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A map shows the routes of ships into and out of the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz - source: Reuters

SHOCKWAVES FROM THE IRAN WAR

Webcast Thursday: Countering Threats from Iran’s Proxies and Partners During Wartime

Join us for an expert conversation on Iranian proxies and their likelihood of escalation in light of Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran. Watch live starting at 1:00 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) on Thursday, March 12, 2026. Featuring Hanin Ghaddar, April Longley Alley, and Michael Knights.

Learn more about this event.

Wang Yi, director of China's Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Minister of State and national security adviser of Saudi Arabia Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban shake hands in Beijing in March 2023 - source: Reuters

China’s Middle East Ties Go Far Beyond Iran

Beijing is just as concerned about its Gulf partners as it is about China’s “old friends” in Tehran.

Mar 10, 2026

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Henry Tugendhat

Flags of Israel and Lebanon painted on hands outstretched to each other, overlaying map of Israel-Lebanon border and beyond.

Let’s Not Miss the Huge Opportunity for Peace Between Lebanon and Israel

If President Trump gave the Lebanon front just a fraction of the attention he has directed toward Iran and Gaza, he could wind up with the newest Arab member of the Abraham Accords—and a Nobel Peace Prize.

Mar 8, 2026

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Robert Satloff

The Middle East’s “1919” Moment

If the Iranian threat to the Middle East is brought to an end, the loose alliance of actors who have long sought this outcome must manage their differences to avoid the regional mistakes made after World War I.

Mar 10, 2026

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James Jeffrey

What Kind of Supreme Leader Would Mojtaba Khamenei Be?

Given his strong ties to the IRGC, Khamenei’s son might pursue extreme strategic options.

Mar 5, 2026

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Patrick Clawson
Farzin Nadimi

The Wartime Role of Iran’s “Axis”: Countering Proxy and Terrorist Threats

Washington Institute fellows assess how Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iraq’s Hashd, and other Iranian proxies and allies are responding to the war, as well as how the Trump administration and partner governments might counter the risk of terrorist attacks given Tehran’s long track record of foreign plots.

Mar 5, 2026

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Assaf Orion
Hanin Ghaddar
Michael Knights
April Longley Alley
Michael Jacobson
Matthew Levitt

Bombs Can Weaken Iran’s Regime. They Can’t Replace It.

Iran’s fractured opposition and years of repression make rapid regime change unlikely.

Mar 9, 2026

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Matthew Levitt

Great Power Spillover from the Iran War: Implications for China, Russia, Turkey, and Europe

Washington Institute experts explain what U.S. officials and military planners should be on the lookout for as great power competitors and close allies outside the region consider their responses to the crisis.

Mar 6, 2026

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Grant Rumley
Henry Tugendhat
Anna Borshchevskaya
Soner Cagaptay
Souhire Medini

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Institute Expertise on All Aspects of the Iran War

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 is a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy who 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

Fromerly 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

A Levant Without Militias?

For the first time, the region is on the path to sidelining militias and reaping the potential stabilization benefits, though significant obstacles remain.

Mar 10, 2026

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David Schenker

Hezbollah fighters parade with flags in Lebanon in 2019 - source: Reuters

Lebanon at a Crossroad: Without Swift Disarmament, Hezbollah Will Be Victorious

If Beirut fails to disarm the group, target its financial and political foundations, and hold it accountable for a long list of violations against the Lebanese people, a much bleaker alternative scenario will unfold.

Mar 10, 2026

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Hanin Ghaddar

In the Middle East, Chaos Is Putin’s New Ally

Putin has been using his position in the region to chip away at Russia’s isolation during the Ukraine war, and another Middle East regime change won’t do much to change that strategy.

Mar 5, 2026

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Anna Borshchevskaya

US Army troops board transport helicopters

Alternative Security Models for Syria Amid U.S. Pullout

By using Syria’s newfound resources as a coalition member and negotiating military assignments at the U.S. embassy, the two governments could offset many of the concerns raised by the withdrawal of American combat units.

Mar 7, 2026

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James Jeffrey

Smoke rises over Tehran at the start of Operation Epic Fury in 2026 - source: Reuters

America and Israel’s War to Remake the Middle East

Much more so than even last year’s war, the two allies are equal military partners in the current fight, but the growing gaps between their publics could impede cooperation on the next set of major policy issues in the region.

Mar 4, 2026

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Dana Stroul

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
Matt Tavares

Interactive Maps

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

Maritime Attacks in the MENA Region (Since 2017)

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,