Middle East and North Africa

As more countries prepare to go to the polls, Julian Assange is freed and Vladimir Putin cozies up to Kim Jong Un.

The two candidates clashed over Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, immigration, and America’s global image. 

Masoud Pezeshkian could win the election, but that doesn’t mean he’d have the power to change the country’s direction.

Iran’s reformists are back—but the competition among conservatives deserves far more attention.

Bezalel Smotrich aims to bankrupt the Palestinian Authority and cement Israeli rule.

Voters in Iran are focused on restrictive Western sanctions as both countries head to the polls this year.

The Lebanese armed group is trained and equipped much better than Hamas.

The U.S. president wants a truce more than Israel and Hamas do.

UNHCR’s Filippo Grandi on Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, and more.

The fighting is intensifying—but neither side wants an all-out escalation.

Mired in the trauma of Oct. 7, many see the war as one of existential necessity.

Moscow and Washington trapped themselves in a cycle of fear over Iran.

Chef Omar has popularized Damascene cuisine online and in his Istanbul restaurant. But is he linked to the Assad regime?

Washington has been making a series of bad assumptions that trace back 30 years.

If Biden can avoid the temptation to be a warrior defending allies abroad, he might have a better chance at winning his battles at home.