Policy Analysis

Several weeks ago, I related some general observations from my July trip to Saudi Arabia, in a post titled “ Seeing Saudi Changes Up Close: A Week’s Worth of Surprises.” In this post, I will focus more sharply on specific shifts in the attitudes of at least some influential Saudis

The much-maligned peace process has been a great success from America’s perspective, and if we hold fast to its founding principles, its best days are yet to come.

Both sides may have reached a dead end, with Washington seemingly running out of pressure points and the PA increasingly backing away from the eroding diplomatic process.

If the West could go back in time and prevent Hezbollah from becoming a powerhouse, they would do so in a heartbeat, so they should not miss a similar opportunity with the Houthis.

If Assad and his allies stick with their past strategy, the initial offensive will likely be limited, though it will still spur massive refugee flows and a serious breach between Turkey and Russia.

While Kurdish parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 30, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) is facing a number of crises—political, economic, and more broad social issues. These range from inadequate services, a dysfunctional bureaucracy, political fragmentation, widespread distrust among political elites, strong regional intervention, and more. The impact of these

When Abdul Fattah al-Sisi became president in 2014, Egyptians were clamoring for stability after the chaos of the post–Arab Spring years and the failed leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood government. Emblematic of this stability, Sisi was at one point so highly regarded that his face adorned chocolate bars. Although he

The IRGC has fired a literal shot across the KRG’s bow, but the brazen violation of Baghdad’s sovereignty may ultimately benefit Tehran’s opponents.

The Houthis are more than capable of becoming a ‘southern Hezbollah’ on the Red Sea, a threat that continues to drive the Gulf coalition’s coastal campaign.

Putin gives nothing away without a price. To protect America’s interests, neither should Trump.

While propaganda plays a major role in forming local and international public opinion, it may also be deployed as a tool of “soft deterrence,” designed to tilt the calculations and military strategies of other countries in another country’s favor. Iran’s financial investment in its media presence, with dozens of satellite

A former Treasury official discusses how governments, banks, and other entities need to adapt constantly just to keep up with the evolving financial tactics used by terrorists and their supporters.

Environmental concerns, uncertainty over export routes, and future security risks overshadow the latest progress in bringing the Leviathan field online.

Almost forty years after its inception, the project of the Islamic Republic has failed. Ayatollah Khamenei has in essence admitted that an Islamic state is not complete in Iran. Nor is Iranian society unequivocally Islamic in the manner that the revolution intended: rather the Iranian government merely follows and applies

Despite the attendant risks and public outcry, Washington’s decision to halt all aid to the agency could spur some reform without drastically affecting its core humanitarian services.

The continually escalating war of words between Iran and the United States suggests that the Middle East will have much at stake in the coming months as sanctions take effect. The U.S. administration has made repeated assertions that “regime change” and “military action” against Iran are not on the agenda

Despite the appointment of a radical anti-American commander, Iran’s naval forces are unlikely to resume frequent provocations without a strategic shift at the very top of the regime.

President Trump is likely expecting some progress to emerge from this week’s diplomacy, but ongoing concerns with Islamabad’s stances on terrorism, Iran, and other issues mean he shouldn’t hold his breath.

Washington needs to do a better job of defeating the group's local political strategy and fighting the war holistically.

As authorities consider correcting a past mistake and designating the group in its entirety, long-held assumptions about its European activities must be put to rest.