<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Mideast Journal ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Fact-first coverage of the latest news, developments, and controversies emanating from Israel’s war against Hamas & operations in Gaza.]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/explainers</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:19:40 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.mideastjournal.org/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Hezbollah-Israel War has Totally Reshaped Hezbollah’s power inside Lebanon]]></title><description><![CDATA[AI generated photo of Hezbollah's flag By: Tony Boulos  For years, Hezbollah relied on a governing equation built on coercion: accept its weapons and its role above the authority of the Lebanese state—or face internal unrest and the threat of civil conflict. Over time, this formula evolved from a pressure tactic into a structural instrument of control, activated whenever the state moved toward sovereign decisions that challenged the group’s dominance inside Lebanon. This dynamic became...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/the-hezbollah-israel-war-has-totally-reshaped-hezbollah-s-power-inside-lebanon</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e52a32a96d49e56ec349fd</guid><pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:19:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_e7e81e4531534aa2a881466ce95f3f81~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_928,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tony Boulos</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hezbollah's Last Argument]]></title><description><![CDATA[AI generated photo with the Lebanese and Hezbollah flag By: Abdulaziz AlKhamis The party has lost its leaders, its base, and its Iranian umbrella. Now it is fighting a different war over who gets to define defeat. On April 14, for the first time in thirty-three years, a Lebanese ambassador and an Israeli ambassador sat across from each other at the U.S. State Department. The meeting, brokered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was brief and ceremonial. It produced no agreement, only a joint...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/hezbollah-s-last-argument</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e2496243fd38a1bb6f6a99</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:12:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_359efeb59a7d4cb6916f3e86cfa312f2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Abdulaziz Alkhamis</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A U.S.–Israel–Iran War Halftime Scorecard: Who’s Winning? What Are the Right Questions to Ask?]]></title><description><![CDATA[AI generated image with the flags of Iran, Israel and the U.S. By most measures, the current U.S.–Israel war with Iran is not over—but it may be at halftime, or perhaps entering the fourth quarter. After five weeks of intense fighting, both sides have paused—and for now, the pause appears likely to hold. Like any contest at halftime, the question is not who has won, but how to read the score—and what it suggests about the second half. The war that began on February 28 with surprise...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/a-u-s-israel-iran-war-halftime-scorecard-who-s-winning-what-are-the-right-questions-to-ask</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e1ee98c4c584cedb07039e</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:11:28 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Dan Feferman</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The “Lebanese Street” Warms up to Normalization with Israel]]></title><description><![CDATA[AI generated image of the Israeli and Lebanese flags A surprising poll offers real hope for normalization between Lebanon and Israel. Conducted by an anti-Western, anti-Israel website with a sample of 500 respondents, the survey found that only 42 percent of Lebanese oppose peace with Israel. Thirty-two percent support normalization, while 25 percent remain undecided. Imperfect as the poll may be, these numbers are remarkably encouraging for advocates of Lebanese-Israeli peace. The poll comes...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/the-lebanese-street-warms-up-to-normalization-with-israel</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69dd6b50e72e8bb038a89c6d</guid><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:20:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_8ed441ae19ec4f2a80ec8860a85dec4f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_595,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Hussain Abdul-Hussain</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hamas as the modern day “Islamic Assasins”:With a weakened Iran - the Gaza-based Islamist Terror Group Goes from being an Iranian Proxy to a Turkish One]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah (Hamas) flag Since October 7th, and especially following the June 2025 Israel-Iran war, and now the February–April (and possibly ongoing) 2026 US/Israel–Iran war, the Gaza-based Islamist terror group has shifted from Shia Iran to Sunni Turkey as its strategic sponsor. This Turkish support for Hamas, however, has a unique and curious historical parallel. Amid these shifts, the role of armed groups (mercenaries, even if ideologically driven) in the region has...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/hamas-as-the-modern-day-islamic-assasins-with-a-weakened-iran-the-gaza-based-islamist-terror-gro</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d8fb64515c02011a0ba4f6</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:15:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_2a6481a97efa48988f4c590313483355~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_750,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Moataz Khalil</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[An Ambassador Defies the State: Lebanon’s Sovereignty Tested Against Iranian Influence]]></title><description><![CDATA[Tony Boulos is a Lebanese journalist and political analyst specializing in Middle East security and geopolitics. A frequent commentator on Arab and international TV, he provides expert insights into the region’s complex landscape. Boulos is a regular ME24 contributor, delivering strategic analysis on the most pressing issues in the Middle East.]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/an-ambassador-defies-the-state-lebanon-s-sovereignty-tested-against-iranian-influence</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d503d1b75c5d3058252645</guid><category><![CDATA[Levant]]></category><category><![CDATA[Middle East Policy]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:38:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_656f4e7245b04266a5d6a7f0aaed90c3~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tony Boulos</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Gulf’s Split Response to Iran]]></title><description><![CDATA[AI generated image of a map of the Gulf region shows several countries with their national flags Iran has emerged as a serious and immediate threat to the Arab Gulf states, yet their responses reveal a mix of anger, caution and strategic hedging. The UAE stands out both as a primary target of Iranian strikes and as the state most visibly shifting toward a more assertive posture against Tehran. Iran’s response to US Israeli strikes has been to widen the battlefield across the Gulf, targeting...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/the-gulf-s-split-response-to-iran</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d2c9c0072d140cb959dddf</guid><category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category><category><![CDATA[Middle East Policy]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 20:45:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_577bba186e724e339113498d0eba26b8~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dr. Najwa AlSaeed</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Iran’s New Supreme Leader – From Revolution to Dynasty: A Week 2 Assessment]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dr. Ahmed Khuzaie is a Bahraini political analyst specializing in Gulf Affairs and Iran, Expert and N7 Foundation. He is the author of multiple books and studies, including “Entanglement: A History of Iranian-Bahraini Relations”. He is a regular commentator on international news and a frequent contributor to numerous leading news outlets and think-tanks. 
]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/iran-s-new-supreme-leader-from-revolution-to-dynasty-a-week-2-assessment</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd1054f7044e6cf7a57cb3</guid><category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:44:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_429e90c756074aeb91c26426631aaa3f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dr. Ahmed Khuzaie</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ “We Are Staying”: Christian Border Villages in South Lebanon Reject the War Around Them]]></title><description><![CDATA[South Lebanon — Along Lebanon’s southern frontier, where cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel have reshaped daily life for months, residents of several Christian-majority villages are making a deliberate and coordinated choice: they are staying. In towns such as Rmeish, Debel, Qlayaa, Ain Ebel, and Marjayoun, local clergy, municipal officials, and families say they do not consider themselves parties to the conflict unfolding around them. Instead, they describe their presence...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/we-are-staying-christian-border-villages-in-south-lebanon-reject-the-war-around-them</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c82ce3495b61304351beae</guid><category><![CDATA[Levant]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 19:36:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_fa08ca826347435bba4e06f272c4a65c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Tony Boulos</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[While Others Redraw the Middle East, Arabs Debate the Real Enemy]]></title><description><![CDATA[Three narratives dominate Arab debates on the current war: anti-Iran, anti-Israel, and hostility toward everyone. Each exposes part of the truth—but none offer a coherent Arab strategy. 1️⃣ Traditional diplomacy: Sees the conflict as part of U.S. and Israeli plans to reshape the region. Critiques Washington and Tel Aviv, but often ignores Iran’s decades-long expansion via militias and proxies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. 2️⃣ Security-focused: Highlights the direct Iranian...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/while-others-redraw-the-middle-east-arabs-debate-the-real-enemy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c2ffac0102451875bb1ca4</guid><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:27:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_0f80aa624d58447bafe9c2c0860d1b8c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>MiddleEast24 Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Lebanon Should Consider Expelling the Iranian Ambassador]]></title><description><![CDATA[AI generated photo of the aerial view of a devastated seaport with smoke, fires, and rubble, as Iranian and Hezbollah flags appear in the foreground. The ongoing US–Iran war has rapidly expanded beyond Iran’s borders, placing Lebanon at the center of a dangerous regional escalation. Although Lebanon is not formally a direct participant in the conflict, the involvement of Hezbollah—one of Iran’s closest allies—has effectively opened a second front between Hezbollah and Israel. This development...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/why-lebanon-should-consider-expelling-the-iranian-ambassador</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c28f2236a1fdc193be48de</guid><category><![CDATA[Levant]]></category><category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:23:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_ccc4b4d4dea141e68615866a1981d11a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nervana Mahmoud</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[From Missiles to Bank Deposits: The Hidden Power Struggle in the Middle East]]></title><description><![CDATA[AI generated photo about the issue explained in the article Wars in the Middle East do more than test military power — they expose the fragile economic foundations behind regional alliances. Recent reports from Pakistan reveal that Islamabad has sought major financial support from Saudi Arabia, including converting a $5 billion Saudi deposit into a long-term facility, expanding deferred oil payments, and securing financial guarantees for international borrowing. Behind these requests lies a...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/from-missiles-to-bank-deposits-the-hidden-power-struggle-in-the-middle-east</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c1c91a8f0e652aaa2ccf76</guid><category><![CDATA[Radical Islam]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 23:14:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_80225ac6e2f14f9799f82d8152e2718b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Abdulaziz Alkhamis</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Iran and the Moroccan Sahara: Will Washington Designate the Polisario as a Terrorist Organization?]]></title><description><![CDATA[A news-style illustration depicts a geopolitical map of North Africa and the Sahel, with symbols of the U.S., Iran, and armed groups, highlighting rising tensions, security concerns, and debates over potential terrorist designation. A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate could open the door to designating the Polisario as a terrorist organization, amid rising tensions with Iran and growing security concerns in North Africa and the Sahel. For decades, the Western Sahara conflict was treated in...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/iran-and-the-moroccan-sahara-will-washington-designate-the-polisario-as-a-terrorist-organization</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c1c51f69ed8cb882abbf82</guid><category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:58:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_1e890b0f8ba94b4a97714f395e293dc5~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Youssef Jajili</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Judicial Scandal Exposes Coordination Between Lebanese Authorities and Hezbollah]]></title><description><![CDATA[A dark, news-style illustration shows a blindfolded detainee in a war-damaged Beirut, surrounded by armed figures and political symbols, highlighting alleged abuses of power and concerns over judicial independence. Beirut — Legal and political observers are describing a recent case as a “full-fledged judicial scandal,” reigniting serious concerns over the integrity and independence of Lebanon’s judiciary—particularly in matters intersecting with Hezbollah’s influence. According to emerging...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/judicial-scandal-exposes-coordination-between-lebanese-authorities-and-hezbollah</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c1c38aadda444fefaf7a25</guid><category><![CDATA[Levant]]></category><category><![CDATA[Radical Islam]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:51:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_6f8ed430f82d4cf8b1d264d0a3be432c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>MiddleEast24 Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Drives the Muslim Brotherhood’s Obsession with Hatred Toward the UAE?]]></title><description><![CDATA[AI generated photo of the ideological conflict The United Arab Emirates has long been a target of hostility from the Muslim Brotherhood, and understanding the reasons behind this animosity requires looking at the UAE’s regional interventions and countermeasures. Since the rise of the Brotherhood in Egypt under Mohamed Morsi, the UAE has consistently opposed their political and ideological projects. In Egypt, the UAE supported efforts to curtail the Brotherhood’s influence and promote...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/what-drives-the-muslim-brotherhood-s-obsession-with-hatred-toward-the-uae</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c1bb7a36a1fdc193bc4c40</guid><category><![CDATA[Israel-Palestine]]></category><category><![CDATA[The Muslim Brotherhood]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:32:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_f80a940480654b8290f3a9c339d9b353~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Moataz Khalil</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Has the Iran War Started the Final Countdown for Qatar’s Breakup with Political Islam? ]]></title><description><![CDATA[AI generated photo with breakdown of recent developments As Israel, Iran, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia face waves of missile strikes and military escalation amid the blazing war between Iran on one side and Israel and the United States on the other, a parallel war is erupting online. Across social media platforms, a different kind of battlefield is unfolding—tweets, hashtags, and coordinated campaigns firing like digital missiles, detonating into information explosions...]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/has-the-iran-war-started-the-final-countdown-for-qatar-s-breakup-with-political-islam</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c06bb7f68fa4c22fbcb3a5</guid><pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 22:30:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9b2178_c89000d66b914e8db92513415a2696ca~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>MiddleEast24 Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Inside Iran: Who Is Mojtaba Khamenei, And Can There Be Regime Change in Iran? ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mojtaba Khamenei is inheriting a country at war. Since the early 2000s, he has acted as an influential behind-the-scenes operator with proximity to IRGC. ]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/inside-iran-who-is-mojtaba-khamenei</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b84f81faed8c5e63c86d4f</guid><category><![CDATA[Israel-Palestine]]></category><category><![CDATA[Middle East Policy]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b302f8_98c1a311498f46dc82a6c2436dea5828~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_928,h_839,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Meir Javedanfar</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Iranian Regime Weaponizes Oil As The War Rages ]]></title><description><![CDATA[By shutting down the Strait of Hormuz and disrupting oil traffic worldwide, Iran hopes to put maximum pressure on the US and their allies. What's next?]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/iranian-regime-weaponizes-oil-as-war-rages</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b4443cc0bc1d0b8e9f7887</guid><pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b302f8_69d8598628904baab384a4a7801259b0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_960,h_708,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>MiddleEast24 Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Will the 2026 Iran War End?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Although Trump predicts a swift end, experts foresee resolution hinging on Iran's resilience or diplomatic breakthroughs, potentially by mid-2026.]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/when-will-the-2026-iran-war-end</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b176628d8bebb924020ac2</guid><category><![CDATA[Middle East Policy]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b302f8_51b97ea53b6845eb9801f6a428f84a5f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_640,h_427,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>MiddleEast24 Staff</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Is Iran Waging War Against the Arab World?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Driven by desperation and fanaticism, the Iranian regime has declared a full-blown war on the Arab world. Iran hopes to put pressure on the US and risks more in the process.]]></description><link>https://www.mideastjournal.org/post/why-iran-wages-war-on-arab-world</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b16de0a547e1dd3d7fc4cc</guid><category><![CDATA[Middle East Policy]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 03:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b302f8_eb8b84fd1ed4416f8a50b8d4674f5634~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_640,h_526,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>MiddleEast24 Staff</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>