pressures.
  3. The Abraham Accords are reshaping regional alliances, and those shifts are tied to a rising military competition between Morocco and Algeria.

Iranā€™s Silent Revolution

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 1029 implied HN points ā€¢ 17 Dec 25
šŸŒ International Middle East
  1. Many Iranian women are openly defying the compulsory hijab by walking without headscarves and doing everyday things like riding motorcycles, turning ordinary acts into a quiet revolution.
  2. The morality police and other enforcers are appearing less often, and that reduced crackdown has allowed more women to show visible dissent despite past violent repression.
  3. These everyday acts of resistance are culturally powerful, reclaiming rights and honoring a longer history of struggle even though the Islamic Republic remains in place.

Francesca Albanese and the Lonely Road of Defiance

The Chris Hedges Report ā€¢ 720 implied HN points ā€¢ 30 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur, has documented corporate and state complicity in Israelā€™s occupation and argues the violence in Gaza amounts to genocide.
  2. Her reporting has provoked heavy reprisalsā€”sanctions, asset freezes, travel bans, and institutional cutoffsā€”that isolate her and illustrate how political power can silence human rights scrutiny.
  3. Despite the attacks, she continues to gather testimonies about torture and urges civil disobedience, strikes, and international solidarity as ways to resist the occupation and rising repression.

Why Iranā€™s Kurds Want Trump to Strike

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 180 implied HN points ā€¢ 12 Feb 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Middle East
  1. Kurds in Iran largely avoided joining the protests because they saw security forces were heavily armed and ready to shoot, fearing a deadly crackdown.
  2. Kurdish opposition leaders are explicitly calling for international, especially American, support or strikes to help overthrow the Iranian regime.
  3. The regime proved more resilient than some outsiders suggested, since its security forces prepared in advance to suppress mass demonstrations after the economic crisis triggered unrest.

LEAKED: Keir Starmerā€™s Memos Responding to Trumpā€™s Request for Help Opening the Strait of Hormuz

I Might Be Wrong ā€¢ 6 implied HN points ā€¢ 18 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. European leaders largely rebuffed President Trumpā€™s request for help reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
  2. Thereā€™s a clear rift between President Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with Trump publicly singling him out for criticism.
  3. Leaked drafts show Starmer personally wrote and revised multiple memos in response, and only the final version was officially transmitted with timestamps documenting the edits.

The Iran War: Our Complete Coverage

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 37 implied HN points ā€¢ 06 Mar 26
šŸŒ International Middle East
  1. The Iran war is a fast-moving, world-shaping crisis that the United States is deeply involved in and that divides political opinion at home and abroad.
  2. The conflictā€™s outcome is unclearā€”experts debate regime change, who will lead Iran next, and whether groups like the Kurds will shape the countryā€™s future.
  3. The war has big practical consequences: it threatens energy supplies and trade routes, raises the risk of wider regional or global escalation, and sparks legal and humanitarian debates.

Moscow's Syria

Diane Francis ā€¢ 1179 implied HN points ā€¢ 20 Jun 24
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Ukrainian forces, with help from Syrian rebels, recently attacked Russian mercenaries in Syria. This move aimed to stop Russia from building its military presence there.
  2. Syria has turned into a messy situation for Moscow, acting as a training ground for various militants. Russian involvement in Syria has escalated conflicts in other regions too.
  3. There is a shared enemy among Syrians, Ukrainians, and the West regarding Russian aggression. This common goal has sparked cooperation between these groups against Russia.

Israel Had a Disorienting 2025. What Comes Next?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss ā€¢ 746 implied HN points ā€¢ 23 Dec 25
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. Israel felt a deep sense of disorientation in 2025, like vertigo, as familiar symbols of grief and protest suddenly disappeared.
  2. Some hostages have returned and are reintegrating into everyday life, even posting on Instagram, showing personal recoveries amid the trauma.
  3. Global attention moved away, leaving Israelis to pick up the pieces and figure out what comes next on their own.

Bound to Lose

Johnā€™s Substack ā€¢ 16 implied HN points ā€¢ 14 Mar 26
šŸŒ World Politics Middle East
  1. A military campaign by the US and Israel against Iran is portrayed as likely to fail and unwinnable.
  2. The Israel lobby is described as a powerful force that shapes and steers US foreign policy decisions.
  3. Those two points are connected: the lobbyā€™s influence helps drive policies that increase the chances of entering a costly, hard-to-win conflict with Iran.

With largest build-up since Iraq, Trump threatens to go to war for Israel

Aaron Mate ā€¢ 139 implied HN points ā€¢ 19 Feb 26
šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø U.S. Politics Middle East
  1. The U.S. has mounted the largest military build-up in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion, concentrating about one-third of the Navy ā€” including two aircraft carriers ā€” around the Persian Gulf.
  2. The administration is pressuring Iran to abandon its missile deterrent aimed at Israel while offering no sanctions relief.
  3. Even though the president says talks could produce a deal in days, the big build-up and his past behavior make some form of U.S. military action against Iran likely.