Author: Gulf News Week

Trump is racing against the midterms, Iran is betting on endurance, and Netanyahu needs a war with no end.In every conflict, the calendar is as consequential as the cannon. The war that has consumed the Gulf between the United States, Israel and Iran is no exception. Beyond their primary adversaries, each of the three protagonists is battling time. Each is operating on a different political clock, facing a unique and potentially lethal deadline.Washington: The midterm clockIn January 2025, Donald Trump returned to office with a philosophy of rapid-fire diplomacy, prioritising the art of the deal over the machinery of war.…

The US-Israeli war on Iran exposed the limits of containment, divided allies and forced the world to choose between cautious diplomacy and risky regime change.The recent US-Israeli military confrontation with Iran is not merely a limited military operation or another round in the cycle of mutual deterrence. Rather, it presents a revelatory moment for the entire structure of the international order. This confrontation redrew geopolitical divisions in an unprecedented way, exposing the limits of assumptions that had governed the behaviour of major powers for decades, chief among them the belief that conflicts could be contained through neutrality or conventional diplomatic…

Kamil Idris outlines his government’s vision for ending the war, rebuilding the country and restoring civilian rule.When I visited the United Nations Security Council last December to present the Hope Government’s vision for peace in Sudan, I looked at those corridors that I knew well from my many years of work at the United Nations.But my thoughts were elsewhere, back in my country, where my mind was filled with images of the ordinary people displaced by the Rapid Support Forces militia from their villages and farms, and of the fear spread among civilians in the cities when their money was…

Washington made seven deadly mistakes, from misreading Iran’s strategy to underestimating the costs of a prolonged war.The developments following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel did not lead to de-escalation, but rather to a redefinition of the conflict on a much broader scale. While volatile negotiations between Tehran and Washington continued, the gap between the two sides’ expectations deepened. Ultimately, this gap led to a decision at the White House based on an optimistic assessment: To enter a limited conflict and force Iran into a rapid retreat.But the battlefield quickly shattered that assumption. The war that was meant to…

After the failure in Gaza and Iran, the Israeli prime minister hopes he can be triumphant in Lebanon.The Israeli rhetoric about the war on Lebanon is simple. Israel has been fighting with Hezbollah since 1982 – first for 18 years inside Lebanon, and then for two decades from Israeli territory. The ongoing operation has been coming for 20 years.Despite past successes, Hezbollah continues to be a threat to northern communities in Israel. The Israeli army is not only clearing Lebanon’s south of its infrastructure, but also putting pressure – militarily – on the Lebanese state to disarm it.I have outlined…

The SAF and the RSF cannot shape the future of Sudan alone. All political actors and the Sudanese people must join.The Sudan war erupted on the morning of April 15, 2023, more than 1,000 days ago. The conflict has sown destruction across the country, killing tens of thousands of people and robbing millions of their livelihoods and their homes.Sudan, for me and for millions of Sudanese people, is not a story to analyse; it is our past, present and future on this planet. Simply put, this is our life. Seeing our country decimated, ignored, pulled apart and brutalised in front…

Israel wants to expand in the Middle East. Its failure to defeat Iran is a major setback for its hegemonic plans.Ahead of the deadline United States President Donald Trump set for Iran last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an urgent call to the White House. He warned the president against pursuing a ceasefire with Tehran.After the temporary truce was announced, Netanyahu was quick to clarify that the Israeli army would not stop its operations in Lebanon. Many saw in his actions his urge to ensure his own political survival by prolonging the war.However, it is not just Netanyahu…

Authorities said further updates on the resumption of in-person or remote learning across schools and higher education institutions will be announced on Wednesday The Education, Human Resources, and Community Development Council has announced that educational institutions across the UAE are preparing for a gradual return to in-person learning, with a phased approach aimed at ensuring safety and continuity. As part of the first step, nurseries will begin reopening this week, starting with those located in government premises and commercial buildings. Other nurseries will be allowed to continue offering home-based childcare services in line with approved regulations. Authorities said further updates on the resumption…

Israel is destroying the Status Quo to establish full control over Muslim and Christian religious life at holy sites.On Holy Saturday as Palestinian Christians tried to reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Israeli security forces started attacking and arresting them. On the following day, Orthodox Easter, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his supporters stormed into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where they performed prayers despite a ban on non-Muslim religious rituals there.These incidents followed Israel’s unprecedented closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for 40 days under the guise of…

Trump needs to take decisive action to secure regional peace and a win in the midterm elections.It was too much to ask of United States Vice President JD Vance that he hammer out a peace agreement with representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran after the first direct meeting of the two sides in more than a decade.But it is not too much to ask for enemy combatants to maintain the ceasefire and for negotiators to come back to the table for a second round of meetings.As of now, we still have a ceasefire. The question remains: Can America win…