This Month
Deep-cover agents, hacked phones: Israel’s secret war inside Iran
The covert campaign that preceded the Jewish state’s attack also involved spy satellites and smuggled miniaturised weapons systems to ensure a precise first strike.
Israel widens attacks against Iran, striking broadcaster
An Iranian state news anchor was live on air when an explosion shook the scene, causing falling debris and the sound of screams and breaking glass.
Why Israel attacked Iran, and what to watch for next
After decades of tension, a shift in the conflict between the Jewish state and Islamic Republic to open warfare is now be a real possibility.
March
Israel strikes Hezbollah targets after fire from within Lebanon
Israel vowed a forceful response to rocket fire from Lebanon on Saturday as a fragile four-month truce with Hezbollah showed new signs of strain.
Pentagon says operation targeting Yemen’s Houthis is open-ended
The Pentagon said US forces had struck more than 30 Houthi targets since Saturday, including command-and-control and training sites and drone infrastructure.
February
Reality will bite Trump’s big dreams in Gaza
The US president’s vision of the US taking over Gaza and turning it into a peaceful, prosperous property development project is a fantasy.
January
Hezbollah is losing its iron-tight grip over Lebanon
After more than a year of war and turmoil, the organisation is on its shakiest ground in years, as power dynamics are being realigned across the Middle East.
Biden plans $13b arms sale to Israel
The new weapons are a last-minute show of support for the US president’s close ally after more than a year of war in Gaza.
December 2024
How Mossad tricked Hezbollah into buying exploding pagers
Dressed in ski masks and sunglasses the disguised former spies reveal the secrets of the 10-year operation to sell 16,000 booby-trapped pagers to Hezbollah.
Iran must wish it never heard of Yahya Sinwar
Iran’s “axis of resistance” is destroyed, and its horizons have narrowed to a choice between pragmatism and, quite literally, going nuclear.
What led to Syria’s 13-year civil war, and why has fighting surged again?
The sudden assault by Syrian rebels has redrawn the front lines of a war many thought was over. Here’s what to know.
Trump picks another in-law for top Middle East post
Massad Boulos has been named an adviser, a day after the president-elect appointed another son-in-law’s father to be US ambassador to Paris.
November 2024
Labor pushes 36 bills; RBA reforms loom; Don’t be a Black Friday fool
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Netanyahu eyes ‘total victory’ after ceasefire deal
After successfully crippling Hezbollah, Israel’s prime minister finally agreed a ceasefire in Lebanon and will now turn his full attention back to Gaza.
Lebanon sends troops to support ceasefire
Bumper-to-bumper traffic jammed roads leading out of Beirut, as people sought to make their way back to devastated towns and villages in southern Lebanon.
Inflation holds at 2.1pc; Biden confirms ceasefire; 15 ASX tech stars
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Israel ceasefire starts with Hezbollah as hopes rise
Israeli and Lebanese leaders have accepted a US-brokered ceasefire deal, President Joe Biden says, raising hopes of an end to the year-long hostilities.
Israel-Hezbollah peace deal draws closer
The Israeli cabinet will meet to decide on a US-proposed 60-day truce, which is expected to be approved.
US ambassador says Israel close to ceasefire with Hezbollah
After the sides rained rockets on each other over the weekend, the Israeli prime minister considers a proposal to quieten fire.
Israeli strikes in central Beirut kill at least 20
The attack completely demolished a multi-storey building in a densely populated neighbourhood while ceasefire talks continued.