The closure of the Strait of Hormuz during Operation Epic Fury exposed the fragility of the Middle East’s strategic geography. For decades, the region’s commercial order was maritime. This order was p...

The Houthi advance has raised Eritrea's value to Saudi Arabia and the US. Stability in the Red Sea now depends heavily on whether the Kingdom and the UAE can manage their rivalry.

Covering September 7 – 22, 2026. Current as of September 22, 2026

Iraq’s media landscape has undergone profound change over the past two decades.

On Houthi Advances, Egypt’s Reserves, Jordan’s Aqaba Bet, and Turkey’s Red Sea Role

The US Department of Justice announced that a former Syrian official who served as a prison director and governor under […]

In an attempt to convince him to free British citizens, the former prime minister sent wishes on a day ‘of rejoicing for you and the Iraqi people’

Red Sea Brief Special Issue 19(+), Updated through September 19

Introducing myself and this account

Widespread media coverage presents the Houthi takeover of Mayyun as tantamount to full control of the strait; the significant gains and losses are on the shore.

THR goes inside the first three episodes of the TNT series inspired by former CIA Analyst John Nixon’s 2016 memoir ‘Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein,' unpacking how his st...

The 9/11 era after 25 years

Raad Alanbagi detained after Homeland Security investigation that uncovered ties to former Iraqi dictator

The Red Sea Brief, Issue #19, September 1-13, 2026

The use of chemical weapons has been outlawed for nearly a century.

Rarely does a day deserve to be called “the day that shook the world.” September 11, 2001, claimed that distinction the moment it happened. At first, many could scarcely believe what they were seeing ...

A series starring Joel Kinnaman tells the story of John Nixon, the first C.I.A. officer to interrogate the former Iraqi dictator after his capture.

An eight-part thriller on TNT follows the search for—and a CIA analyst’s subsequent interrogation of—the notorious Iraqi leader.

Al Majalla reveals the structure of Syria's nuclear programme 19 years after Israel bombed the Al-Kibar reactor, detailing the involvement of other states and the assassinations that followed

Open sources warned that killing Khamenei would trigger the closure of the strait and empower the IRGC. The 2026 U.S.-Israeli strikes ignored those warnings.

Legal Letter Issue #4, August 24-September 6

Hundreds of thousands were killed and tortured. But prosecuting everyone involved in atrocities could be impractical and risk renewed civil strife.

A former member of the G.W. Bush administration’s NSC reflects on what the U.S. got right and wrong in its response to the 9/11 attacks.

A companion to Red Sea Brief #18, August 15–28

The Red Sea Brief, Issue #18, August 15-28

Before he became an infamous dictator, the Iraqi president supported Chaldean Christian communities in the U.S.

Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam reveals new details in his memoirs about a February 2005 meeting with late Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri at his Beirut residence six d...

Three expatriate Communist families in Moscow find their bonds and beliefs tested as they are scattered by World War II and confront the consequential ideologies of the twentieth century.

Newly published memoirs by former Syrian VP Abdul Halim Khaddam detail the aggressive 2004 meeting where Bashar al-Assad threatened Rafik Hariri.

Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam reveals new details in his memoirs about a meeting between former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Damascus...

Former Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam’s recent memoirs revealed sensitive information about wealth and power in the country, notably that the Syrian state reserve, which according to the la...

The United States must learn to forget the pain of humiliation.

Newly uncovered weapons material have raised hopes for Ghouta victims, but rights groups warn that access to evidence will mean little without judicial reform

Im Safe der Amerikaner verschwanden NS-Dokumente vieler Bonner Spitzenpolitiker – und die von zwei NS-Größen. Hier präsentiert der SPIEGEL die Papiere in der interaktiven Übersicht.

I was posted in Baghdad (Iraq) from 1984 to 1988 for a building project. Saddam Hussein was then the undisputed leader of the country, holding the posts of President, Prime Minister and Chairman of th...

Did the US president’s belief that Ayatollah Khamenei was intent on killing him influence his fateful decision to launch a war?