The pontiff’s Middle Eastern diplomacy may seem superficial, but it could make a huge practical impact.

The Biden administration wants to downgrade the region. Here are the countries he can ignore—and the ones he can’t.

The new president wants his strategy to seem reassuring. It’s anything but.

The U.S. military secured Joe Biden’s inauguration. But the new administration also needs to treat the armed forces as a potential threat.

China and Russia are spreading their vaccines—and forging new ties—to some of Washington’s closest allies.

Ten years after the start of the Arab Spring, it’s time to accept that the revolution may never return.

Every four years, Washington’s ideas industry indulges in its favorite ritual: trying—and mostly failing—to influence the next U.S. president.