Policy Analysis

An updated look at the immediate military issues and longer-term 'day after' concerns that the Trump administration should focus on as the campaign to retake Mosul continues.

The rise of the Islamic State brought the Kurds together, but its impending fall now threatens to tear them apart.

A comprehensive look at the concrete steps the Trump administration can take to secure a vital ally that has shown signs of struggling under the weight of refugees and numerous other challenges.

Many Hezbollah fighters believe their Iranian supervisor in Syria views them as easily replaceable Arab cannon fodder, and the resultant tension is generating disillusionment about Tehran's claims of pan-Shiite unity.

Egypt remains an essential component of any future Palestinian peace process, but the country's deep anti-Israel propaganda is a persistent stumbling block.

The president's 'one state' comment may have been offhand, and the idea is a nonstarter in any case, but the two leaders did seem to agree in principle on a mechanism that would likely limit settlement activity.

Despite the recent challenges to Washington's regional supremacy, one irreducible reality is clear: the United States is still the only actor capable of forging partnerships that advance not just parochial, short-term interests, but the broader security, stability and prosperity needed to prevent further collapse.

Those who think the two-state solution is being buried should put their shovels away.

A former Treasury official outlines the various steps Washington can take to support its stated goal of curbing provocative Iranian behavior such as ballistic missile tests, military interventionism, illicit financing, and terror sponsorship.

It is strange to hear talk of an alliance between Saudi Arabia and Iran, whose competition is notorious. The two states, who have clashed in multiple countries, now find themselves in a new political situation which may force them to work together. At the very least they may have to

Despite the prime minister's distaste for the deal, he will likely ask Washington to enforce it to the hilt instead of shredding it -- something the Trump White House seems ready to do given its actions toward Iran thus far.

February 14th, 2017 The Islamic State’s (ISIS) credentials substantially improved after their conquest of Mosul in 2014. In only two years, this al-Qaeda splinter group has spread into most Middle Eastern countries, the Islamic Maghreb, South and Southeast Asia, and has established cells and inspired individual attacks in Europe and

February 14, 2017 The newly established state of Israel captured West Jerusalem in the aftermath of the 1948 War and East Jerusalem in the 1967 War; however, neither military acquisition was recognized internationally. In 1995, though, the US Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act claiming Jerusalem as the eternal capital

By forcing the settlements issue prematurely, Israel's right-wing parties may have misjudged the new administration's interest in preserving its peacemaking options.

Actions like the travel ban on Iraqis could have the unintended effect of derailing the U.S. alliance with Baghdad -- an outcome that would benefit Iran, the Islamic State, and no one else.

Even while the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is in place, the Trump administration could bring significant pressure to bear on Iran. In this Policy Note, Institute fellows Katherine Bauer, Patrick Clawson, and Matthew Levitt look at the role of sanctions in restraining Iran's regional aggression and disrupting its global-terrorism

Moscow has neither the resources nor the desire to bring long-term stability to Libya, and Haftar is the wrong man for the job, but that won't stop Putin from trying to exploit the situation.

The war in Syria and other conflicts have spurred terrorist supporters to renew tactics such as funneling money through NGOs, submitting fraudulent claims for government assistance, and otherwise exploiting the charitable sector.

The following is based on remarks delivered by Ziegler Distinguished Fellow David Makovsky at a Washington Institute Policy Forum on February 8. His views on these issues are spelled out in greater length in the Transition 2017 paper " Toward a New Paradigm for Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict," coauthored with

Given the region’s notorious difficulty, it would be tempting for President Trump to pivot elsewhere, but America's pressing foreign policy interests will likely draw his administration to the Middle East once again.