Articles by Marc J. Sievers

Despite Iran’s pursuit of Israel’s annihilation, the agreements have held, granting Israel a cushion of regional support as it fights for its borders

Given Iran’s role in the Houthi attacks against Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea, the time has come to look for opportunities to take more aggressive action against Iranian weapon smuggling, training bases, intelligence platforms, and Houthi leadership. Playing defense is no longer enough to curtail the growing Houthi threat.

President Biden recently made his first visit to the Middle East as president. It included two days in Israel, along with separate meetings with Palestinians in East Jerusalem and Bethlehem and two days in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabia leg was politically controversial in the US primarily because of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 as well as criticism of the Saudi role in the war in Yemen. The president’s visit to Israel was a welcome opportunity to show support for a beleaguered ally, but it broke little new ground.