Policy Analysis

The incident, a few miles from the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, could portend escalating regional tensions.

In seeking to combat Iranian influence, Riyadh could undermine an already vulnerable Lebanese economy and threaten the country's tenuous calm.

November 13, 2017 The sudden and surprising resignation of Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri over the weekend, blaming Iranian interference in his country, compels us to consider this tragic dilemma. Of particular interest—and importance—is the way Iran has used Hezbollah, an intrinsic part of Lebanon’s political fabric, as a means

Muhammad bin Salman knows he can't rule alone -- which is why he's been quietly cultivating a group of young princes to serve his agenda.

The Vietnam War gets Ken Burns's signature "docutainment" treatment, and the result is a worthy one, if not always up to full scholarly standards.

November 9, 2017 The sudden resignation on November 4 of Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim prime minister, Saad Hariri, cast a harsh spotlight on his country’s internal polarization and external ties to Iran. Speaking from Saudi Arabia, where he remains in exile, Hariri blamed both of those Shia-dominated actors for Lebanon’s growing

On the seventy-fifth anniversary of American troops landing in North Africa, two scholars debate Operation Torch's lasting influence on U.S. policy in the region.

November 8, 2017 Beginning when the Muslim Brotherhood came to power in Egypt in the summer of 2012, the Hamas-Egypt relationship deepened significantly. The relationship went beyond the General Intelligence Directorate’s coordination of security matters, to include coordination among political leaders Mohamed Morsi and Ismail Haniyeh. The strong relationship between

For many of those watching in the Middle East, the administration's decision to stand by as the Kurds were forced to retreat has sent a message far more powerful than its tough words on Iran.

Instead of viewing Yemen as a poor peripheral country of little strategic importance, the Saudis seem to see it as a dagger aimed at their heart, with Iran holding the hilt.

Tehran is using the Houthis to test President Trump's resolve, as mounting evidence shows that it is helping the rebels build long-range missiles capable of hitting Gulf capitals.

Tehran could back up its defiant rhetoric by deploying air defense assets to Syria, establishing an asymmetric naval presence in the Mediterranean, smuggling more arms to the Houthis, and stepping up its ballistic missile program.

November 7, 2017 Former Kurdistan region president Masoud Barzani miscalculated the potential fallout of the referendum. But political miscalculation by itself cannot explain Barzani’s decision to hold the controversial referendum on September 25th. Rather, the security dilemma in which Iraqi Kurds have lived since the foundation of Iraq in early

November 7, 2017 Watching a televised debate last week on the current tension between Kurdistan and Iraq, Haitham al-Jibouri, an Iraqi parliamentarian from the dominant Da’awa Party, made this proclamation: “The Barzanis violated the rights of the Kurdish people by misusing power and wealth. We will correct all these misfortunes

The shocking spate of high-profile arrests will strengthen the crown prince's political position, but the shakeup raises new concerns about the speed and style of change in the kingdom.

The usual answer is Truman, but it could just as easily be Stalin -- a bit of diplomatic history that offers lessons for Jerusalem today.

Hariri's announcement could make Hezbollah and its Iranian patron more vulnerable to international pressure, particularly if the upcoming parliamentary elections do not go their way.

A quick guide to understanding the background, context, and potential impact of President Trump's decision not to certify the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in one concise infographic.

The lack of armed response by Hamas or PIJ highlights the host of military and political factors restraining both organizations and the potency of new Israeli defense technologies, though radical elements may still decide to risk an attack out of desperation.

While U.S. attention is focused on fires already raging in the Middle East, Russia is quietly expanding its presence in North Africa, to the detriment of U.S. interests.