Conversations with dozens of Iraqis offer a portrait of a nation that is rich in oil, hobbled by corruption and unable to guarantee its citizens’ safety.
Tag Archives: middle east
For Iran, Saudi Détente Could Ease Strains Regionally and at Home
Long seen as a regional troublemaker and on the defensive from advances made by Israel, Iran sees the restoration of ties with its rival as a win for all sides, analysts say.
China’s Role in Iran-Saudi Deal Shows Xi’s Challenge to U.S.-led Order
Brokering a rapprochement between the Middle Eastern rivals underscores the Chinese leader’s ambition of offering an alternative to a U.S.-led world order.
Iran-Saudi Pact Is Brokered by China, Leaving U.S. on Sidelines
The agreement negotiated in Beijing to restore relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran signaled at least a temporary reordering of the usual alliances and rivalries, with Washington left on the sidelines.
U.S. Sanctions Relief for Syria Troubles Assad Regime Opponents
Washington has temporarily eased sanctions on the authoritarian government of President Bashar al-Assad to allow humanitarian aid to flow freely after a disastrous earthquake struck Syria.
The Austere Beauty of Egypt’s Long-Distance Hiking Trails
Two new routes, managed by Bedouins, will help preserve long-overlooked natural wonders and a vanishing way of life.
Qatar Got the World Cup It Wanted
In the end, after a tournament shadowed by controversy since the host rights were awarded, Qatar had the turn in the global spotlight it sought.
Morocco Has Given the Arab World Something to Cheer for Again
The country’s World Cup team represents how we would like to think of ourselves.
China to Cooperate With Gulf Nations on Nuclear Energy and Space, Xi Says
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, says that he is eager to work with the Middle Eastern countries, longstanding U.S. allies, in a series of sensitive fields, including nuclear security and space exploration.
Morocco Win in World Cup Brings Celebration Across Africa and Middle East
Arabs and Africans around the world joined in an outpouring of pride and joy over Morocco’s World Cup success after it defeated Spain.
How Biden Can Help Save the Middle East
The fate of the Jordan River can tell us a lot about the future of Israeli-Arab relations.
OPEC and Russia to Meet as Global Forces Weigh on Oil Market
As the West moves to intercede in oil trading, OPEC Plus, led by Saudi Arabia, is expected to protect its own interests.
25 Travel Experiences That Should Be on Your Bucket List
A pair of internationally minded writers, a chef, an architect and a landscape photographer made a list of the most extraordinary adventures a person should seek out. Here are the results.
Why OPEC Is Cutting Oil Production (and Why There’s Not Much the U.S. Can Do About It)
Washington sees OPEC Plus’s decision to cut oil production as support for Russia, but Saudi Arabia had legitimate economic reasons for pushing it.
Why America Can’t Do Much About the OPEC Oil Cuts
Washington sees OPEC Plus’s decision to cut oil production as support for Russia, but Saudi Arabia had legitimate economic reasons for pushing it.
What Video Footage Reveals About the Protests in Iran
The New York Times analyzed dozens of videos circulating online for insights about what is propelling the demonstrations, and how women are leading the movement.
Economic Neglect and Political Instability Unraveled Tunisia’s Democracy
Tensions across the religious-secular fault lines in the country could not be reconciled, and freely elected leaders failed to deliver on the 2011 uprising’s cry for bread, freedom and dignity.
As Biden Reaches Out to Mideast Dictators, His Eyes Are on China and Russia
Trying to make Moscow pay for its Ukraine war, and box China out of Mideast tech deals, the U.S. president tries to fall back on old Gulf alliances.
What Biden Got Right on His Trip to the Middle East
There is real value in making small steps through diplomacy.
In an era of alphabet soup diplomacy, Biden is adding ingredients.
Unsettled times have brought a proliferation of new clusters of various countries, and the acronyms that come with them.
Biden, Battered at Home, Basks in Unvarnished Praise in Israel
The U.S. president, on the first day of a trip to the Mideast, received the sort of rapturous welcome he can only dream about in Washington.
Biden Mideast Trip Fraught With Political Perils
President Biden is heading to the Mideast with one eye on U.S. strategic goals abroad and another on his political vulnerabilities back home.
Israel Confirms Regional Military Project, Showing Its Growing Role
The Israeli defense minister, Benny Gantz, said Israel was working with other countries in the Middle East to combat Iranian military threats.
The Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh: Tracing a Bullet to an Israeli Convoy
A New York Times investigation found that the bullet that killed a Palestinian-American journalist was fired from the approximate position of an Israeli military vehicle.
On Inflation and the Food Crisis, the World Can Work Together or Fall Apart
No single country can solve the problem of rising food and fuel costs.
Fears Grow Over Iran’s Nuclear Program as Tehran Digs a New Tunnel Network
The conflict over the program is about to flare again as President Biden travels next month to Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran’s two biggest regional rivals.
Biden Trip to Saudi Arabia Is Set, but Energy Help Is Not
The White House formally announced that President Biden would visit the oil-rich kingdom in mid-July despite having denounced it as a “pariah” state after the assassination of a dissident.
John R. Allen Resigns as Brookings President After Qatar Revelations
Mr. Allen, a retired four-star general, had been on administrative leave amid a federal inquiry into whether he had secretly lobbied for the government of Qatar.
Kushner’s and Mnuchin’s Quick Pivots to Business With the Gulf
Weeks before the Trump administration ended, Jared Kushner and Steven Mnuchin met with future investors on official trips to the Middle East.
Mohammed Bin Zayed Becomes U.A.E. President
Sheikh Mohammed has used his small country’s oil wealth to exert great influence across the Middle East and in Washington.
Welcome to the Disorderly, Dangerous World of Expensive Oil and Gas
The global energy crisis will get worse before it gets better.
Yemen’s Houthis Went From Ragtag Militia to Force Threatening Gulf Powers
Iran’s cultivation of the Houthis over the years of war in Yemen has armed them with missiles and drones, endangering Washington’s partners and Tehran’s rivals, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
In a Village Divided, Palestinians See Their Hold on Territory Eroding
Carved up over decades, the village of Walaja sits partly in the occupied West Bank and partly in Jerusalem. Palestinians say this type of fragmentation undermines prospects for a state.
A ‘New Era of Air Pollution’ in the Tropics Could Have a Huge Toll
Increasingly bad air in big cities is expected to kill hundreds of thousands in coming years if stronger controls are not put in place.
Yes, There Is a Clash of Civilizations
What Samuel Huntington foresaw about the current world order.
Blinken to Press Mideast Allies for Stronger Support for Ukraine
The countries, which have their own relationships with Russia, have provided some modest backing, but Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will ask for more.
Mideast Feels the Pinch of Rising Food Prices as Ramadan Nears
Russia’s war on Ukraine has driven up the prices of staple foods and energy across the Middle East and North Africa ahead of the Muslim holy month of daytime fasting and nighttime feasting.
Mass Graves Identified in Syria Could Hold Evidence of War Crimes
Two sites have been located, believed to hold thousands of bodies of Syrians killed in detention centers administered by President Bashar al-Assad’s government during the civil war.
Middle East Sympathizes With Ukrainian Refugees
Many in the region took to social media to express sympathy for Ukrainians forced to flee, though their warm welcome in Europe evoked a tinge of bitterness over the treatment of Arab and Muslim migrants.
Arab Rulers and Spy Chiefs Stashed Millions in Swiss Bank
A leak of account data from Credit Suisse revealed the holdings of powerful figures across the Middle East, raising new questions about self-dealing.
Kuwait Overturns Law Used to Prosecute Trans People
The country’s constitutional court said the law, which criminalized “imitation of the opposite sex,” violated Kuwaitis’ rights to personal freedom.
Leader’s Death Is Another Blow for ISIS, but It’s Hardly the End
The Islamic State is a shadow of its former self. But it’s likely to keep adapting and enduring, even after the U.S. raid that killed its top commander.
As the U.S. Pulls Back From the Mideast, China Leans In
China is expanding its ties to Middle Eastern states with vast infrastructure investments and cooperation on technology and security.
Did We Miss Biden’s Most Important Remark About Russia?
Putin has something bigger to worry about at home than anything that happens in Ukraine.
The Civilian Casualties of America’s Air Wars
Why is the death toll of U.S. strikes so staggeringly high?
The Human Toll of America’s Air Wars
A trove of internal documents, combined with extensive reporting across the Middle East, reveals the tragic, disastrous failures of the U.S. military’s long-distance approach to warfare.
Iran’s Nuclear Program Ignites New Tension Between U.S. and Israel
Strains emerged during talks this week after a short period of strong relations between a new Israeli government and new American one.
On Syria’s Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes
Powerful associates of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, are making and selling captagon, an illegal amphetamine, creating a new narcostate on the Mediterranean.
Strike on U.S. Base Was Iranian Response to Israeli Attack, Officials Say
Iran has not acknowledged the attack, but U.S. and Israeli officials said it was retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, drawing the U.S. into Iran’s shadow war with Israel.
The Women Bringing Sex Ed to the Arab World
Activists are using social media to do what Arab countries have failed to do: teach women about their bodies. They are aiming for nothing less than a cultural awakening.