Lisa Goldman

This essay for @newlinesmag on the rift between coastal Sunni and Alawi narratives is excellent. It simultaneously highlights the lack of a singular cross-sectarian perception of reality with examples of intercommunal solidarity, and astutely concludes that through "more honest, more nuanced narratives that remember how communities were set apart by political machinations, not by their unchanging natures...Syria can build a constructive national politics from the currently dismembered body politic". By the indomitable @qunfuz2. newlinesmag.com/reportage/in-s…

As Iran bombs Bahrain, the kingdom has arrested over 150 people, most from Shiite villages, for expressing sympathy with Tehran. The war is exposing fractures the government thought it had buried years ago. An on-the-ground reporting for @newlinesmag. newlinesmag.com/running-notes/…

From the @newlinesmag archives: As war escalates between Israel and Lebanon, @lsmwilson reports on how Israel’s ongoing bombardment has destroyed Lebanese heritage. newlinesmag.com/reportage/leba…

NEW: Together with @ChrisOsieck @weatherwar & @wammezz we investigated the environmental impacts on the March 7 strikes on four different oil storage depots in Tehran and Karaj for @newlinesmag Thank you to @kshaheen and @RashaElass for the edit and for making space for this reporting. newlinesmag.com/reportage/the-…

This is such a riveting, well-written and thoughtful essay about Epstein, the academics he cultivated, and their insidious impact on academia, by @lsmwilson

“Pakistan's government acknowledged the strikes, claiming they had targeted militants in the border areas who posed a threat to their country. But in Behsud, there was only rubble, and a man who could not understand why his family was dead.” | @fazelqazizai newlinesmag.com/spotlight/paki…

Yesterday Ali Larijani was killed. 1. @origoldberg argues that his killing shows Israel’s addiction to flashy, pointless assassinations: newlinesmag.com/running-notes/…  2.@KZiabari explains why Larijani was the one Iranian politician “nobody else wanted dead”: newlinesmag.com/running-notes/…

Google searches for “moving to Europe” have gone up 170% in the last few years, as Americans look for an escape hatch from the chaos at home. But Europe isn’t the socialist wonderland many make it out to be, writes @erinclarebrown in @newlinesmag. newlinesmag.com/running-notes/…

In assassinating Ali Larijani today, Israel showed its continuing addiction to pointless, flashy assassinations. Analysis by @origoldberg for @newlinesmag . newlinesmag.com/running-notes/…

What message was Benjamin Netanyahu trying to send by releasing a photo of historian Tim Bouverie’s book “Allies at War” in front of him the night the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury? Alex Hobson peers under the hood. newlinesmag.com/running-notes/…

NEW: What message was Benjamin Netanyahu trying to send by releasing a photo of historian Tim Bouverie’s book “Allies at War” in front of him the night the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury? Alex Hobson peers under the hood. newlinesmag.com/running-notes/…

Did you know @newlinesmag now serves ongoing, short-form posts that track events as they develop across the Middle East? Keep up to date with Running Notes: ➡️ newlinesmag.com/running-notes/…

A Libyan journalist met Saif al-Islam Gadhafi in the desert weeks before assassination. Just one of many extraordinary pieces @newlinesmag did this week, which include investigations & dispatches from the Iran-Iraq & Syria-Lebanon borders. Take a look: newlinesmag.com/new/

Meet the Kurdish Militias Trump and Netanyahu Wanted To Enlist A significant dispatch by @lperpignaiban reporting from the Zagros Mountains for @newlinesmag. newlinesmag.com/reportage/meet…

March 2 investigation newlinesmag.com/running-notes/…

Satellite imagery and open-source evidence show a March 5 airstrike destroyed an Iranian emergency medical base in a Shiraz park, while a military site 200 meters away was untouched. New investigation by @ntabrizy and @ChrisOsieck for @newlinesmag: newlinesmag.com/spotlight/airs…

The risk: a war of attrition Even against the combined and highly capable military power of Israel and the United States, there are three things that cannot be taken from Iran: its size, its geography, and its history. All three reflect the resilience of its population and the strategic depth of the country. These conditions alone require a certain degree of humility regarding how quickly meaningful strategic objectives can be achieved in Iran. The operational cooperation between Israel and the United States is unprecedented in scope, and the achievements against Iranian capabilities are significant. But the real measure of success will ultimately depend on the strategic objectives Washington and Jerusalem set for this campaign. If the goal,as some voices suggested yesterday, is to influence Iran’s political direction or its post-war policies, it is difficult to see how such an outcome could be achieved without a prolonged and potentially open-ended conflict under the current regime. Moreover, despite the impressive operational successes against Iran’s missile infrastructure, knowledge cannot be destroyed. Even severe damage to Iran’s missile program would not eliminate its long-term ability to rebuild it. The expertise and motivation remain. When strategic goals become too ambitious or unrealistic, even a successful military campaign can gradually slide into a war of attrition. To avoid that outcome, it is essential to define clear, realistic objectives—ones that can be measured and that provide a clear point at which the campaign can end. A diplomatic track will likely be necessary to consolidate and formalize those gains. Military strikes can significantly degrade Iran’s capabilities. But as long as the Iranian regime—and its population—continue to demonstrate resilience, the longer the campaign continues, the more likely it is that This dynamic could evolve into a prolonged war of attrition that will place growing pressure on Middle Eastern economies and societies. #IranIsraelWar

The Damascus Dossier was described as "one of the most consequential investigations of 2025." Syrians whose families were forcibly disappeared called it a media stunt. For @newlinesmag, @Melvyn Ingleby and Hazar Yazji unravel what went wrong. newlinesmag.com/reportage/how-…

🎉 We are thrilled to announce that @newlinesmag podcast The Lede has been nominated in the Best Interview category at the NYC Podcast Awards!

📽️America’s Gulf security system, designed to shield states from Iran, is now drawing Iranian missiles. In this video, @erinclarebrown breaks down @kshaheen’s recently filed Running Notes on how this shakes the Gulf’s image as a stable region. youtube.com/shorts/lwLowNk…