Policy Analysis

Middle Eastern states have shifted alliances over the Kurdish question in the wake of the Arab Spring and the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq.

While Tehran may be preparing the ground for an interim agreement on terms the West would accept, any deal-in-principle would have to be finalized, put into practice, and followed by fuller agreements.

Syrian activists have stepped up their social media efforts and cyber attacks against the Assad regime, and Washington should take more steps to support them.

Damascus may be exaggerating the strength of the Syrian jihadi group Jabhat al-Nusra.

The ongoing Hamas elections will strengthen the military wing, weaken Khaled Mashal, make reconciliation with the PA more difficult, preserve close collaboration with Iran, and, perhaps, forge closer ties with Egypt.

The Ilisu Dam project could enter the annals of counterterrorism as history's first "hydro-victory."

Khamenei's dilemma: To compromise he must save face; but, to save face, he must not compromise.

The upcoming GCC meeting in Riyadh reflects concern about events in Syria, fear of Iran, and anxieties about Washington's policies.

The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared in Middle East Insights (vol. 3, no. 3). To read the full article, download the PDF. The so-called "Arab Spring" has forever changed the face of the Middle East, and it's not finished. While the revolts that toppled longtime autocrats

World attention on Iran centers on the threats to international security posed by the country’s nuclear program. As Iran presses on in its efforts to become a nuclear power, the regime in Tehran also employs an aggressive foreign policy that relies heavily on the deployment of clandestine assets abroad to collect intelligence and support foreign operations, all of which are aimed at furthering Iranian foreign policy interests. From a U.S. perspective, Iran’s massive diplomatic presence in the Western Hemisphere presents a particularly acute problem. In response to Iran’s abuse of the diplomatic system, the international community should collectively press our friends and allies in Latin America to severely restrict the size of Iran’s diplomatic missions to the minimum needed to conduct official business.

Israel's new national unity government strengthens both Binyamin Netanyahu and Shaul Mofaz, but it will ultimately be judged by whether it makes progress on its foreign and domestic policy agenda.

On May 9, Mahmoud Salem addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Mr. Salem, a renowned Egyptian blogger better known as "Sandmonkey," is a longtime analyst of Egyptian political affairs and advocate for free speech and democracy. He ran as a parliamentary candidate last year on the ticket of the Free Egyptians Party. The following is a rapporteur's summary of his remarks.

The question is not whether sanctions have worked but whether the strategy they serve is correct.

The new talks have put Khamenei in a perilous position: compromising is as dangerous for him as digging in his heels.

Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough believes that the relationship between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is “workmanlike” and enables the two leaders to immediately address the important issues on their agendas. Speaking to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Weinberg Founders Conference, McDonough stated that

Ambassador Robert Blackwill, Ambassador Dennis Ross and Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin (IDF, ret.) said that Israel remains an important strategic asset for the United States. “The U.S. and Israel share key vital interests in a fast-changing region with multiple dangers and threats to both,” Ross said during a plenary session

Experts tied to the administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush agreed that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons should be American foreign policy and that an Israeli military strike against the country’s nuclear facilities is inadvisable this year. Speaking to The Washington Institute’s Weinberg Founders Conference, Colin

Does the United States have a moral obligation to intervene militarily in Syria and, if so, when? That was question when three experts—Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Fouad Ajami, T, Washington bureau chief Peter David, and former U.S. envoy to Syria Ambassador Theodore Kattouf—addressed the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s

Counterterrorism experts Juan Zarate and Peter L. Bergen agreed that the nature of the war on terror has fundamentally shifted from the manner in which the U.S. strategically and tactically approached efforts against al-Qaeda after 9/11. “No politician is going to say it’s over, but people in our position maintain

Watch live streaming video from washingtoninstitute at livestream.com Egyptian business leader Naguib Sawiris believes that the United States has no choice but to provide economic support to an Egyptian government dominated by Islamic parties, due to the country’s pivotal role in the Middle East. “The collapse of Egypt would be