A tanker is destroyed as a test target during an Iranian naval exercise

THE IRAN WAR IN ITS FOURTH WEEK

Three Things to Watch Amid the Iran War

Institute scholar Matthew Levitt shares key issues he's keeping his eyes on in the fourth week of the Iran war, including ballistic missiles and launchers, international terror attempts, and Israel's fight with Hezbollah. 

With the Iran War, Hamas Tilts Toward the Brotherhood
The monthlong conflict and developments in Gaza have weakened the terrorist group’s connection to Tehran, offering Washington an opportunity to achieve its goals by working through Qatar and Turkey as well as Egypt.
Mar 26, 2026
  • Ghaith al-Omari
Iran’s Force Multiplier: Tracking the War’s Maritime and Energy Effects
If Washington wants to calm the markets and reach its other energy objectives more quickly, it will have to find a way of de-escalating a shipping crisis that Tehran is clearly taking advantage of in the Strait of Hormuz and beyond.
Mar 23, 2026
  • Noam Raydan
How China Could Shorten Iran’s Path to Military Recovery After the War
Beijing has been mostly talk and little walk so far, but once the war ends, it may decide to help Tehran rebuild militarily in return for oil.
Mar 17, 2026
  • Assaf Orion
Great Power Competition During (and After) the Iran War
Three experts examine how Moscow, Beijing, and European capitals are navigating the crisis and what their choices reveal about the future of the global order.
Mar 19, 2026
  • Anna Borshchevskaya
  • Souhire Medini
  • Henry Tugendhat
  • Grant Rumley

Interactive Map: Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region

Recent Institute Analysis

Syrian Army recruits attend their graduation ceremony from special forces training - source: Reuters
Syria Is Not Ready to Wage War Beyond Its Borders
The U.S. metric for effective cooperation shouldn’t be whether Syria is willing to fight Iran’s proxies in Lebanon or Iraq, but whether it continues advancing regional stability by securing its borders, limiting the flow of Iranian weapons and fighters, and coordinating politically with neighbors.
Mar 24, 2026
  • Andrew J. Tabler

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

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