To survive in a hostile environment, the Houthi movement has had to learn and adapt from the start. The Zaydi revivalist youth movement of the early 1990s, the guerrilla force fighting government troops in Saada in 2004, and the semi-state that now rules most of Yemen’s population are three very different organizations. The group has changed in what it is, what it does, and how it reads its own interests. These changes have been driven by domestic upheaval and by shocks to its strategic environment: the Houthi seizure of Sanaa in...
This article examines Russia’s position toward the Iranian nuclear program, as reflected in its official responses to strikes against Iran in June 2025 and March 2026, as well as during the discussions at the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in April–May. Under the current circumstances between the United States and Iran, Russia has no need to introduce drastic changes to its policy regarding the Iranian nuclear issue and can continue to maintain the position it has formulated in...
Fatah’s eighth conference convened last month following internal struggles, criticism of the organization’s leadership, and the departure of senior activists, all of which cast doubt on the ability to hold it. Yet its outcomes indicate that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, with the help of his loyalists and institutional mechanisms, succeeded in convening a conference with a larger number of participants than in the past, conducting elections, and incorporating new and younger figures into the organization’s central...
This article examines the issue of dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip by the IDF as a proactive, preemptive measure and a necessary prerequisite for implementing the “Twenty-Point Plan” for stabilizing and rehabilitating the Strip. The working assumption is that without a fundamental solution to the issue of military power in Gaza, any attempt to advance political or economic rehabilitation processes is doomed to failure. A lack of progress means the strengthening of Hamas, the rebuilding of...
The Israeli strike in Beirut following Hezbollah’s rocket fire on northern Israel, and the subsequent round of exchanges between Israel and Iran, illustrate both the complexity of the American effort to curb escalation and Israel’s challenge of separating the Lebanese arena from Iran. The Trump administration sought to advance a renewed agreement between Israel and Lebanon, strengthen the Lebanese government, restrict Hezbollah’s freedom of action, and preserve maneuver space regarding Tehran. However, it failed to prevent an...
As the war between Israel and Hezbollah drags on, mounting signs suggest that its severe impact on Lebanon’s Shiite population is beginning to erode support for the organization. This is particularly due to the heavy price being paid by the Shiite population — and Lebanon as a whole — as a result of Hezbollah’s war in service of Iranian interests. While Hezbollah still enjoys broad support within the Shiite sector, cracks in that support weigh heavily on the organization as it fights a war of survival under intense military,...
Since the outbreak of Operation “Roaring Lion,” and even more so against the backdrop of the escalation in Lebanon in recent weeks, the perception emphasizing Hezbollah’s importance as a strategic component of Iran’s security doctrine has grown stronger in Tehran. Hezbollah’s decision to join the campaign alongside Iran was perceived in Tehran as an expression of its commitment to the pro-Iranian axis in the region and of the continued relevance of Iran’s proxy strategy—which appeared to be eroding following the...
Since the outbreak of the war with Iran in February 2026, and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz which led to a decline in global oil supply, the demand for solar energy has grown at an unprecedented rate. In March, at the height of the war, China exported solar panels with a total rated capacity of 68 gigawatts (GW) — twice China’s solar exports in February, and 49% higher than the previous record set in August 2025. Oil-dependent countries around the world are accelerating their renewable energy programs, and in the Middle...
Recently, Ukraine has been emerging as a more prominent and assertive actor in the Middle East. While this trend does not suggest that Kyiv has become a system-shaping power in the region, it does indicate that its role is no longer limited to merely seeking aid and political solidarity. Against the backdrop of the war in Iran, Ukraine is offering regional states practical and unique operational experience in confronting the Russian-Iranian aerial threat. At the same time, Kyiv is increasing pressure on Russian interests in maritime...
Since the beginning of the war against Iran on February 28, the pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq have claimed responsibility for hundreds of missile and drone attacks against local and regional targets, including Israel. These attacks are a clear indication of the severity of two security challenges: the growing political, economic, and military power of the militias in Iraq, and their operations in service of the Iranian regime, from which they continued to receive military support throughout the war. The new government...
In recent years, a growing trend has emerged in the West toward advancing legislation and public policy that define and address antisemitism and Islamophobia simultaneously and, at times, even jointly. While these initiatives are presented as a means to protect minorities, promote equality, and strengthen relations and dialogue between Jews and Muslims, addressing these two phenomena within a single legal framework might carry unintended consequences—specifically, blurring the lines between combating racism and normalizing...
The war with Iran has highlighted Pakistan’s role as an actor with growing potential for influence in the Middle East. Pakistan has sought to position itself both as a mediator between Iran and the United States and as a security guarantor for Saudi Arabia, while maintaining a delicate balance between preserving its strategic ties with Riyadh and the need to avoid a deterioration in relations with Tehran. From the perspective of some Gulf states, Pakistan has an important role to play in the regional security architecture that...
