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An Israeli soldier wearing a patch on the back of his flack jacket showing Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a target, stands in front of a self-propelled artillery howitzer in Upper Galilee in northern Israel on January 4, 2024.
An Israeli soldier wearing a patch on the back of his flack jacket showing Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a target, stands in front of a self-propelled artillery howitzer in Upper Galilee in northern Israel on January 4, 2024.

Israel and Lebanon Won’t End Up at War

The fighting is intensifying—but neither side wants an all-out escalation.

Analysis
Ali Hashem
South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma addresses his supporters outside the Johannesburg High Court in Johannesburg on June 3.
South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma addresses his supporters outside the Johannesburg High Court in Johannesburg on June 3.

South Africa Should Take Zuma’s Threats Seriously

The ex-president’s party is openly hostile to democracy, but excluding it after a strong election showing could lead to violence.

Argument
Richard Pithouse
The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, holds a press conference after the start of 100 days of remembrance, as Rwanda commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Tutsi genocide, on April 8, in Kigali, Rwanda.
The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, holds a press conference after the start of 100 days of remembrance, as Rwanda commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Tutsi genocide, on April 8, in Kigali, Rwanda.

Rwanda’s Rigged Election

Paul Kagame has banned all but two opposition candidates, ensuring himself another landslide win.

Africa Brief
Nosmot Gbadamosi
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves during a tour of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, the largest Hindu temple in the Middle East, at its inauguration ceremony on February 14, 2024 in Abu Dhabi.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves during a tour of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, the largest Hindu temple in the Middle East, at its inauguration ceremony on February 14, 2024 in Abu Dhabi.

Modi Tried, and Failed, to Homogenize Hindus

It’s not easy to play identity politics with a religion ineradicably divided by caste.

Analysis
Anchal Vohra

Can China Turn Its Property Glut Into Affordable Housing?
China Brief
James Palmer

Putin Cuts Ukraine’s Power
Analysis
Keith Johnson

Modi’s Taiwan Ties Have Rattled China
Analysis
Rishi Iyengar

Why South Africa’s Nonalignment Is Here to Stay
Analysis
Nontobeko Hlela

Asia & the Pacific

Journalists watch election results in a media room set up outside an election vote-counting center in Mumbai.
Journalists watch election results in a media room set up outside an election vote-counting center in Mumbai.

India Deserves a Better Media
Argument
Mukul Kesavan

How Myanmar’s Wood Funds Its Brutal Military

Why Modi Underperformed

China’s South Sea Aggression Is Backfiring

China

U.S. President Joe Biden participates in a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House.
U.S. President Joe Biden participates in a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House.

A New Cold War Needs Its Own Rules
Argument
Azeem Ibrahim

China Postures at Shangri-La

What if Israel Had Been in China?

Biden’s New Tariffs Should Raise Alarm Bells in Beijing

Middle East & Africa

A man holds a sign reading: "Down with France down with ECOWAS," using the bloc's French acronym CEDEAO, as supporters of Niger's National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland gather in Niamey on Aug. 26, 2023.
A man holds a sign reading: "Down with France down with ECOWAS," using the bloc's French acronym CEDEAO, as supporters of Niger's National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland gather in Niamey on Aug. 26, 2023.

How ECOWAS Lost Its Way
Analysis
Jessica Moody

Sudanese Militias Are Committing Genocide in Darfur—Again

South Africa’s Era of ANC Dominance Is Over

The U.S. Needs a New Purpose in the Middle East

Europe

The BBC headquarters in London.
The BBC headquarters in London.

Britain’s Revival Must Start With the BBC
Argument
John Kampfner

The Party That Could Shake Up German Politics

Europe Needs Forts Again

Are Putin’s Nuclear Threats Working?

Americas

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (R) appears on a giant screen speaking remotely during a keynote with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic during the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) AI for Good Global Summit, in Geneva, on May 30.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (R) appears on a giant screen speaking remotely during a keynote with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic during the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) AI for Good Global Summit, in Geneva, on May 30.

How Washington Missed the Boat on AI Regulation
Analysis
Bhaskar Chakravorti

The End of American Exceptionalism in the High North

Claudia Sheinbaum Wins Landslide Victory

Americans Don’t Want a Wartime President

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A French electoral card is laid atop a European Union flag, centered between the circle of yellow stars against the dark blue background. The card is labeled with French text and also shows the colors of the French flag and the national motto: "Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death."
A French electoral card is laid atop a European Union flag, centered between the circle of yellow stars against the dark blue background. The card is labeled with French text and also shows the colors of the French flag and the national motto: "Liberty, equality, fraternity, or death."

Why This EU Election Could Be a Referendum on Europe’s Future
Insider
Cameron Abadi, Adam Tooze
Counter protesters (L) argue with supporters of US President Donald Trump during dual rallies with the "America First" group in Laguna Beach, California, on August 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MARK RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Counter protesters (L) argue with supporters of US President Donald Trump during dual rallies with the "America First" group in Laguna Beach, California, on August 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MARK RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

The End of Left Versus Right
Insider
Ravi Agrawal
An employee of Mexcio's National Electoral Institute oversees early voting for Mexico's general election.
An employee of Mexcio's National Electoral Institute oversees early voting for Mexico's general election.

Why Mexico’s Election Matters
Insider
Ravi Agrawal

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TOPSHOT - Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees who have fled from the war in Sudan carry their belongings while arriving at a Transit Centre for refugees in Renk, on February 14, 2024.More than 550,000 people have now fled from the war in Sudan to South Sudan since the conflict exploded in April 2023, according to the United Nations. South Sudan, that has itself recently come out of decades of war, was facing a dire humanitarian situation before the war in Sudan erupted and it is feared to not have the resources to host displaced people. The war-torn country of Sudan is currently ravaged by internal fighting between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). (Photo by LUIS TATO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees who have fled from the war in Sudan carry their belongings while arriving at a Transit Centre for refugees in Renk, on February 14, 2024.More than 550,000 people have now fled from the war in Sudan to South Sudan since the conflict exploded in April 2023, according to the United Nations. South Sudan, that has itself recently come out of decades of war, was facing a dire humanitarian situation before the war in Sudan erupted and it is feared to not have the resources to host displaced people. The war-torn country of Sudan is currently ravaged by internal fighting between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). (Photo by LUIS TATO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images)

How to Solve the Refugee Crisis

People flee their homes for a variety of reasons—persecution, poverty, conflict, climate change—and the situation has shown no signs of slowing down. What policies... READ MORE

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Analyzing India’s Election Results
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What to Expect From Mexico’s Elections
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Fareed Zakaria on an Age of Revolutions
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Iran After Raisi

In the Magazine

Current Issue: Spring 2024 Archives
Spring-2024-print-foreign-policy-magazine-cover
Spring-2024-print-foreign-policy-magazine-cover
A photo illustration shows a crowd of people filling the face of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A photo illustration shows a crowd of people filling the face of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The New Idea of India

Narendra Modi’s reign is producing a less liberal but more assured nation.

Essay
Ravi Agrawal
An illustration shows a tiger chasing a dragon up an economic indicator line against a graph paper background. The dragon is turning to snarl at the tiger.
An illustration shows a tiger chasing a dragon up an economic indicator line against a graph paper background. The dragon is turning to snarl at the tiger.

Is India Really the Next China?

The case for its economic ascent is strong, but government policies still stand in the way.

Analysis
Josh Felman, Arvind Subramanian

Modi’s Messenger to the World
Profile
Rishi Iyengar

Meet India’s Generation Z
Essay
Snigdha Poonam

Becoming Indian
Essay
Amitava Kumar

4 Books to Understand Modern India
Review
Mukul Kesavan

Weekend Reads

A line of tanks moves down a street with snow-covered mountains in the distance in a black and white photo.
A line of tanks moves down a street with snow-covered mountains in the distance in a black and white photo.

The Forgotten World War III Scare of 1980

Moscow and Washington trapped themselves in a cycle of fear over Iran.

Analysis
James M. Acton, Nicole Grajewski
A worker pushes a cart among shelves lined with goods at an Amazon warehouse in Brieselang, Germany.
A worker pushes a cart among shelves lined with goods at an Amazon warehouse in Brieselang, Germany.

Are We Really Toiling in Amazon’s Fields?
Review
Dave Karpf
An illustration shows Syrian-born cook Chef Omar holding a shawarma in front of a kitchen counter. Behind him are figures lining up for food at left and refugees on the move at right The building-covered skyline of Istanbul (left) and the rubble-filled skyline of Aleppo (right) are seen farther in the background.
An illustration shows Syrian-born cook Chef Omar holding a shawarma in front of a kitchen counter. Behind him are figures lining up for food at left and refugees on the move at right The building-covered skyline of Istanbul (left) and the rubble-filled skyline of Aleppo (right) are seen farther in the background.

The Influencer Chef Dividing Syria’s Diaspora
Dispatch
Joshua Levkowitz
An oil painting of Whitehaven, England.
An oil painting of Whitehaven, England.

The British Countryside’s Forgotten History of Slavery
Excerpt
Corinne Fowler

In Case You Missed It

An illustration shows symbols from the U.S. dollar acting as balloons as they lift George Washington from the dollar bill as he sits atop a globe throne.
An illustration shows symbols from the U.S. dollar acting as balloons as they lift George Washington from the dollar bill as he sits atop a globe throne.

Don’t Bet Against the Dollar

U.S. competitors are pushing the limits of autonomy within a dollar-based system, but there isn’t a real global alternative—and the world is far from an inflection point.

Essay
Jared Cohen
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.

A New Multilateralism
Essay
Gordon Brown
An illustration shows piles of shipping containers and symbols of industry as protectionist islands in a sea.
An illustration shows piles of shipping containers and symbols of industry as protectionist islands in a sea.

America’s Zero-Sum Economics Doesn’t Add Up
Essay
Adam Posen
A globe with blocks and chunks missing from it sits atop the shoulders of a person looking into a dystopian horizon.
A globe with blocks and chunks missing from it sits atop the shoulders of a person looking into a dystopian horizon.

The Global Credibility Gap
Essay
Jared Cohen, Ian Bremmer
China-military-readiness-war-us-taiwan-Doug-Chayka-illustration
China-military-readiness-war-us-taiwan-Doug-Chayka-illustration

How Primed for War Is China?
Essay
Michael Beckley, Hal Brands
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.
A photo illustration shows Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden posing on pedestals atop the bipolar world order, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Russian President Vladamir Putin standing below on a gridded floor.

No, the World Is Not Multipolar
Essay
Jo Inge Bekkevold
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.

6 Swing States Will Decide the Future of Geopolitics
Analysis
Cliff Kupchan
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Subscribers’ Picks

Theodor Meron, an elderly man wearing a hat and glasses, is framed between two columns with names etched into them as he stands at a memorial for children killed in Sarajevo.
Theodor Meron, an elderly man wearing a hat and glasses, is framed between two columns with names etched into them as he stands at a memorial for children killed in Sarajevo.

The Man Who Tried to Save Israel From Itself

This time, Israel must heed Theodor Meron’s warning.

Essay
Gershom Gorenberg
Fighters of the Sudan Liberation Movement, a rebel group active in Darfur, attend a graduation ceremony in Sudan's southeastern Gedaref state.
Fighters of the Sudan Liberation Movement, a rebel group active in Darfur, attend a graduation ceremony in Sudan's southeastern Gedaref state.

‘Somalia on Steroids’: Sudan Conflict Escalates

The U.S. special envoy for Sudan warns that the geopolitical fallout from the spiraling civil war could be immense.

Report
Robbie Gramer
U.S. soldiers look on as a digger attempts to extricate a U.S. Army vessel that ran aground at a beach in Israel's coastal city of Ashdod on May 25, 2024.
U.S. soldiers look on as a digger attempts to extricate a U.S. Army vessel that ran aground at a beach in Israel's coastal city of Ashdod on May 25, 2024.

Biden’s Foreign-Policy Problem Is Incompetence

The U.S. military’s collapsed pier in Gaza is symbolic of a much bigger issue.

Argument
Stephen M. Walt
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Tunisian President Kais Saied (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Tunisian President Kais Saied (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Why Is Xi Not Fixing China’s Economy?

Explanations from insiders range from ignorance to ideology.

Analysis
Scott Kennedy

Books

A U.S. Marine uses a U.S. flag to cover the face of a statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in Baghdad.
A U.S. Marine uses a U.S. flag to cover the face of a statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in Baghdad.

Why Did America Stumble Into a Trap in Iraq?

A new history offers a sharp but limited critique.

Review
David Polansky
"Slow Down" and "Not the End of the World" book covers.
"Slow Down" and "Not the End of the World" book covers.

No, It’s Not Too Late to Save the Planet
Review
Paul Hockenos
The book cover for What Everyone Knows About Britain* (*Except the British) by Michael Peel.
The book cover for What Everyone Knows About Britain* (*Except the British) by Michael Peel.

Is Britain All That Special?
Review
Marie Le Conte
The book cover for Immediacy: Or the Style of too Late Capitalism by Anna Kornbluh
The book cover for Immediacy: Or the Style of too Late Capitalism by Anna Kornbluh

Immediacy Ruined Our Politics
Review
Gregory Jones-Katz
The book cover for China's Age of Abundance by Wang Feng.
The book cover for China's Age of Abundance by Wang Feng.

What Produced the China Miracle?
Review
Howard W. French
The book cover for To Run the World by Sergey Radchenko
The book cover for To Run the World by Sergey Radchenko

Putting the Cold War on the Couch
Review
Casey Michel
The book cover for the The Struggle for Taiwan by Sulmaan Wasif Khan.
The book cover for the The Struggle for Taiwan by Sulmaan Wasif Khan.

China and the U.S. Are Numb to the Real Risk of War
Excerpt
Sulmaan Wasif Khan

Trending

  1. The Forgotten World War III Scare of 1980
    Analysis
    James M. Acton, Nicole Grajewski

  2. Israel and Lebanon Won’t End Up at War
    Analysis
    Ali Hashem

  3. Modi’s Taiwan Ties Have Rattled China
    Analysis
    Rishi Iyengar

  4. Hamas’s Tunnel Warfare Harks Back to the Viet Cong
    Analysis
    Joe Buccino

  5. Don’t Bet Against the Dollar
    Essay
    Jared Cohen

  6. South Africa Should Take Zuma’s Threats Seriously
    Argument
    Richard Pithouse

  7. Modi Tried, and Failed, to Homogenize Hindus
    Analysis
    Anchal Vohra

  8. How Myanmar’s Wood Funds Its Brutal Military
    Analysis
    Audrey Thill

  9. The British Countryside’s Forgotten History of Slavery
    Excerpt
    Corinne Fowler

  10. The Influencer Chef Dividing Syria’s Diaspora
    Dispatch
    Joshua Levkowitz

Visual Stories

A banner depicting the late President Ebrahim Raisi hangs above a gathering of women at the Shah Abdol-Azim shrine in Rey, a conservative southern suburb of Tehran, during the funeral of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
A banner depicting the late President Ebrahim Raisi hangs above a gathering of women at the Shah Abdol-Azim shrine in Rey, a conservative southern suburb of Tehran, during the funeral of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The Mood From Tehran

As Iran gears up for elections to replace Raisi, the country is divided.

Dispatch
Stefanie Glinski
Arms reach up to sacks of aid as they are unloaded by people atop them on a truck above.
Arms reach up to sacks of aid as they are unloaded by people atop them on a truck above.

The World’s Refugee Relief Is Utterly Broken

Millions of Sudanese are fleeing a warzone—and exposing the world’s bankrupt response.

Dispatch
Neha Wadekar

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