published reportage
western peripheries
photography

OISÍN McILROY | I’m a journalist with experience covering politics, security, finance, and technology from London and Hong Kong.

I’m especially interested in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel.

On my WESTERN PERIPHERIES substack, I write about politics and conflict stories neglected by the front pages.

oisinmcilroy5[at]gmail[dot]com \ o-mcilroy.bsky.social | @oisin_mcilroy

Recent Work and Highlights

Israeli troops ski into Lebanon as Netanyahu expands invasion (The Independent)

Intensifying IDF activity in the country’s south, including the coordinated destruction of homes, have prompted fears of a long-term occupation

The ‘zombie’ ships appearing in the Strait of Hormuz after they were scrapped for parts (The Independent)

Reports suggest the vessels transitioned through Iranian waters and may have paid the IRGC $2m to pass

Khamenei believed son Mojtaba was not bright enough to take power, says US intelligence (The Independent)

White House officials have been told Iran’s new supreme leader was not his father’s chosen successor

Where to watch as UN forced to half 2026 aid expectations (Western Peripheries)

As Gaza and Ukraine continue to dominate newsroom running-orders, here’s where international aid cuts could be most harmful and least noticed.

Syria’s Decisive Year: Routing sectarian strife and political Islam (Western Peripheries)

With the conflict not yet settled, what happens in 2026 will determine whether 2025 is remembered as the Syrian Civil War’s intermission or its conclusion.

Pro-Palestine student activists in UK left disappointed by ‘mixed bag’ free speech guidelines for universities (The New Arab)

Intensifying IDF activity in the country’s south, including the coordinated destruction of homes, have prompted fears of a long-term occupation

London’s decaying Russian art market: Western sanctions paint a troubling picture for Oligarchs [video project]

Does London’s market for Russian art reveal anything about the effectiveness of Western sanctions on Putin’s oligarchs?

Exiled Hong Kong activists urge tougher stance against Chinese ‘aggression’ (NorthWestLondoner)

Hong Kong pro-democracy activists exiled in London call for toughened responses from Whitehall to Beijing’s recent steps in the former British colony.