Beyond the Headlines

Why are ceasefires not ceasing the fire?

The Middle East has been grappling with one conflict after another, leading to countless rounds of negotiations to end fighting.

But even when ceasefires are agreed to, the violence seems to continue, prompting many to question what a ceasefire even means.

The US signed two agreements in the span of about 10 days, the first being an understanding with Iran to end the war and the other a trilateral framework with Israel and Lebanon to stop the fighting involving Hezbollah.

In the weeks before these agreements, there had already been temporary ceasefires on both fronts. Still, parts of Lebanon remained under Israeli fire, and Iran attacked Arabian Gulf countries again over disputed shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile in Gaza, despite a ceasefire being in place since October, Israeli strikes have killed more than 1,000 people and the military has taken control of almost 70 per cent of the strip.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the discrepancy between the words on paper and the continued violence on the ground. She speaks to Daniel Levy, president of the US Middle East Project, and Jinan Bastaki, associate professor of legal studies at New York University Abu Dhabi.

What's driving Iraq’s anti-corruption crackdown?

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi has conducted a bold anti-corruption campaign since taking office in May.

One of his first moves was to arrest the deputy oil minister for alleged embezzlement, and to seize millions of dollars in cash as part of the investigation.

Iraq’s political institutions have been plagued by allegations of bribery and kickbacks, with oil sector contracts often the targets of corruption investigations. The country has reportedly lost billions of dollars to embezzlement since the American invasion of 2003.

The new government has responded to increasing US pressure to tackle corruption. The other demand is to disarm militant groups. Mr Al Zaidi has prioritised both, but will also have to balance his relationship with Iran, Iraq’s other key ally.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher discusses the significance of Mr Al Zaidi's actions and the challenges he faces. We hear from Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House, and Sinan Mahmoud, The National’s Iraq correspondent.

The wins and losses of the Iran war

The US and Iran have signed their framework agreement to end the war.

It comes after more than 100 days of fighting, economic and political warfare, and a death toll in the thousands. The two countries will now have only 60 days to negotiate a final peace agreement.

During that time, they will each have to consider what they have gained and what they have lost as a result of this conflict.

For the US, the glaring question is whether or not this was all worth it for a nuclear agreement that does not appear to have progressed since before the war.

For Iran, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Gulf states could affect its relations with its neighbours in the future.

Meanwhile, Israel – which is not a party to the framework agreement – will have to balance the costs of insisting on weapons over diplomacy, and how the conflict has tested its relationship with the US.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the wins and losses each side has endured and asks what comes next after the agreement takes effect. She speaks to Eric Brewer, deputy vice president of the Nuclear Materials Security Program, and Danny Citrinowitz, senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies think tank.

Are the US and Israel still fighting the same war?

More than 100 days since the US and Israel launched co-ordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, the war that was supposed to eliminate its threat and reshape the region is at a crossroads.

Iran's military is still firing. Its proxies are still active. Hezbollah continues to engage Israeli forces on the ground in southern Lebanon. The Houthis have re-entered the equation, threatening to blockade the Red Sea. And the Iranian regime, in a new form, is intact.

This week, US President Donald Trump made his position clear in an interview with the Financial Times. He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have no choice but to accept a deal with Iran. And then, in a striking public statement, said he calls the shots. Not Netanyahu.

So is this a genuine rift between the two allies, or just the latest rough patch in a relationship that has long been complicated?

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to two people who have spent decades at the centre of the US-Israel relationship: Tom Nides, US ambassador to Israel under former president Joe Biden, and Ehud Olmert, prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009.

The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup

When the US, Canada and Mexico were selected as joint hosts of the 2026 World Cup, they were supposed to be the “safe choice” for Fifa.

Football’s global governing body had been criticised for previous picks. There had been allegations of bribery and corruption. Now, the kick-off of the “safe” tournament is only days away but the Iran conflict is casting a shadow over the US as the main host nation.

President Donald Trump and his administration have made conflicting statements about the Iranian football team’s participation, at times saying they are welcome and at other times warning it would not be safe for them to attend.

Uncertainty caused by flight disruption and increased costs may also be deterring fans from attending. Travel bans, restrictive visa regulations and anti-immigration crackdowns in the US are also serving as deterrents.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at how one of the most globally unifying events is kicking off in a climate of geopolitical tension. We hear from Gregory Papanikos, president of the Athens Institute for Education and Research, and Simon Chadwick, professor of Afro-Eurasian sport at Emlyon Business School.

Replay: Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza?

In its first report to the UN Security Council, the Board of Peace this month said Hamas’s refusal to disarm was the main obstacle to the reconstruction of Gaza.

The board's leader, Nickolay Mladenov, also called on Israel to honour its commitments to the ceasefire, after its attacks killed at least 850 Palestinians following the truce announcement in October.

He accused both parties of inaction and warned that the deteriorating status quo of a divided Gaza risks becoming permanent.

Israel refuses to withdraw until Hamas disarms. But is this a feasible sticking point and what would it mean for Gaza’s security and governance?

In an episode of Beyond the Headlines from October 2025, host Nada AlTaher examines the security vacuum in Gaza, where Hamas is weakened and militias try to gain power. She speaks to The National’s Gaza correspondent Nagham Mohanna and Palestinian defence and security journalist Hamze Attar.

More weapons, less action: What are the Houthis up to?

It took the Houthis at least a month to enter the Iran conflict in late March and early April and the Yemeni rebels have been largely restrained since a Pakistan-brokered truce began last month.

But they haven’t exactly been idle either. A new report from Conflict Armament Research (CAR) found the Houthis have been expanding their arsenal, mainly through illicit shipments of what are thought to be more advanced weapons from Iran-linked arms supply networks.

At the same time, the group has threatened to launch more attacks if the US and Israel resume their military campaign in Iran, causing fears such escalation could also choke off international shipping in the Bab Al Mandeb Strait.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the risks that come with the Houthis’ expanding weaponry and the role the group could play next in, and beyond, the Iran conflict.

She speaks to Rob Hunter-Perkins, one of the CAR report's authors, and Jovan Ilijev, from the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium.

Where does China stand in US-Iran conflict?

Trade ties and tariff relief were supposed to be the key issues on the agenda during US President Donald Trump's visit to China this week. But with the Iran war unresolved and the Strait of Hormuz still blocked, the conflict is to take precedence.

China is a major importer of Iranian oil and analysts say Mr Trump will try to push Beijing to decrease its purchases as a way of increasing pressure on Tehran.

China’s relationship with Iran is significant. But Beijing also has important economic partnerships in Gulf states, which Iran has routinely attacked since the conflict began. China has been treading carefully throughout the war, not aligning itself explicitly with any one side.

A week before Mr Trump’s visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Beijing, when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for an end to the hostilities. But the meeting also came after China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution in April to reopen the strait.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher asks where China stands in the power struggle between Tehran and Washington, and whether Beijing could play a role in defusing the conflict. She speaks to Chuchu Zhang, deputy director at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University in China.

Your move: What next in battle for Strait of Hormuz?

US President Donald Trump has said a deal with Iran could be possible as negotiations to end the war gain momentum, again.

Iran is reviewing a US proposal, which reportedly sets out limits for Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Crucially, it also addresses the possibility of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The battle in – and for – the strait has become one of the most contentious issues in the war. This week, a US operation called Project Freedom offered a naval escort for merchant vessels through Hormuz, but Iran responded aggressively.

Mr Trump then quickly paused the operation to give talks a chance. For now, the strait remains closed as a double blockade disrupts global oil markets and turn a body of water into a tool for leverage.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher breaks down the naval tactics at play between the US and Iran and asks if a deal could reopen the strait. She speaks to Steven Wills from the Centre for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States, and to HA Hellyer, senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. 

Making sense of Palestine’s local elections

Palestinians in Gaza have voted in an election for the first time in 20 years, some for the first time in their lives.

Municipal elections took place last week across the West Bank but in only a single neighbourhood in the strip that had been less impacted by Israel’s two-year war.

The inclusion of Gaza has been described as a mostly symbolic gesture by the Palestinian Authority to demonstrate there is political unity between the two territories.

But the enclave remains in dire shape, with masses living in tents and amid rubble. Global attention has shifted to the Iran war, stalling reconstruction efforts promised under the terms of the ceasefire. In the West Bank, Israeli settlement expansions and land-grab policies are intensifying despite condemnations from the international community.

The question is, how effective are local polls in the middle of these crises and could they serve as a litmus test for potential legislative elections, which have not been held since 2006?

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the political dynamics behind these elections and asks whether they could lead to any tangible change for the Palestinian people. She speaks to Abdaljawad Omar, writer and assistant professor at Birzeit University north of Ramallah, and Hamza Hendawi, The National’s correspondent in Cairo.