Policy Analysis

A deal brokered by exiled Fatah leader Mohammad Dahlan may have fended off a war this summer, but it raises the likelihood of conflict in the future.

One large faction of Shia volunteers demonstrates how the PMUs can function under Iraqi -- not Iranian -- control, offering a model that coalition forces should support.

August 22, 2017 At a May 4, 2017 meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi was the apparent subject of criticism from Bahrain’s Interior Minister, Rashid al-Khalifa. Khalifa discussed the threat posed by Iraq’s complicity in some elements of the Hashd al-Shaabi (PMU) and Iran providing

A widening rift within the group can be traced to the misguided view that it could elude the government's repression.

Rather than leaving the job to Europe, Washington can articulate a clear Libya policy at the September UN General Assembly meeting, thereby making a political deal more likely to achieve and enforce.

Gathering IRGC frustrations over liberal domestic trends could eventually prompt dramatic intervention, with troubling regional consequences for the United States and its allies.

The Saudi- and UAE-led coalition could be overestimating the prospects for change in Doha.

The SDF and U.S.-supported Arab fighters likely lack the might and unity to overcome Assad-regime advances and other obstacles.

Analysts tracking the insurgent landscape in Iraq can draw many lessons from 2010-14, the period during which the Islamic State recovered its potency.

In February, the Israeli government approved the creation of a nonprofit "to advance the affairs of the Egyptian minority in Israel," potentially a small step toward warmer bilateral relations.

The second-term Iranian president has failed to deliver on campaign promises, and the Supreme Leader is fortifying his hardline backers.

A vacuum in Raqqa following the defeat of the Islamic State will embolden Iran and lay the grounds for future jihadists.

To meet emerging threats and ensure its continued relevance, the Iranian army is seeking to become a quick-reaction force, but institutional and budgetary constraints could still prevent dramatic change.

A peace conference in Jeddah attended by Israelis and Palestinians could be a first step toward serious talks.

A successful return to the Moon could serve as a stepping-stone for a manned mission to Mars or even more ambitious goals.

There is much disagreement over how to engage with the deteriorating situation in Jerusalem with regard to security and politics. The recent Temple Mount crisis could have been avoided if there had been a proper assessment of the situation at the political level. Stronger consideration and cooperation with the Jordanian

The Powell Doctrine, a set of principles devised in the 1980s, can guide the United States in promoting regional stability and averting future disasters.

August 10, 2017 In a few weeks, the citizens of Iraqi Kurdistan will vote in a historic referendum that will pave the way for the emergence of a fully sovereign Kurdish state. Almost a century has passed with Kurdish national aspirations thwarted by a world order that has otherwise accommodated

August 10, 2017 This week King Abdullah of Jordan made a rare visit to Ramallah, his first in five years, to confer with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the wake of a crisis over security at the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This latest outbreak of small-scale violence

August 9, 2017 The Islamic Republic of Iran and the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq maintain cordial relations, and the two neighbors have publicly cooperated in battling the Islamic State (IS). However, this might change soon. The authorities in Tehran are increasingly frustrated with the Kurdish leadership’s decision to hold