Three Things to Watch During Netanyahu's Visit to Washington

Veteran diplomat Ambassador Dennis Ross shares three key things he's looking for as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu visits Washington, DC, this week, including movement on Iran, Hamas disarmament, and the prime minister's own domestic political agenda. 

Middle East Hot Spots in Focus

President Trump and Middle Eastern leaders sign documents relating to the Gaza Ceasefire - source: The White House
Establishing the Security Conditions for Further Progress in Gaza
The security situation in the Gaza Strip is still tense after completing the first stage of President Trump’s peace plan, raising questions about how the parties will overcome the challenges of enforcing the ceasefire, disarming Hamas, transferring power, and launching reconstruction.
Feb 6, 2026
  • Neomi Neumann

Institute Scholars Testify before Congress

Targeting Hezbollah’s Broader Ecosystem of Power
The ongoing disarmament process is crucial, but completing it will be impossible without more attention to Hezbollah’s cash economy, judicial interference, political intimidation, and other elements of domestic power.
Feb 3, 2026
  • Hanin Ghaddar
In Lebanon, Pushing the Ball Forward Before the May Election
Without electoral law modifications, sanctions against pro-Hezbollah elites, prosecutions for long-delayed cases like the port explosion, and other urgent measures, the group and its allies could wind up regaining their grip in Lebanon during the next round of nationwide voting.
Feb 3, 2026
  • David Schenker
U.S. Policy Toward Lebanon: Obstacles to Dismantling Hezbollah’s Grip on Power
Meeting the moment requires greater investment and attention from Washington, including additional targeted security assistance, robust diplomatic efforts, expansion of the U.S. team tasked with handling the Lebanon file, and more.
Feb 3, 2026
  • Dana Stroul
Religious Freedom in Syria’s Post-Assad Transition
An in-depth look at the legal regime that Syria's transitional authorities have put in place to deal with religious minorities, focusing on how its policies have played out in a climate of ongoing violence and public distrust.
Nov 13, 2025
  • Aaron Y. Zelin

Study: Russia in the Middle East

Montage: Presidents Sisi (Egypt) and Putin (Russia) at the 2024 BRICS summit; a woman holds a Russian flag in Istanbul; a Russia House cultural center in Syria; a map image superimposing Russian flag over Africa/Middle East.
Maps & Graphics
After Ukraine:
Moscow has cultivated ties with U.S. adversaries and allies alike, and Washington must respond by advancing a holistic policy that empowers Ukrainian commercial interests and addresses deficits in sanctions policy.
Jan 23, 2026
  • Anna Borshchevskaya
  • Matt Tavares

The Washington Institute Congratulates Nickolay Mladenov on His Appointment as High Representative for Gaza

Who Won the Gaza War? Study

Split screen: (left) Israeli hostage Eitan Abraham Mor after his release by Hamas on October 13, 2025; right: a Hamas militant outside of Gaza City in December.
The Hamas-Israel War: An Early Assessment
Despite rhetoric to the contrary, neither side can claim a decisive win, and an uneasy status quo could persist as long as Trump, the ceasefire guarantors, and Israeli leaders keep a lid on their frustrations.
Dec 23, 2025
  • Robert Satloff

Interactive Map: ISIS Global Activity

Arab Public Opinion 2014 to Today

Fikra Interactive Public Polling Platform Thumbnail
Maps & Graphics
TWI Interactive Polling Platform
Interactive datasets, from 2014 to today
Jun 30, 2022