Policy Analysis

Incidents in the town of al-Awamiyah are creating headaches for the Saudi leadership and adding to regional tensions.

July 5, 2017 Iraqi Kurdistan has finally set September 25 as the date for an independence referendum. After Mosul fell to the Islamic State (IS) in 2014, Masoud Barzani announced that the region will hold a referendum on independence, as Iraq has already essentially partitioned. Barzani renewed his call for

Given recent frictions, the United States should take a number of steps to reduce the potential for escalation with Tehran and to avoid a broader conflict.

July 5, 2017 Iran is creating and reinforcing power centers for its allied forces by implementing its policies across a geographic area that extends from the western borders of Iraq to the shores of the Mediterranean. It is also creating provisional Shiite cells in Sunni Arab regions by employing paramilitary

The Saudi-led bloc has made thirteen demands of Doha, but they're mostly about resolving one issue -- and time is almost up.

Without credible threat assessments, judges and prison wardens are left to rely on their individual perceptions, while worrying what their decisions will mean for public safety.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are probably trying to groom an alternative and more pliable al-Thani, as compared to the current emir and "father-emir," for a leadership role.

The United States should work with Muhammad bin Salman, the new crown prince, as he pushes for change.

Anti-Semitic themes appear in a program that nonetheless portrays Mossad officials as serious and smart people.

President Erdogan has catapulted his country into crisis through his attempt to stay in power.

Washington should back the winning side, represented by the new crown prince, but it must also be mindful of shifting family dynamics and tread carefully.

Over the past eight years, al-Qaeda's fortunes have ebbed and flowed. Drones, uprisings, and a challenge from the Islamic State have forced the core al-Qaeda organization—historically based in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region—and its various branches to adapt and migrate outward. In this new Policy Focus, Washington Institute fellow Aaron Y. Zelin

One-third of West Bank and Gaza Palestinians want to “escalate the resistance against Israel, even if that makes life harder right now,” according to a late-May survey conducted by the reliable Palestine Center for Public Opinion. The majority, however, prefer other options: a compromise deal with Israel, a focus on

From Ankara's perspective, an optimal outcome may ultimately involve using soft power, rather than actual force, to remove its Kurdish PKK and YPG adversaries from the district.

At the symbolic level, Iran and its proxies are achieving great success in planting their flags along this contested frontier, but real control will entail the much tougher task of establishing permanent bases and logistical arrangements.

Efforts by U.S. officials to identify or suggest support for anti-regime "elements" within Iran will only undermine any authenticity these elements previously enjoyed.

Extremely tough conditions set by Saudi Arabia and the UAE for resolving the diplomatic rift with Qatar could force Washington to choose sides.

Even as Washington adapts to changing circumstances, the risks for U.S. military personnel in Jordan will likely persist.

The recent deal to restore electricity to the territory will ease short-term concerns, but given the turbulent Palestinian and regional political scene, a more sustainable solution will require setting up independent mechanisms for utility provision.

The retaliatory attacks against alleged Islamic State facilities in eastern Syria apparently failed to hit any of their intended targets, undermining Iranian deterrence and raising questions about the effectiveness of Iran's missile force.