Outside the Beltway

United States and People’s Republic of China forces are playing a dangerous game.

An unsavory practice that’s mostly legal.

CNN’s original anchorman is gone at 82.

Are you going to believe this index or your own lyin’ eyes?

The retired general and think tank president is in hot water.

The West continues to close Moscow off.

The Russian leader is isolated and under tremendous pressure.

The great conservative humorist is gone at 74.

The trailblazing soldier-statesman has died at 84.

A legendary journalist is gone.

The tabs must be cleared.

The answer seems simple but it isn’t.

The National Security Advisor to Presidents Ford and GHW Bush has died.

In response to the American assassination of a top General, Iran has announced the end of yet more restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal.

The assassination of a top Iranian official on a visit to Baghdad is having the expected negative impact on our relationship with Iraq and the fight against ISIS.

An American drone strike has taken out the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a move likely to significantly increase tensions across the Middle East.

If President Trump expected to get a political bump from the death of the leader of ISIS, he is most likely going to be disappointed.

It’s still early in the election cycle but there’s plenty for the President to worry about.

As the Saudis continue to evaluate the impact of the weekend attack on a major oil facility, the Trump Administration tones down the anti-Iran rhetoric just a bit.

While the world continues to evaluate the impact of Saturday’s attack on a Saudi oil facility, tensions in the Persian Gulf are increasing.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for a massive attack on an important Saudi oil facility.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actions toward two Democratic Congresswomen,seemingly at the bidding of President Trump, is the latest example of the growing partisan divide over policy toward Israel.

Mark Esper has been confirmed and sworn in as the next Secretary of Defense, ending a period of nearly 100 days during which the Pentagon was headed by a succession of Acting Secretaries.

Tensions are increasing in the Persian Gulf thanks to a collection of actions by Iran, the United States, and United Kingdom.

The House of Representatives passed a defense spending bill that seeks to limit Presidential authority when it comes to striking Iran and aideing the Saudi war on Yemen.

Iran announced that it was exceeding another limitation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, upping the already tense situation in the Persian Gulf

Just over a year after the United States repudiated the JCPOA, Iran has surpassed a limit on uranium enrichment set by the JCPOA

Realistically, President Trump has very few options when it comes to dealing with Iran and its nuclear program.

The Trump Administration unveiled new sanctions against Iran yesterday. They’re unlikely to accomplish the entirely unrealistic goals the President claims to have in mind.

Trump and Iran.

Just days after being named the next Acting Secretary of Defense, the President is appointing Mark Esper to be full Secretary of Defense.

The planes were apparently in the air, and the ships in position, for an American attack on Iran last night. Then the order to pull back came in.

As if the situation in the Persian Gulf weren’t already tense enough, the Iranians shot down an American reconnaissance drone late yesterday

Patrick Shanahan is out as nominee to be Secretary of Defense after questions were raised during his background investigation.

As we head toward a potential crisis in the Persian Gulf, the consequences of the President’s lies are coming home to roost.

Tensions are increasing in the Persian Gulf as the Iran war hawks seem to be winning the battle for the President’s support.

Bret Stephens (and others) are overreacting.

Expanding on events that have been going on for months, two oil tankers were attacked today near the entrance to the Persian Gulf

The current economic recovery turns ten years old this month, but it can’t last forever.

Jared Kushner’s long-awaited Middle East peace plan is still awaiting release, but it already appears to be dead on arrival.

His colum in WaPo isn’t very good.

A new poll indicates that at least some Democrats continue to hold Biden’s 2002 vote in favor of the Iraq War.

The Trump Administration’s policies toward Iran aren’t going to work, but that’s because they aren’t supposed to work.

For the second time in a week, reports indicate that the President intervened to get a family member a security clearance.

President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border while at the same time undercutting his own case for doing so.

William Barr, who served as Attorney General under President George H.W. Bush, has been selected to replace Jeff Sessions as Attorney General.

As the Saudis continue to dissemble and put forward an utterly implausible explanation for the death of Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump Administration shows no sign of having a spine.

The Saudis have been awful for generations. Why this?

President Trump got his revised version of NAFTA, but Canadians are less positive about the United States than they have been in at least twenty years.