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Con Coughlin

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Con Coughlin is a defence and foreign affairs columnist for The National

Qatar’s foreign policy actions contradict its ambitions to acquire F-35s

Qatar is bitterly opposed to the Trump administration’s peace initiative and has formed a rejectionist alliance with Turkey and Iran

October 20, 2020

During Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' leadership, the peace process has gone nowhere. Reuters

Saudi Arabia is sending an important signal on Arab-Israeli peace

There seems to be a growing frustration over the Palestinian leadership's unwillingness to find a lasting solution

October 16, 2020

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed stand on the Blue Room Balcony after signing the Abraham Accords. AP Photo

Trump's troubles at home should not overshadow his Middle East legacy

The US President's unconventional approach has reaped dividends in the region

October 9, 2020

A woman listens during a demonstration held by the Armenian Youth Federation outside the Consulate General of Azerbaijan on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in Los Angeles. Heavy fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh continued for a fourth straight day on Wednesday, with statements from both sides indicating that the flare-up of a decades-old conflict that has killed dozens of people since Sunday was no closer to an end. (Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP)

What do Turkey and Russia want in Nagorno-Karabakh?

Armed conflict has flared between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and much larger powers may be drawn into the fray

October 2, 2020

Users can close in on individual cities to see Hezbollah's activities. The Washington Institute

New IRA links confirm Hezbollah’s growing terror threat in Europe

The Lebanese militia is investing in its network across the continent in a variety of ways on behalf of Iran

September 24, 2020

A US soldier stands at the Taji base complex that hosts Iraqi and US troops and is located 30 kilometres north of Baghdad. AFP

US troop reduction from the Middle East will serve only Trump's interests

It is short-sighted to cut troops in Iraq, where ISIS is regrouping, and in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are still a threat

September 10, 2020

Iraq’s former national security adviser Mowaffak Al Rubaie at home with a bust of Saddam and the rope used to hang him. AFP

'Once Upon a Time in Iraq': BBC book explores Saddam Hussein’s role in Second Gulf War

The book, which complements a BBC documentary series, features in-depth interviews with those who brought the dictator to trial

September 2, 2020

Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, left, and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, August 25. Vahid Salemi / AP

Tehran’s decision to co-operate with IAEA is part of its diplomatic charm offensive

A number of serious questions still remain about Iran’s nuclear activities

August 30, 2020

Hezbollah militants stand to attention to mourn the death of terrorist Imad Mughniyeh in 2008. AP

Will Lebanon finally gather the strength to oust Hezbollah?

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon verdict, though disappointing to many, has given more evidence that the Iran-backed militants have to go

August 21, 2020

Hezbollah, whose leader Hassan Nasrallah has been depicted in a poster in the Lebanese village of Adaisseh, is increasingly entrenched in the country's politics. Reuters

Why Lebanon's political crisis should make Iran very nervous

The Beirut blasts and next week's verdict on the assassination of Rafik Hariri could have consequences for the regime's proxy Hezbollah

August 14, 2020

In this August 28, 1990 photo, helicopters land on the deck of the French aircraft carrier Clemenceau, casting off Djibouti, as French army was deployed in the Persian Gulf since Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on August 2. AFP

Kuwait invasion anniversary reminds us how important unity is

In a more polarised world, Arab nations ought to show solidarity in the face of future challenges

August 6, 2020

Preparations for Operation Moshtarak have been building for weeks now, with US and British troops readying for a major assault.

The controversial strategy haunting Afghan war allies

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is looking into accusations that British troops killed unarmed civilians

August 5, 2020

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps recently launched ballistic missiles as part of an exercise involving a mock-up aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz. AP Photo

The US wants to stop Iran's arms build-up by hook or by crook

Washington may even exploit a legal loophole to try and extend a UN embargo against Tehran

July 31, 2020

Huawei's newest flagship store building in Shanghai, China. Britain's telecom network will not be allowed to purchase new Huawei 5G kit in the future. EPA

Why its Huawei U-turn could prove costly for Britain

Having given in to Washington's pressure, London is now likely to miss out on much-needed Chinese investment

July 17, 2020

Avigdor Leiberman, Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu are key figures in today's polarised politics in Israel. Reuters

Explosions at Iran's nuclear sites have exposed fissures in Israeli politics

A public spat between members of Israel's security establishment also appears to confirm Tel Aviv's role in the attacks

July 9, 2020

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