Iran’s conflict with Iraq in the 1980s provides valuable lessons for today, writes Richard Cockett, a senior editor Mar 27th 2026|5 min read Welcome to the monthly bonus edition of The War Room. The future of Africa will be shaped by investment rather than aid Foreign and African firms are …

The display of American and Israeli firepower in Iran has been more fast-paced and overwhelming than America showed off in either of the first two Persian Gulf wars. The two allies are thought to have conducted more offensive sorties on February 28th than America managed on the first day of …

Few secrets are more closely guarded than the state of a country’s missile defences. Knowing how well attacks are working—by observing the effort required to stop them—is valuable intelligence. So it was striking when, on March 10th, Ukraine’s defence ministry said that in the first three days of the war …

GUNBOAT IMPERIALISM so thrills President Donald Trump, he ought to start wearing mutton-chop whiskers, a frock-coat and a sword. Especially in his second term, Mr Trump has repeatedly startled the world by applying 19th-century methods to modern security problems, like a latter-day William McKinley. Sadly for Mr Trump, the world …

In the mid-1990s the UN built an airstrip in Ngara, in the far west of Tanzania, to supply refugee camps near the border with Burundi. Three decades later it has a different use. Over the past year the airstrip has welcomed about a dozen planes filled with potential investors, not …

International | The Telegram India has much to lose from a world in chaos Not long ago, India was cocky about handling an unpredictable America. No longer Share Illustration: Chloe Cushman Mar 10th 2026 | 5 min read B Y RIGHTS, THIS should be a told-you-so moment for the high …

International | The Telegram Binyamin Netanyahu is the big winner from the Iran war, for now To avoid a row with Donald Trump, Western allies are endorsing Israeli theories of war Share Illustration: Chloe Cushman Mar 3rd 2026 | 5 min read A GREAT gamble is under way in Iran. …

International | Drone v drone Can Ukraine help defeat Iran’s drone swarms? Thousands of Shaheds are raining down on the Gulf Share Photograph: Getty Images Mar 6th 2026 | 7 min read I n 2014 iran displayed a new drone, the Touphan, or Typhoon, a small, lightweight aircraft with delta …

International | Champion of the umma Who speaks for the Muslim world? There are many contenders, but Turkey’s president leads the pack Share Photograph: Getty Images Feb 26th 2026 | ANKARA and ISLAMABAD | 8 min read W HETHER speaking to a small group or a mass rally, Recep Tayyip …

International | Newsletter The War Room newsletter: Do ceasefires actually work? Richard Cockett, a senior editor, considers whether one is possible in Ukraine Share Photograph: Getty Images Feb 27th 2026 | 5 min read Share Reuse this content More from International Who speaks for the Muslim world? There are many …