Iran

The Iranian rebellion the world wants to ignore

6 January 2018 9:00 am

If there is one lesson the world should have learned from Iran’s ‘Green Revolution’ of 2009 and the so-called Arab…

Saudi Arabia has united with Israel against Iran – and a desert storm is brewing

11 November 2017 9:00 am

Until last weekend, the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh’s exclusive Diplomatic Quarter was colloquially known as the Princes’ Hotel. It was a…

How Britain fell for Saudi Arabia’s reforming Crown Prince

11 November 2017 9:00 am

There are two ways of seeing the extraordinary rise of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince: the blood-stained debut of a new…

‘The Incredulity of Thomas’, by Caravaggio. (c.1603). It is only in St John’s Gospel that Thomas is portrayed as unbelieving

A Muslim’s insights into Christianity

28 October 2017 9:00 am

I’m not a critic, I’m an enthusiast. And when you are an enthusiast you need to try your best to…

The Kurds are on their own

21 October 2017 9:00 am

The routing of Isis in northern Iraq ought to be a time of international celebration, but as ever in the…

Low life

21 October 2017 9:00 am

On Saturday night, I toddled up to the village hall for the fish-and-chip supper, quiz night and raffle — bring…

Iran is our natural ally

2 September 2017 9:00 am

The Saudi town of Awamiya — like so many countless cities across Iraq, Syria and Yemen that are witnessing an…

High life

22 July 2017 9:00 am

I switch personalities at Spectator parties, depending who the guests are: for our readers’ tea party, I am a warm…

King of heavy metal Bruce Dickinson at Madison Square Gardens in 1983

Meet the fans who risk death for heavy metal

14 May 2016 9:00 am

We in the West may snigger at heavy metal, but in some parts of the world its practitioners face the death penalty. Karen Yossman reports

Why the World Service is worth every penny

5 March 2016 9:00 am

What makes the World Service so different from the rest of the BBC? I asked Mary Hockaday, the controller of…

Portrait of the week

9 January 2016 9:00 am

Home David Cameron, the Prime Minister, decided to allow ministers to campaign for either side in the referendum on membership…

Why we have to stand by foul, brutal Saudi Arabia

9 January 2016 9:00 am

The Saudis have got the new year off to a busy start, haven’t they? The authorities executed 47 people, including…

Islamic State is making its threats a reality

14 November 2015 9:00 am

Isis could be on the brink of creating a terrifying new world order

Iran’s hidden war with the West – and what we can do to fight back

24 October 2015 9:00 am

It’s up to Britain to ensure that the nuclear dealdoes not allow a greater threat to the Middle East

Letters: The Assad option, and a pre-nup for Taki

25 July 2015 9:00 am

Don’t write off Assad Sir: Ahmed Rashid refers to our ‘Arab allies’ supporting al-Qaeda (‘The plan to back al-Qaeda against…

Iran can’t be trusted

18 July 2015 9:00 am

Iran is, beyond doubt, a sponsor of terrorism and this week it has been made much stronger. It has (again)…

Portrait of the week

18 July 2015 9:00 am

Home The government postponed a Commons vote on relaxing the Hunting Act in England and Wales after the Scottish National…

Some good came out of the negotiating chamber this week, but it concerned Iran rather than Greece

18 July 2015 9:00 am

As an occasional lecturer on the abstruse topic of the efficacy of sanctions in conflict resolution, I find myself much…

Why Saudi Arabia is kicking back against the USA

6 June 2015 9:00 am

Why America’s once-cautious ally suddenly looks so skittish

Smash Isis now – or we’ll all pay later

30 May 2015 9:00 am

Assassinate its leadership, destroy its sense of destiny

Forget Geneva: the real US-Iran carve-up is happening in Iraq

21 March 2015 9:00 am

While Obama talks centrifuges in Geneva, Iranian-backed militia are redrawing the map of Iraq

Portrait of the week

7 March 2015 9:00 am

Home The man seen in several Islamic State videos of hostages being beheaded, nicknamed Jihadi John by the British press,…

Roman mosaic from Pompeii depicting Darius III at the Battle of Issus (333 BC), in which he was defeated by Alexander the Great

Darius III: Alexander’s stooge

14 February 2015 9:00 am

The ‘Great Kings’ of Persia were renowned for their good looks and imposing stature, but they will always, throughout history, be eclipsed by the Greeks, says Tom Holland

Please, Cameron – no moral grandstanding over Iraq

21 June 2014 8:00 am

If there’s a bright spot in the murky mess of Iraq, it’s that finally we have a war that it…

Is Hamas finally losing its grip on Gaza?

22 March 2014 9:00 am

The party is out of favour with its foreign neighbours and with ordinary Gazans