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Iran’s Support for Russia and Lessons Learned from Ukraine

Souhire Medini

By taking urgent steps to institutionalize the wartime partnerships formed with (and between) Ukraine, the Gulf states, and Syria, Congress can strike heavy long-term blows against hostile Russian influence in the Middle East.

Apr 21, 2026

Lebanon-Israel Talks: Defining Zones of Possible Agreement

Aaron Y. Zelin

LAF soldiers study a map - source: Lebanese Armed Forces

With Washington’s help, there is a path forward for Beirut and Jerusalem to agree on something that is more limited than a full ceasefire, and that enables them to launch negotiations to advance both the disarmament of Hezbollah and the achievement of bilateral peace.

Apr 13, 2026

In Iran Negotiations, the White House’s Military Options Are Dwindling

Robert Satloff

Rather than pushing for the unrealistic goal of reaching a comprehensive deal in two weeks, the Trump administration should take the necessarily more patient approach of working through America’s strong network of allies to strengthen its hand.

Apr 14, 2026

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Dana Stroul

Jordan’s Wartime Balancing Act

The economic, political, and diplomatic fallout of the Iran crisis is bending the kingdom in multiple directions, but Washington can do much to ease the domestic stress, avoid bilateral friction, and address Amman’s growing rift with Israel.

Apr 15, 2026

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Ghaith al-Omari
David Schenker

Egypt’s Gulf-Iran Dilemma

Cairo has put a premium on de-escalation in order to end the war as soon as possible and lessen the economic and energy shocks afterward, but this approach could backfire with its longtime benefactors in the Gulf states.

Apr 15, 2026

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Ben Fishman

Wartime Support to Iran: Implications for the Middle East and Beyond

Three experts explore the regional and global implications of Russian and Chinese support for Tehran, including how much this assistance actually affects U.S. efforts to weaken the regime’s capabilities and bring the crisis to an end.

Apr 24, 2026

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Hasan Alhasan
Nicole Grajewski
Matthew Tavares

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Institute Expertise on the Iran War and Its Aftermath

Holly Dagres

A widely cited scholar, Institute Libitzky Family Senior Fellow Holly Dagres has published groundbreaking scholarship on social media use by young Iranians. Curator of The Iranist Substack newsletter, she has been featured in interviews across radio, television, and print, including the Associated Press, BBC News, CNN, NPR, Fox News, and The New York Times.

Noam Raydan

Noam Raydan, The Washington Institute's William Sudhaus Senior Fellow, studies topics related to energy and maritime risk in the Middle East. She is a co-creator of the Institute's interactive map of maritime attacks in the Middle East since 2017.

Dennis Ross

Ambassador Dennis Ross, the Institute's Counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow, played a leading role shaping U.S. Middle East policy in the George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and Obama administrations.

Dana Stroul

Formerly the top civilian official responsible for the Middle East at the Pentagon under President Biden, Dana Stroul is Director of Research and Michael Kassen Senior Fellow at the Institute.

Interactive Map: Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region

Explore this new interactive tool to shed light on the actions of actors such as Iran and Yemen's Houthis that have threatened and attacked commercial shipping in the waters off the Middle East and North Africa.

Access the map.

Recent Institute Analysis

Iran’s Support for Russia and Lessons Learned from Ukraine

Apr 21, 2026

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Aaron Y. Zelin

He Dreamed of Regime Change

The diplomat Uri Lubrani was renowned for his persistent assertion that such an outcome in Iran was not only feasible but inevitable.

Apr 17, 2026

Israel-Lebanon Peace: Will Berri Remain a Hindrance?

Martin Kramer

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry - source: Reuters

The two governments have agreed to direct talks that could (and should) turn into a wider U.S.-brokered peace process, but only if officials are prepared to counter potential spoilers like Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri.

Apr 10, 2026

Iraq Is at Another Crossroads with Iran-Backed Militias—and Washington

Hanin Ghaddar

Iraqi protesters display Iranian and Popular Mobilization Forces militia flags at a demonstration in Baghdad following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei - source: Reuters

Although U.S. officials should keep pushing Baghdad to move against these groups, the Iran war has demonstrated the need to seek other avenues of pressure and recalibrate the bilateral relationship.

Apr 8, 2026

The Iran War’s Reverberations in North Africa

David Schenker

A solar field in Morocco - source: Reuters

The crisis will challenge economic and political stability in the Maghreb countries, but they will also have opportunities—with Washington’s help—to fortify their prewar progress by filling gaps in global energy markets and other key sectors affected by the war.

Mar 31, 2026

Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region (Since 2017)

Sabina Henneberg

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:

Prospects for a Russian Resurgence in the Middle East

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

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Matthew Tavares

Interactive Maps

Screen shot of the Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region interactive map

Shed light on the actions of actors such as Iran and Yemen's Houthis that have threatened and attacked commercial shipping in the waters off the Middle East and North Africa.

Screenshot of the Hezbollah External Operations Interactive Map

Lebanese Hezbollah Select Worldwide Activity

Access this interactive map to explore an open-source database of Hezbollah global operations and break through the terrorist organization's "Golden Rule" of secrecy.

Screenshot of the Islamic State Worldwide Activity interactive map

The Islamic State Select Worldwide Activity

Explore the most comprehensive public archive of Islamic State attack data, media output, government designations, and legal cases to understand the organization’s global reach,

Screenshot of the Iran External Operations interactive map

Iran External Operations 1979-present

Access this powerful interactive tool, which maps over forty-five years of Iranian clandestine operations around the globe.

Video: Expert Conversations on the Iran Crisis

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi greets Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in Beijing in March 2025 - source: Reuters

Wartime Support to Iran: Implications for the Middle East and Beyond

Hasan Alhasan
Nicole Grajewski
Matthew Tavares

Vice President Vance arrives in Pakistan for talks with Iranian counterparts in April 2026 - source: Reuters

Moving from War to Diplomacy: What’s Next for Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza?

Amid major diplomatic milestones and major international security threats, three experts explore what it will take to achieve success on multiple negotiating tracks at once.

Apr 16, 2026

Michael Herzog
Robert Satloff
Hanin Ghaddar

An Iranian woman walks by the scene of a U.S. airstrike in Tehran - source: Reuters

In the Dark and in Danger: Iran’s Internet Shutdown and Wartime Repression

Human rights experts diagnose the current public mood in Iran and discuss how foreign governments can help counter the regime’s growing use of internet blackouts and other digital repression tools.

Apr 10, 2026

Mahsa Alimardani
Nazanin Boniadi
Roya Boroumand

A photo illustration depicts chess pieces and the Iranian and U.S. flags - source: Reuters

Diplomacy During War: Priorities for the Trump Administration

Three former U.S. policy practitioners experienced in negotiating with Iran discuss what kind of agreement is possible, what each side may require to make it happen, and how officials in Washington, Israel, the Gulf states, and Europe should address emerging differences in their objectives.

Apr 3, 2026

Sanctions and Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood: Decoupling Burhan from Sudan’s Islamists and Iran

Emily Harding
Richard Nephew
Michael Singh
Nancy A. Youssef

Recently in Fikra Forum

Fikra Forum

Sanctioning Sudan's Muslim Brotherhood will likely have an impact on Burhan's approach to the group, but a true decoupling will likely require additional pressure given their political influence and role in the current conflict.

Apr 17, 2026

In Syria, an Amnesty Decree Without Justice?

Areig Elhag

Fikra Forum

The debates sparked by Decree No. 39 raise questions about how the country will bridge the troubling gaps between official government discourse and victims’ rights.

Apr 8, 2026

Iran’s Western Frontier: Iranian Kurds Navigate Risk and Opportunity

Hanadi al-Khatib

For the estimated 7 to 15 million Kurds in Iran, the current war represents a narrow window for change, albeit one

Mar 23, 2026

A Sudanese army soldier stands near a bombed-out vehicle outside Khartoum - source: Reuters

Pakistan Steps In: Sudan and the Transformation of Regional Security

A $1.5 billion Pakistani arms deal with Sudan signals a regional shift from diplomacy toward military escalation, which may prolong

Jan 22, 2026

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

In Focus: Iran

Wartime Support to Iran: Implications for the Middle East and Beyond

Encouraging European Military Efforts to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Hasan Alhasan
Nicole Grajewski
Matthew Tavares