Policy Analysis

Sectarian flames are melting away Turkey's hard-earned soft power in the Middle East and pushing Ankara closer to Washington.

Ayatollah Khamenei is determined to push for a completely loyal president, but the decision to dismiss Rafsanjani could undermine the regime in the long run.

The MFO faces growing pressure in the Sinai, but its presence remains crucial to maintaining peace between Egypt and Israel.

Institute Baker fellow and energy expert Simon Henderson led a conversation at the 2013 Soref Symposium on May 9, 2013, on the rapidly evolving energy landscape in the Middle East within the context of Israel's emergence as a regional energy producer. Sir Michael Leigh is consultant and senior advisor to

The factional disputes that have long paralyzed Iranian policymaking will likely persist after the upcoming election, leaving the regime with no choice but to persist in its diplomatic standoff with the West.

The Washington Institute made the full text of the IAEA's May 22, 2013 report on Iran's nuclear program available. Click on the button to the left to download the report (PDF).

Washington Institute fellow Eric Trager sat down with Foreign Policy Association blogger Reza Akhlaghi to discuss how Egypt's leaders view Iran's regional strategy and the upcoming presidential election.

More decisive American engagement would simultaneously end doubts about the United States’ commitment to Syria and save Turkey from being pulled further into a conflict that threatens to derail the impressive political and economic progress of the last decade.

A new report on how Washington can help Jordan deal with continuing turmoil at home and abroad.

Turkey's worsening border situation gives President Obama considerable asking power with Erdogan on a variety of issues, including Iran, Israel, and domestic reform.

Loosening the ties that bind Iraq together is a risk, but holding too tightly is the greater danger.

A detailed look at the group's robust criminal and support networks in Latin America, including its close relations with drug cartels.

Assuming the Brotherhood is "democratic" and "nonviolent" has left the international community unprepared for the very undemocratic and violent reality. Alison Pargeter is not so deluded.

Whichever way the latest tensions unfold, Tunis is unlikely to return to its "light touch" of old, and further confrontations with the Salafists could become the norm.

Turkey can continue its economic rise and become a regional power so long as it remains a democracy.

Increased U.S. support for the opposition and credible threats of military force are vital to altering the calculations of other parties and advancing diplomacy.

While taking action in Syria will not be simple or cheap, it will ultimately be less costly than losing control of chemical weapons or letting Jordan and other neighbors be destabilized.

Two leading scholars of Russian and Chinese foreign policy explored Moscow and Beijing's evolving interests and approaches to the Middle East at the Institute's 2013 Soref Symposium.

The Obama administration has made intervention in Syria dependent on the Arab League, which is utterly unprepared to act.

The Washington Institute convened a broad array of policymakers, activists, scholars, and journalists from around the world for The Washington Institute's annual policy conference in Washington, DC.