War in the Middle East
All of our coverage in one place
Latest stories
Will the next president follow Israel into war with Iran?
Kamala Harris is likely to maintain Joe Biden’s awkward policy, while Donald Trump’s belligerent words mask a record of caution
Israel has these four options for attacking Iran
Its politicians, and some generals, are gung-ho that the moment has come
The threat of an Israeli attack is reviving Iranian nationalism
Iranians fear their country is being dragged into war
Iran’s leader must choose how to fight his war with Israel
Hardliners may force the supreme leader to escalate the conflict with Israel
Israel’s invasion of Lebanon may bolster support for Hizbullah
The group is deeply embedded in Lebanese politics and society
Can Israel’s mighty tech industry withstand a wider war?
Its resilience is being tested
Regional conflict
The year that shattered the Middle East
Kill or be killed is the region’s new logic. Deterrence and diplomacy would be better
The bloodshed in the Middle East is fast expanding
Israel seems certain to retaliate to Iran’s missile attack
What Hamas misunderstood about the Middle East
A war meant to draw in the militant group’s allies has instead left them battered
After the decapitation of Hizbullah, Iran could race for a nuclear bomb
The embattled clerical regime might feel the need for stronger deterrence
Lebanon faces its worst crisis since the end of the civil war
Refugees are flooding into central Beirut
Hassan Nasrallah’s death will reshape Lebanon and the Middle East
A decapitated Hizbullah faces the most precarious moment in its history
Israel
A year on, Israeli society is divided about the lessons of October 7th
Hawks and doves, religious and secular, right and left—all the old cleavages are resurfacing
Israel’s government is again trying to hobble its Supreme Court
While at war, Israel is facing a constitutional crisis
The one thing Israelis agree on: rescuing the hostages
Bibi’s failure to do so has prompted huge protests
Israel’s settlers are winning unprecedented power from the war in Gaza
They are gaining land—and sway over the army, police and politics
Have Israel’s far-right religious nationalists peaked?
They wield great power but schisms within the movement are deepening
Israel’s ultra-Orthodox still won’t fight, invoking scripture
An age-old argument is making Binyamin Netanhayu face an enduring dilemma
Hamas and Gaza
Has the war in Gaza radicalised young Palestinians?
After Gaza, how will the Palestinians try to build their state?
Hamas’s pick of Yahya Sinwar as leader makes a ceasefire less likely
The appointment of the architect of October 7th ties the group closer to Iran
Optimistic plans for post-war Gaza have little basis in reality
Aid, policing, reconstruction—everything is even harder than it sounds
To see the future of urban warfare, look at Gaza
Western armies are studying the horrifying conflict for tactical lessons
Why food is piling up on the edge of Gaza
Thousands of tonnes of food and medicine are still waiting to get in
Is the American-built pier in Gaza useful or a fiasco?
The Economist went to see
War and diplomacy
The framework that ended Lebanon’s war in 2006 could help end this one too, says Tarek Mitri
Lebanon’s former foreign minister says any Israeli plan to reshape the country is a recipe for more chaos
Why Israel has not yet lost Europe
Europeans are angry about Gaza, but they aren’t voting like it
The relationship between Israel and Turkey is at breaking point
But the Turkish president is desperate to avoid a regional war
Britain’s ban on arms sales to Israel mixes politics and legalism
The government has outlined grounds for concern but not a coherent rationale
Iran’s frightening new playbook for war
It is abandoning the restraint that has prevented open conflict with Israel
The Middle East must step back from the brink
That still means starting with a ceasefire in Gaza
The military campaign
The Israel-Iran standoff in maps
A visual guide to the escalating conflict
A narrow corridor in Gaza has become an obstacle to a ceasefire
Binyamin Netanyahu says the presence of Israeli troops is crucial. His generals disagree
Israel bombs the Hamas military mastermind behind the October 7th attack
If he is dead it could hasten the end of the Gaza war
Hamas and Israel are still far apart over a ceasefire deal
For all America’s optimism, the two sides look fundamentally irreconcilable
Israel prepares for a long war in Gaza
But it is unclear how it will end
Explaining the war
Who is Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court?
He has applied for an arrest warrant for Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister
What does it mean to recognise Palestinian statehood?
Ireland, Norway and Spain will be the latest to do so
Could the International Criminal Court indict Binyamin Netanyahu?
Rumours abound that an arrest warrant is imminent for Israel’s prime minister
What are the obligations of Israel and Hamas to protect civilians?
International Humanitarian Law creates obligations—but contains numerous caveats
Latest coverage
Middle East & Africa
Israel has these four options for attacking Iran
Its politicians, and some generals, are gung-ho that the moment has come
Middle East & Africa
Iran’s leader must choose how to fight his war with Israel
Hardliners may force the supreme leader to escalate the conflict with Israel
Middle East & Africa
The threat of an Israeli attack is reviving Iranian nationalism
Iranians fear their country is being dragged into war
By Invitation
The framework that ended Lebanon’s war in 2006 could help end this one too, says Tarek Mitri
Lebanon’s former foreign minister says any Israeli plan to reshape the country is a recipe for more chaos
United States
Will the next president follow Israel into war with Iran?
Kamala Harris is likely to maintain Joe Biden’s awkward policy, while Donald Trump’s belligerent words mask a record of caution
By Invitation
Lebanon needs a new army in the south, says Yair Lapid
Israel’s opposition leader sees a way to turn war into a much-needed reset for the country
Finance & economics
Could war in the Gulf push oil to $100 a barrel?
Missiles are flying over a region that supplies a third of the world’s crude
Middle East & Africa
Israel’s invasion of Lebanon may bolster support for Hizbullah
The group is deeply embedded in Lebanese politics and society
Middle East & Africa
Wrath and sorrow rule in Israel on the anniversary of October 7th
A divided country is at war with multiple enemies, and fighting itself
Briefing
Has the war in Gaza radicalised young Palestinians?
After Gaza, how will the Palestinians try to build their state?
Briefing
A year on, Israeli society is divided about the lessons of October 7th
Hawks and doves, religious and secular, right and left—all the old cleavages are resurfacing
Briefing
The bloodshed in the Middle East is fast expanding
Israel seems certain to retaliate to Iran’s missile attack
Leaders
The year that shattered the Middle East
Kill or be killed is the region’s new logic. Deterrence and diplomacy would be better
Graphic detail
Who is really in charge of Lebanon?
A visual guide to the country’s tattered political system