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Photo of a blast wall with a drone mural at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq.

Iraq’s Militia Balancing Act Gets Trickier Amid Deadlines and Saudi Attacks

As the September 30 disarmament deadline for PMF militias approaches, Washington should support the Zaidi government’s efforts and ensure that the militias’ concessions are real.

Sep 18, 2026

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David Schenker

A Shahed-136 drone in a military parade in Tehran - source: Reuters

How Iran Might Rebuild Its Devastated Military: Courting Risk by Reinforcing Success

Tehran will likely double down on missiles and drones—its most effective weapons during recent conflicts—creating path dependencies that could become critical vulnerabilities if U.S. and partner countermeasures improve further.

Sep 15, 2026

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Michael Eisenstadt
Farzin Nadimi

LAF soldiers study a map - source: Lebanese Armed Forces

Building an Effective Train-and-Equip Mission for Lebanon Post-UNIFIL

Authorities should view the end of UNIFIL not as a prelude to a security vacuum, but as a chance to establish a workable U.S.-led transition mechanism that brings in Arab, European, and international partners, with the ultimate goal of helping Lebanon exercise full sovereignty over its territory without the support of foreign forces.

Sep 16, 2026

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Zohar Palti

Photo of a girl being transferred from a camp for Islamic-State-affiliated detainees in Syria.

Iraq’s Islamic State Trials: The U.S. Role

As Baghdad moves to the next phase for IS-linked detainees transferred from Syria, Washington should encourage repatriation, fair trials, and cooperation between partners on building a sustainable longer-term framework.

Sep 14, 2026

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Devorah Margolin

Settlements Trade Ban: Europe and Israel on a Collision Course Over the West Bank

Although the unprecedented decision to jointly prohibit trade with settlements raises difficult diplomatic and political questions amid a weighty Israeli election cycle, the announcement will also have important effects beyond that date, signaling that many countries will prioritize this issue in their relations with whatever government voters choose.

Sep 18, 2026

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Pierre-Arnaud Blanchard

3 Things I'm Watching: The Houthis Gain Ground as Tensions Rise in the Red Sea

Institute Senior Fellow April Longley Alley shares the key issues she's monitoring as Yemen's four-year truce collapses and Houthi rebels gain territory along the country's Red Sea coast.

Against parliamentary hall backdrop, book cover includes Tunisian flag imagery at top, EU, USA, IMF, World Bank imagery at bottom.

Maps & Graphics

Why Economic Reform Failed in Tunisia:

Assessing Four Donors and a Country in Transition

International actors, while expressing confidence in the country’s political progress, struggled to adapt to economic resistance from the national labor union, the destabilizing effects of terrorism, and interference from outside actors.

Aug 19, 2026

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Sabina Henneberg

Institute Expertise on Israel and the Palestinians

Dennis Ross

Ambassador Dennis Ross is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He also teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization.

David Makovsky

The Institute's Siegler Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Project on Arab-Israel Relations, David Makovsky is a veteran journalist who served as senior advisor to the State Department's Special Envoy for Israel-Palestinian Relations.

Ghaith al-Omari

A former Palestinian Authority peace negotiator, Ghaith al-Omari is the Institute's Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow.

Dana Stroul

The Institute's Director of Research and Michael Kassen Senior Fellow, Dana Stroul was deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East policy during the Biden administration.

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.

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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,

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.

Recently in Fikra Forum

A phosphate mine in Morocco - source: Reuters

Fikra Forum

The Other Phosphate: What Washington’s Moroccan Fertilizer Waiver Overlooks

The United States eased its fertilizer restrictions on the kingdom to manage a supply emergency, but Morocco could also become a key source of purified phosphoric acid—a crucial product tied to growing competition with China over battery production, supply chain integrity, and access to critical minerals.

Aug 18, 2026

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Salma Annasse

Fikra Forum

The Erosion of Public Trust in Libya's International Unification Efforts

Libyans are increasingly questioning where governance reforms fit into the agendas of Libyan elites' engagement with the parallel UNSMIL 2025 roadmap and Boulos initiative.

Aug 10, 2026

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Tahani Elmogrbi

A satellite map with political borders overlaid shows Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan - source: Reuters

After War, a Crackdown in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan Province

Recent crackdowns against Iran's Baloch minority over tensions around mining in the province suggest that the rift between the regime

Jul 8, 2026

The Iran War's Pressure on the Egyptian Pound: Fragile Stability and Expected Shocks

The Egyptian pound is weathering significant challenges to its stability as the Iran war continues to impact oil markets and

Jun 10, 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

Hormuz Shuttle Tankers: An Evolving Trend Amid the Iran War

Ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman have provided a helpful export alternative for regional oil producers, but this shuttle trade will likely remain a target for Iranian attacks.

Sep 17, 2026

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Noam Raydan

How Iran Might Rebuild Its Devastated Military: Courting Risk by Reinforcing Success

Sep 15, 2026

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Michael Eisenstadt
Farzin Nadimi

Iran’s Second Front

The latest Houthi offensive has shattered the status quo along Yemen’s west coast, upended a years-long truce, and set the

Sep 11, 2026

A carving of the Great Seal of the United States on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office of the White House - source: The White House

Getting Iran Policy Back on Track

Despite its underwhelming results, the war has demonstrated that many American partners in the region are able and willing to

Summer 2026

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