Policy Analysis

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Damascus has already taken steps toward this end, but intensive international economic assistance and political mediation will still be vital—the latter drawing on relevant elements from Iraq’s governing model.

The Trump administration has been alluding to a potential breakthrough between the two regional rivals, but striking near-term deals on issues like Western Sahara and MINURSO would only be the first step in a necessarily long-term U.S. diplomatic effort.

Without further diversification of suppliers, expanded renewable capacity, strategic investments in LNG, and nuclear partnerships beyond Russia, Turkey risks exchanging one form of energy dependency for another.

Some of the administration’s counterterrorism actions have diverged from the strategy outlined during the president’s first term and from longstanding U.S. policy, raising important questions that should be addressed in the near future by a second-term CT document.

The director of the Institute’s counterterrorism program testifies on how the group’s postwar funding crunch will likely spur it to double down on raising money via its extensive criminal networks in the West.

By investing in relationships with scientists in the region, Beijing is seeking to fortify its own BeiDou system and drive growth, offering potential lessons for Washington.

By enticing Damascus with “no strings attached” deals, Moscow is once again trying to use Syria as a long-term strategic cudgel against U.S. interests, making it all the more urgent for Western governments to make fuller use of their current economic leverage.

The silver lining to the Doha attack may be the newfound “Gulf 3” alignment between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, whose wealth, diplomatic clout, and good relations with the Trump administration uniquely position them to help on a wide range of pressing regional issues.

To ensure the U.S. peace plan meets the long-term goal of a Gaza that is not ruled by Hamas and does not pose a threat to its neighbors, authorities need to combine realistic and measurable achievements with efforts toward disarmament, civilian reconstruction, and changing the public agenda.

The price of today’s breakthrough may be tomorrow’s turbulence, as the president and his advisors press their thumbs on the scales of Israel’s electoral and legal processes.

Gulf leaders know that neither China, Russia, nor a “Mideast NATO” can replace the scale, capability, and strategic commitments that Washington brings, though they are still looking to recalibrate the partnership somewhat following Israel’s Qatar strike.

Despite the ceasefire, on-the-ground media coverage is unlikely to improve given the tight grip Hamas still holds over the Strip.

A compilation of Washington Institute insights on the profoundly complex tasks ahead—from preventing a Hamas resurgence to promoting Palestinian political reform—and the states and mechanisms likely to carry them out.

More than three decades ago, amid the prospect of Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territory, international actors similarly sought to disarm the group and exclude it from governance.

Perhaps, given the ceasefire deal, the group will rein in its operations abroad to avoid giving Israel reason to resume the war, but the involvement of senior group leaders in plots targeting Denmark, Sweden, and other countries has justifiably drawn law enforcement attention.

Five experts and former high-level officials discuss the gamut of opportunities and risks created by the Trump administration’s diplomatic achievement.

Facing an uncertain economic future and fed up with corruption and mismanagement, young people in countries from Morocco to Iran have begun voicing demands for more responsive leadership and a more open society.

While those deemed responsible for crimes committed under the Assad regime must face justice, the sweeping purge of public-sector employees threatens to deepen divisions in an already fragmented nation.

The momentum created by phase one of the peace plan will eventually fade, so the Trump administration must work quickly with its partners to establish clarity on complex issues like disarming Hamas and securing Gaza, and on identifying the actors to implement them.