Middle East newsletters are written by regional correspondents, academics and analysts covering politics, conflict, economics and culture across the region. Reading several, from different perspectives, is the only honest way to follow it.
Geopolitics and foreign policy are the neighbouring pages.
15 newsletters below, ranked by editorial quality and how recently they published.
Middle East Uncovered publishes essays, analysis and reported pieces by regional writers and experts on political and social developments across the Middle East. Recent issues cover Syria's political transition, Palestinian refugees returning to ruined camps, and a Bahraini perspective on Iranian attacks on the Gulf.
The Free Press is an opinion-driven news and commentary newsletter featuring columns on American politics, Middle East affairs, and culture from a range of writers. Readers get critical analysis of current events such as Texas Senate politics, New York's mayor, and settler violence in the West Bank.
Trita Parsi, executive VP of the Quincy Institute, writes about the US-Iran conflict, stalled negotiations, and the risk of wider regional escalation involving Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. The newsletter offers his analysis of Iranian strategy, cross-posted interviews and recordings of paid subscriber Q&A sessions.
Drop Site News is a reader-funded independent outlet that publishes daily news roundups and original reporting on politics and war, with a heavy focus on the Middle East. Readers get briefings on Iran, Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon and US politics, plus longer on-the-ground features.
A foreign policy newsletter by journalist Elise Labott offering commentary and analysis on global affairs, including the Ukraine war, the Middle East and women in political leadership. Issues mix opinionated takes on current events with interviews with authors and experts.
Interviews and commentary on US foreign policy, state surveillance, civil liberties, and Israel's war on Gaza, presented from a left, anti-establishment perspective. Issues pair guest conversations, often with investigative journalists, with promotion of host Chris Hedges' books and the reader-supported publication.
Tina Brown's personal diary-style Substack mixes sharp political commentary on Trump, media figures and current events with podcast notes and bold, gossipy asides. Readers get a witty, opinionated take on American politics and international news from a veteran media editor.
Independent journalist Jonathan Cook writes reader-supported opinion pieces that challenge mainstream framing, here focusing on Israel and Palestine, international law, and Western political influence. Readers get a polemical, argument-driven take that sets out a clear position on contested political questions.
Owen Jones's newsletter offers polemical commentary on UK politics and international affairs, with a strong left-wing and anti-government stance. Readers get his take on Palestine Action proscription, Labour leadership changes, and critiques of commentators he disagrees with, often paired with calls to subscribe.
Seymour Hersh publishes investigative and political commentary on US politics and foreign policy, drawing on anonymous insider sources. Recent issues cover Trump's midterm election strategy, secret US-Iran nuclear talks, and political spending and conflicts of interest around the administration.
Scott Ritter's Substack offers geopolitical commentary and analysis, often critical of Western policy toward Russia and Ukraine, alongside video episodes like Trump Watch and The Russia House. Readers get a strongly opinionated, former-weapons-inspector perspective on Middle East, European and US-Russia affairs.
A Substack essay newsletter examining Counter-Enlightenment philosophy, post-Christian culture, and antisemitism through a critical lens focused heavily on Israel, Hamas, and Western universities. Recent issues argue that campus protests after October 7 reflected a betrayal by elite institutions and criticize political figures and media on Middle East politics.
A Canadian musician and social justice commentator shares news of new albums (FIRE ICE and Squid in Chains' Abstract Realities) and posts commentary on political and media issues, including Israel and Gaza. Readers get music releases alongside opinionated takes on social justice topics.
TRIGGERnometry is a free-speech podcast and YouTube show hosted by Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster, featuring interviews on controversial political and social topics. Its issues in this sample are mostly guest announcements and sponsor reads, with little original writing shown.
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