The Latest Breaking News from Fawaz Gerges

Why the Red Sea remains one of the world's most dangerous shipping routes

Red Sea Shipping Route Explained: In a concerning development, Iran has alerted the world to possible disruptions in the Red Sea that threaten vital energy markets. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an essential trade artery, is now under scrutiny as Houthi rebels have stationed missiles and drones nearby. This precarious situation…

The Economic Times · Jul 20

As U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate, Iran Has Reportedly Told a Key Ally To Stand Ready To Close Another Waterway

Iran has reportedly told Yemen's Houthis to close the Bab el Mandeb strait in the Red Sea if clashes with the U.S. continue to escalate and Tehran makes the call.

International Business Times · Jul 16

Tensions Have Flared Up Around Hormuz Again. Now Iran is Signaling that A Key Red Sea Gateway Could Be Next

Mohammed al-Farah, a member of the political bureau of the Houthi movement, said Yemen's armed forces were prepared to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if Saudi Arabia continued military operations against Yemen.

International Business Times · Jul 15

‘Not our war’: Gulf states weigh up options as existential threat from Iran conflict grows

Arab states have so far only acted defensively, but there is growing fear war is entering new, more dangerous phase

The Guardian - UK · Mar 20

Oman says US-Iran talks end with ‘significant progress’ but no deal reached – as it happened

Omani foreign minister, who was mediating talks, touts progress after meeting wraps and says more talks to take place next week in Vienna

The Guardian - UK · Feb 26

We’re on the brink of a disastrous, illegal conflagration in the Middle East. Trump must be stopped

This is a war of choice, based on misinformation. If the US and UK join it, they risk a rerun of the Iraq debacle of 2003, says Fawaz Gerges of the LSE

The Guardian - UK · Jun 20, 2025

‘We can barely believe what’s happening’: how Syria’s frozen conflict flared into hot war that could topple Assad

With insurgents closing in on Damascus, questions remain over whether the Assad regime will dig in, and if Hayat Tahrir al-Sham are as moderate as they seem

The Guardian - UK · Dec 7, 2024

One year on from 7 October, our panel considers: what next for the Middle East?

There are so many players and so many imponderables. Truly it is a region on a knife edge

The Guardian - UK · Oct 5, 2024

Two strikes on militant leaders risk inflaming a Middle East on edge

The targeting of two senior militant leaders in two Middle Eastern capitals within hours of each other — with each strike blamed on Israel — risks rocking the region at a critical moment

The Independent UK · Jul 31, 2024

With mosque attack in quiet Oman, a fragmented Islamic State group aims to show it can still strike

This week's attack on a Shiite mosque in the capital stunned Oman, a quiet nation long spared militant violence

The Independent UK · Jul 18, 2024