Policy Analysis

New polls show that Iraqis want institutional change, but they are losing faith in elections as a real means towards reform.

A Syrian scholar and expatriate lays out the legacy of terror under the Assads and urges the Biden administration to prioritize the country’s sundry crises.

با حمله رو به افزایش شبه‌نظامیان به کنشگران، مسئولان غربی باید از مهاجمان نام ببرند، آنان را پاسخگو کنند، و قبل از آن که جنبش‌های داخلی و مردمی برای همیشه از بین بروند، از آنها حمایت کنند.

The pandemic has not ended terrorism in Jordan, and ISIS is still a significant threat.

American withdrawal would doom efforts against the Islamic State, undermine confidence in Baghdad, exacerbate Iraq's economic crisis, and deliver the country completely to Tehran.

تهران با اجرای آهسته و پیوسته قانون ضد برجام مصوب مجلس و کنایه‌های علنی درباره «گربه‌ای که گوشه‌ای گیر افتاده» و «پنجره های فرصتی که در حال بسته شدن است»، سعی‌کرده احساس اضطرار به واشنگتن القا کند اما این رویکرد می‌تواند مثل شمشیر دولبه عمل کند.

By adjusting carrier rotations, ISR capabilities, headquarters locations, and other key aspects of its posture, the Biden administration can contribute to regional security and self-sufficiency while still shifting toward great-power competition.

Instead of giving Tehran free carrots, the administration should adopt a clear transactional stance, such as approving sanctions relief only if militias stop their missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia.

Allowing Tehran to whitewash its nuclear activities and sites would set a terrible precedent for other nations who might be tempted to pursue a covert weapons program.

شبه نظامیان مورد حمایت ایران گام بی‌سابقه‌ای در پرتاب موشک به یکی از شهرهای بزرگ عراق و پایگاه ایالات متحده در کردستان عراق برداشته‌اند و دولت بایدن باید به سرعت فرمول مناسبی برای جلوگیری از تکرار این حوادث پیدا کند.

One obvious remedy involves asking Riyadh to end its production cutback, but any such request could be complicated by the administration’s recent friction with the crown prince.

It is unclear whether those who seek to carry on his foreign policy legacy will embrace wan realism, amoral nationalism, or a more successful conservative internationalism, but either way a clear-eyed evaluation of U.S. challenges and options is crucial.

The shift away from a U.S.-led military posture will require that Washington repair its damaged credibility with allies abroad. A major task at home will be disentangling counterterrorism budgets from the military budgets on which they have long been grafted.

The video offers potentially significant insights into the detainee and his description of being recruited by Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.

After being struck by U.S. forces, Kataib Hezbollah dropped the pretense of the coordination committee and acted unilaterally.

ارتباط واتیکان با عراق با هدف کاهش خشونت دینی ستودنی است، اما مقامات غربی درمورد دستاورد همکاری با رهبران دینی شیعه در کوتاه‌مدت باید واقع‌گرا باشند.

Given our perpetual crises, we Iraqis rarely look back. But unless Iraqis collectively understand the past and decide how to avoid repeating its mistakes, we are bound to pay these crimes forward as we have in the past.

NATO stands ready to increase its commitment in a slow and steady manner consistent with Baghdad’s needs, but careful communication will be crucial, as will a more strategic discussion on how to combine different assistance efforts.

Three Lebanese experts explore Beirut’s precarious politics, Hezbollah’s continued ability to evade accountability, and the Biden administration’s options.

There are several steps the Biden administration can take to strengthen its allies in Syria and promote a peaceful solution.