Trump's Syrian Outreach Turns an Enemy Into a Friend
Hawks in Washington often make it sound hard to end conflicts with other countries, but the United States and Syria are fixing relations overnight.
Middle East
Lawrence Wright: America's Misadventures in Wars, Cults, and Panics
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author discusses the enduring roots of Middle Eastern conflict, the rise and fall of cultural panics, and why Texas may be the blueprint—and battleground—for America's future.
Trump's Team Discovers That Diplomacy Is Hard
Diplomacy is better than war in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. But that doesn't mean it's easy.
Will Trump's Order To Lift U.S. Sanctions on Syria Be Followed?
Reason heard from a minister in the new Syrian government about the Trump administration's outreach.
Trump Declares the 'Neocon' Era Over
The president’s speech in Saudi Arabia promised a new course for U.S. policy in the Middle East. Can he deliver?
Normalizing Relations
Plus: Qatar-a-Lago, Ocasio-Cortez sure looks interested in running, how Mississippi public schools improved, and more...
Trump Gets Bored With the War in Yemen
The pendulum within Trump’s Middle East policy has swung back toward deal making, for now.
Court Frees Palestinian Student Arrested by ICE at His U.S. Citizenship Hearing
A U.S. district judge called Mohsen Mahdawi’s detention a “great harm to a person who has been charged with no crime.”
U.S. Navy Accidentally Throws $64 Million Jet Overboard Off the Coast of Yemen
Washington is dumping valuable resources—literally—into a Middle Eastern war of choice.
Trump Administration Admits ICE Arrested Mahmoud Khalil Without a Warrant
The administration's lawyers claim that this was justified by Khalil's likelihood of escape.
How Easter Eggs Spread Around the World
The tradition of decorating eggs in springtime is a lesson in symbols shared across cultures.
ICE Arrests Palestinian Immigrant at His Citizenship Test
Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi thought he was going to become an American. Instead, ICE whisked him away into detention.
Tariffs Failed in the Middle East—America Shouldn't Make the Same Mistake
Protectionism in Egypt and Iraq fueled corruption, stagnation, and smuggling—not prosperity.
Who Is the 'Top Missile Guy' the U.S. Killed in Yemen?
For an administration that likes to show off successful assassinations, the Trump team has been surprisingly tight-lipped about the Houthi commanders they targeted.
Will the U.S. Bomb Iran Over a Nuclear Weapons Program That Doesn't Exist?
Iran isn’t building a nuclear weapon, the Trump administration says. But this hasn’t stopped the march toward war.
Why Economic Sanctions Against Iran Are Backfiring
How Sanctions Work argues the consequences of economic warfare don't always serve American interests.
Syria's Revolution Has Betrayed Its Promise
After Assad’s fall, Syria was poised for liberation. Instead, ethnic violence, sectarian dogma, and unchecked power are threatening to turn victory into yet another nightmare.
The Atlantic Should Not Find Out About a War Before Congress Does
The White House accidentally leaked military plans in Yemen to a journalist—and demonstrated how unconstitutional U.S. war making has become.
New Case Against Khalil
Plus: Sanders supports deportations, tariff tracker, Panama's Jewish enclave, and more...
Are the Palestinians Systematically Oppressed?
City University of New York professor Peter Beinart and AEI's Michael Rubin debate Israel and Palestine.
Trump Owns the Middle East Wars Now
The president is quickly wiping out his own accomplishments.
Trump Attacked Biden's 'Crazy' Yemen War. Now He's Reopening It.
The U.S. is back to bombing the Houthi movement.
Has Trump Cut a Deal To Get U.S. Troops Out of Syria?
Syrian Kurdish rebels and the new Syrian government have agreed to reunite peacefully. The U.S. military may have helped broker the agreement.
The Best of Reason: Can Ultimate Frisbee Heal the Middle East?
The spread of Ultimate Frisbee testifies to a kind of Western soft power in the Middle East, one far friendlier than bombs or bullets.
Mahmoud Khalil, the Great Rorschach Test
Plus: Ukraine attacks Russia with drones, Newsom's revisionist history, and more...
Who Is the Palestinian Columbia Student Detained For His Protest Activity?
Several months ago, Reason interviewed Mahmoud Khalil at a protest encampment. Now he’s sitting in ICE detention.
Is Trump Borrowing Biden's 'Bear Hug' Approach to Israel?
The president is publicly taking a tough line on the Middle East—while privately supporting diplomacy.
Can Ultimate Frisbee Heal the Middle East?
The spread of Ultimate Frisbee testifies to a kind of Western soft power in the Middle East, one far friendlier than bombs or bullets.
'All Hell Is Going To Break Out' in Israel
Plus: OpenAI vs. Musk, Eric Adams corruption charges dropped, and more...
Trump's Middle East Policy: Pull Troops Out of Syria To Put Them in Gaza?
The president says he wants peace in the Middle East. But his plans are all over the place.
The White House's 'Feverish Dream' About $50 Million for Condoms in Gaza
The Trump administration made an extreme claim about wasteful foreign aid that just wasn't true.
Neocons Wage a Rearguard Action Against Trump's Middle East Peace Drive
Trump wants to negotiate instead of bombing Iran. Jilted war hawks are blaming his advisers.
Donald Trump Turns on His First Term's Middle East Hawks
But that doesn't mean he's embracing the doves.
Nobody Won the War in Gaza
The same ceasefire agreement was almost signed in May 2024. Instead, the pointless violence continued for several more months—at Americans’ expense.
Is Biden Teeing Up an Iran War for Trump?
Trump was considered reckless for wanting to start a war at the end of his term. Now, Biden is doing the same.
The War in Gaza Is Far Worse Than You Thought
Researchers went back to check Palestinian casualty reports from October 2023. They found a deadlier month for civilians—and children—than any other chapter of the "war on terror."
Why Socialists Are Cheering the Death of an Insurance CEO
Plus: A listener asks the editors if libertarians are more prone to believing in conspiracy theories.
Assad Gone at Last
Plus: AOC ascendant, China preps for tariffs, Haitian deportation, and more...
Outlaws on Pickup Trucks Accomplish What $1 Billion in CIA Money Couldn't
The CIA spent four years trying to overthrow the Syrian government. It failed. But a former leader of Al Qaeda might do it in a few weeks.
Lindsey Graham's Bipartisan Vision To Keep America In the Middle East Forever
The Republican senator wants to bring Biden and Trump together to commit American lives to Saudi Arabia in order to "change the region and change the world."
Will America Make the Same Mistakes as Britain in the Middle East?
The Suez Crisis demonstrated how "peace through strength" can go terribly wrong.
The Classic Neocons Are Out, but They Might Still Get What They Want
Even without Mike Pompeo and Nikki Haley, the Trump administration still could be heading for regime change in the Middle East.
Who's Gary Johnson Voting For?
The two-time Libertarian Party presidential nominee shares his thoughts on Chase Oliver and the election.
Faisal Saeed Al Mutar: Peace In The Middle East Through Capitalism
The co-founder of Ideas Beyond Borders argues that there is "no better independence than economic independence."
Biden and Graham Reportedly Schemed on How 'To Go to War For Saudi Arabia'
The Republican senator said it would “take a Democratic president” to commit American troops to defend the Saudi kingdom, according to a new book.
Sinwar Killed
Plus: Cognitive repairment, creative voting from Brooklynites, who we vote for here at Reason, and more...
Biden Pulls America Even Deeper Into the Middle East
Israel is getting U.S. troops and Saudi Arabia is getting billions of dollars' worth of American weapons.
Boots on the Ground
Plus: California tries to punish Musk, China's economic recovery, and more...
