Anti-War President Starts New War. Again.
The Iran bombings, public land selloffs, and the collapse of big city governance
Middle East
Iran's Warning Shot Gives Trump a Way Out of Israel's War
Trump now has a choice between exiting from a position of strength—or jumping further into an endless war.
Vance Says Bombing Iran Is Different From Other 'Dumb' Presidents' Military Actions
On Sunday talk shows, the vice president made the case for bombing Iran—a notable shift from his previous anti-war rhetoric.
A Brief, Bloody History of All the Times the U.S. Caused Chaos in the Middle East
The conflict with Iran is the latest in a decadeslong series of regime change operations, long-term entanglements, and all-out wars that always seem to invite more problems.
Just Don't Call It a War
Plus: The Trump administration toys with regime change in Iran, our own constitutional regime takes another hit, a mystery driver joyrides on the National Mall, and more...
The Attack on Iran Is Unlawful
Trump's attack on Iran plainly violates the War Powers Act. Limits on executive power are most important when they are inconvenient.
War With Iran Could Create Millions of Refugees
Iranians are already beginning to flee to neighboring countries.
Trump's Iran War Would Not Be a One-Off Deal
Neither American hawks nor Israeli planners intend on allowing for a simple, quick U.S. intervention in Iran.
'Evacuate Tehran'
Plus: A bipartisan effort to prevent American involvement in the war, ICE workplace raids to begin again, and more...
Israel Strikes Iran. Is Escalation Inevitable?
U.S. involvement in the new Middle East conflict, political violence at home, and the No Kings protests
ICE on Ice
Plus: Suspect in Minnesota shootings arrested, Iran and Israel still fighting, Ross Ulbricht speaks, and more...
Israel Attacks Iran—and Burns Down the Off-Ramp With America
The Trump administration, which was ready to negotiate on Sunday, is now gambling on an all-out war.
Are We Going to War With Iran or Not?
Americans shouldn’t have to read the tea leaves to know about life-and-death decisions made by their government.
Schumer Attacks Trump for Repeating Obama's Iran Diplomacy
Democrats keep trying to out-hawk Republicans, even though the mood in America has shifted toward diplomacy.
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.
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.
