Bashir Ali Abbas

What to make of Trump’s plans to ‘own’ Gaza – and why have Jordan and Egypt refused to take in displaced Palestinians?Subscriber Only

February 05, 2025 17:47 IST

A Middle East expert connects the dots to build the big picture following the US President’s statements. He has also put more pressure on Iran – how will that play out?

Jaishankar’s UAE visit: Abu Dhabi’s role in post-ceasefire Gaza, why it matters to New DelhiSubscriber Only

February 04, 2025 13:02 IST

For the third time since his reappointment as External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar visited the UAE on January 27-29. Why is the Emirate important to India? As the Gaza ceasefire tenuously holds, how do UAE's regional priorities tie in with India’s?

Why Trump may not target Iran in second term: here’s how Middle East has changed since 2017-18Subscriber Only

January 25, 2025 06:50 IST

Situation in the Middle East has changed significantly since the last time Donald Trump was in the White House. The drivers of the Arab-Iranian relationship are different, and there is now scope for engagement between Tehran and Washington. But there are many moving parts in the region’s complex geopolitics

What are the key takeaways from the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement?Subscriber Only

January 17, 2025 04:35 IST

What are the key takeaways from the ceasefire and hostage/ prisoner release agreement? What have Netanyahu and Hamas gained or lost, and what could happen in Israel and Gaza going forward?

Trump and the Middle East: His policies last term, changes he faces nowSubscriber Only

January 13, 2025 16:43 IST

What kind of a Middle East did Trump 1.0 face, what did he do there and how, and how changed is the region today?

Explained: The Houthis of Yemen, and how they figure in Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ against IsraelSubscriber Only

December 28, 2024 08:55 IST

The Houthis, who have been in a strong position in the civil war in Yemen since 2021, have sought to use the window of opportunity opened by the war in Gaza to expand their regional footprint. They are now the only pole of the ‘axis’ standing, and have remained defiant in the face of the fresh Israeli air strikes.

Bashar al-Assad is gone, what’s happening in Syria now?Subscriber Only

December 19, 2024 07:00 IST

Ten days after the Bashar al-Assad regime collapsed, what is happening in Syria? What role is the HTS, which controls the regime in Damascus, playing in the transition, and what challenges does it face going forward?

Reordering of the Middle East chessboard: why Assad fell, and what happens nowSubscriber Only

December 10, 2024 07:00 IST

As Syria falls to Turkish-backed rebels, and Moscow and Tehran take powerful blows to their interests in the region, the biggest winner of the war could be Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Here's why

Expert Explains: The new phase of war in SyriaSubscriber Only

December 04, 2024 04:20 IST

For all practical purposes, the Syrian civil war had never ended. But an unusual confluence of global conflicts has helped create room for the armed insurgency to mount a renewed offensive against Bashar al-Assad.

An Expert Explains: Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire dealSubscriber Only

November 28, 2024 07:06 IST

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon came into effect on Wednesday. Why did Israel agree to this deal? And what does this mean for the Israel-Lebanon frontier, and the region at large?

Expert Explains: A year of war in West AsiaSubscriber Only

October 07, 2024 08:00 IST

Oct 7 marks a year of the terrorist assault by Hamas on Israel. After flattening parts of Gaza, Israel has taken its retaliation north to Hezbollah. With West Asia on the brink of all-out war, here’s what the situation looks like from the US, Arab capitals, and India.

An Expert Explains: Why has Israel invaded Lebanon — and what to make of the war so farSubscriber Only

October 05, 2024 17:15 IST

While Israel holds the geopolitical and military advantage, Hezbollah too has evolved significantly since its last war with Israel in 2006