Policy Analysis

American ships and bombers are arriving in the Gulf at a time when nerves are raw and various players are making risky escalation wagers.

If the battle lines stay where they are now, with the capital and largest port still out of government control, then the Iranian-backed Houthis will effectively have won the war.

The chances of extracting substantial concessions from the current regime are not great, but the odds fall to zero if Washington withholds security assurances or waits for the inevitably chaotic transition period.

Even amid growing exasperation over Riyadh’s behavior, realities on the ground and in the global economy show why the relationship is still crucial.

Watch a keynote conversation between White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Institute executive director Rob Satloff.

Rather than acknowledge history and face the future, the Russian government keeps celebrating a past in which the people were suppressed, secrecy was championed, and fear nurtured.

By highlighting the hypocrisy of recent ‘housecleaning’ campaigns, Washington can show the Iraqi public that Iran’s Shia militia networks offer no genuine solution to rampant corruption.

For Muslims, the month of Ramadan marks one of the most expensive periods of the year. Many families will spend up to twice their normal expenditures during the month of Ramadan. The end of the holiday requires further spending in order to purchase clothes and other holiday items for Eid

Advisers advised, Congress criticized, and ground partners pleaded with President Donald Trump when he decided to rapidly withdraw the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops stationed in Syria. This policy ticked off a box, fulfilling yet another campaign promise to “get out of Syria” and bring U.S. service members home, even if

Releasing the U.S. peace plan could accelerate recent Palestinian political dynamics, with Hamas consolidating its position via ceasefire and reconstruction aid while the PA continues isolating itself.

Given growing uncertainties in other North African states, Washington should avoid any sudden moves on the Sahara file even as it builds on the momentum of recent talks.

President Trump may be counting on the fact that U.S. voters oppose both higher gas prices and another war, but in the end he may have to pick one or the other.

Washington should phase out the oil waivers carefully and prevent Chabahar port from becoming an escape valve for Iran.

Neither blanket extension nor wholesale cancellation is the best course, but several of the expiring waivers would serve U.S. interests if properly—and publicly—revised.

Whether the young Saudi crown prince ultimately ascends to the throne will entail plenty of plot twists, but it also holds serious implications for the kingdom, the region, and U.S. interests.

The handful of new tools in question could expose Iraqi officials to sanctions and criminal liability given Baghdad's energy dependency on Iran.

Former U.S. President George Bush Sr. acted prudently when he convinced Israel’s leaders not to respond when Saddam Hussein’s missiles rained down on Tel Aviv in January of 1991 following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. At the time, Saddam was trying to draw the region into an Arab-Israeli confrontation. An

Rather than trying to punish the PA by supporting West Bank annexations or other draconian measures, Washington should simply press forward with other willing partners until Ramallah comes around.

Since 2014, Washington has relied on the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) to defeat ISIS in Syria. Yet Washington’s policy of working with the YPG in Syria, where U.S. support has helped the group soar, has concurrently undermined American policy regarding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey, the

Following Trump’s announcement that Washington would acknowledge Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the question of this area, occupied since 1967, has reemerged and captured the attention of the Syrian public. However, the Golan question is far from a new issue among Syrian circles. But while numerous Syrians—both pro-regime and