Policy Analysis

Upcoming votes pose a dilemma for the Supreme Leader: should he aggressively disqualify candidates and further alienate the public, or risk a Majlis dominated by his political rivals?

In Gaza, most residents are strongly supportive of increased Arab involvement in the conflict and half are open to normalizing ties with Israel were Saudi Arabia to do so. A majority of West Bank residents, however, remain hesitant about such a proposal.

An advisor to Prime Minister Sudani joins a U.S. Commerce Department official and a Middle East regulatory expert to discuss how American companies can expand their access to lucrative but largely untapped markets in Iraq.

An entrenched military junta could jeopardize America’s primary CT partner in West Africa, create ripple effects for security beyond the Sahel, and give Russia’s Wagner Group a new opening on the continent.

Riyadh’s reported price for peace with Israel includes a civil nuclear program, but any such deal will require Washington to carefully balance multiple diplomatic, legal, and proliferation concerns.

For the first time in decades, America’s top strategic priority diverges from that of its key regional partners, but Washington can close the gap by increasing their understanding of China and removing the blinders from their threat perceptions.

The Islamic Republic of Iran over several years has gained a significant foothold in Iraq, spreading its influence and agenda throughout Iraqi daily life.

Given the military’s behavior during a recent confrontation and the spike in Christian anger toward Hezbollah, Washington should consider fine-tuning its assistance to the LAF, cutting off units that are not committed to protecting the people.

Although Abbas’s latest edict might hold consequences for Fatah politics, the PA’s public standing, and West Bank militancy, a measure of skepticism about its significance is warranted.

While one leading militia spearheaded online vitriol against a social media ban that affected its affiliates, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah seemed more inclined to compromise.

The official ban on their favorite social media app may be temporary, but their response has highlighted divisions within the Shia militia milieu.

On the anniversary of the 2020 Beirut explosion, Lebanese authorities have done nothing to decrease the risks posed by deficient vessels like the one implicated in the port disaster.

To grow, the Iraqi economy needs a more robust private sector, which in turn needs young Iraqi workers with business-ready skill sets. American-style universities are filling the gap.

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) has been heading for unprecedented political and financial uncertainties as a result of the growing disputes between the two ruling parties and the central government’s moves to erode the KRI’s autonomous status.

Military officials are seeking not a silver bullet but instead advances based on existing layered, interoperable systems.

To dissuade Moscow from further provocations that endanger coalition forces, the West needs to demonstrate that it has other military and political options in Syria.

Even if much-needed prosecutions against Hezbollah members are deemed too dangerous at present, donors must still pressure Beirut to extradite other individuals charged with crimes abroad, starting with banking official Riad Salameh.

Lebanon’s current problems stem from persistent economic and political corruption, and Hezbollah remains the de facto enforcer of this mafia-like status quo.

The history is clear—well-intentioned intervention in an ally’s domestic politics often triggers bigger problems, and the president’s stance could conjure a self-fulfilling prophecy about the erosion of U.S.-Israel ties.

China's recent mediation efforts between Riyadh and Tehran were motivated by a combination of strategic outlook and economic interest in the Middle East, signaling a gradual shift away from its traditional "free-riding" approach.