Observer Middle East correspondent based in Turkey. Bylines @theobserveruk.bsky.social & seen in @theguardian.com, sometimes others. ruth.michaelson@observer.co.uk ruth.michaelson@guardian.co.uk ruth@ruthmichaelson.com www.ruthmichaelson.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3ml44jjkuss2oChillingly, the law this protest law is based on was passed in 2011 by Bashar Al Assad. [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 May 2026 11:48 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml44jjkuss2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3ml2kdck57c2oDeserved congratulations to @jmalsin.bsky.social + a team of many talented people (special shoutout to Asmaa Al Omar who is not yet on BlueSky) for being Pulitzer finalists for this important reporting on the aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/assad-syria-informants-family-neighbors-c7658c8b?st=UeKBM7&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink04 May 2026 20:49 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2kdck57c2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mkwtj63wus2t““China has made information a theatre of war, and I have a responsibility to fight in the theatre that China has delineated,” he says.” Fascinating profile. [contains quote post or other embedded content]03 May 2026 09:23 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkwtj63wus2thttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mkrlvz3soc2j"In a cafe in Istanbul, Samad slid his phone across the table, a death threat visible on its screen." My piece on the Iranian exiles fearing an empowered and embittered regime now pledging to hunt them down – including using proxies potentially like the group claiming attacks in London. [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 May 2026 07:24 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkrlvz3soc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mkle4hglk22bWhat is there to assess, he has proclaimed victory several times and all he’s doing is motivating Tehran to prove to him how hollow these words are. [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Apr 2026 19:48 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkle4hglk22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mkdkmahylc2hToday in the latest edition of: Donald Trump does not understand how diplomacy works- and refuses to learn.25 Apr 2026 17:23 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkdkmahylc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mk66l2stuc2j“This is why Trump is stuck, he’s constantly thinking about one more tool of escalation that would eventually, magically, conjure the kind of victory he has in mind," said @alivaez.bsky.social. My piece on why Trump's threats to Iran aren't forcing talks in the @theobserveruk.bsky.social https://observer.co.uk/news/international/article/trumps-social-media-sabre-rattling-wont-get-iranians-to-the-negotiating-table23 Apr 2026 14:04 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk66l2stuc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mk66ebofbk2jRelieved to see that Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been acquitted in Kuwait– he should never have been detained in the first place. [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Apr 2026 14:01 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk66ebofbk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mk5fhu4nbc2pThe state of the modern dot com bubble explained in one thread. [contains quote post or other embedded content]23 Apr 2026 06:35 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk5fhu4nbc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mjxg3zlcos26Why is “pay journalists well to do good reporting,” never the vision. [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Apr 2026 21:31 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjxg3zlcos26https://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mjwzme3q4k2l"My brother is a seaman on a ship called the Liana off the coast of Iran,” it read. “He is one of three Indian sailors on board, they need to sign off and get home. Please help them.”" The story of three out of thousands of sailors stuck for weeks in the Persian Gulf for @theobserveruk.bsky.social https://observer.co.uk/news/international/article/stranded-sailors-fear-for-their-lives-in-the-strait-of-hormuz20 Apr 2026 17:47 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwzme3q4k2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mjtopnu52s27As several analysts predicted, elements of the IRGC hostile to the idea of a ceasefire with the US are in the driving seat. Trump’s claims of “regime change” in Iran looking more outlandish by the day. [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Apr 2026 09:54 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjtopnu52s27https://bsky.app/profile/ruthmichaelson.com/post/3mjp2qbcssc2xStopped dead in my tracks by "I was reminded of Brooke Shields telling me how her surgeon performed an unsolicited vaginal rejuvenation on her when she was anaesthetised." On point, as always, by @evawiseman.bsky.social https://observer.co.uk/news/columnists/article/the-shocking-allure-of-facelifts?UID=&dm_i=7EQK%2CC7E2%2C34QAQC%2C1NAG6%2C1%2C0%2C0%2C017 Apr 2026 13:46 +0000at://did:plc:o6g2mo5thkeln5e5rcnhnrhd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjp2qbcssc2x