Policy Analysis

The administration’s push to end the Ukraine war could bear fruit, but only if pressure is applied to both sides.

The Washington Institute’s director of research testifies on the Trump administration's best means of combining diplomatic, military, and congressional pressure to permanently block Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or reconstituting its damaged regional threat network.

Experts discuss how the new campaign differs from previous U.S. strikes in Yemen, what targets are being hit, and whether it can resolve the threat without broader American policy efforts.

A former Iraqi prime minister is using his freedom from U.S. sanctions to act as an envoy between designated terrorist groups.

Past ties between the Marina and the Lebanese terrorist group, along with the ship’s deceptive practices at sea, merit U.S. scrutiny.

An in-depth look at how the new rulers tackled these counterterrorism issues in Idlib province for years prior to Assad’s fall, and what steps they are taking at the national level today.

The decision to order an additional carrier strike group to the region comes amid the Trump administration’s new campaign against the Houthis and public warnings to Iran, though it could affect U.S. force readiness worldwide.

Although the unusually bold demonstrations are unlikely to shake the group’s local control, they have cracked the barrier of fear that Hamas nurtured inside Gaza and offer an opportunity to amplify alternative Palestinian voices.

Washington Institute experts discuss what challenges must be addressed in negotiating a new nuclear deal or, failing that, planning a military campaign to degrade or destroy the program.

Definitive conclusions about the post-October 7 environment remain elusive, but it is not too early to draw lessons and consider the problems and opportunities that may arise from the recent upheaval in 2025.

Hezbollah’s recent military defeat and the 2022 Israel-Lebanon maritime agreement mediated by Washington have enabled exploration in a distant corner of Israel’s exclusive economic zone.

Far from signaling a strong trilateral alliance, their history of often transactional cooperation reveals strategic gaps that Washington can leverage to help curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Direct Israeli dialogue with Syria’s transitional government could produce a new framework for bilateral relations—one that includes effectively ending the perpetual state of belligerency, accepting Israel’s special relationship with the Druze, agreeing on spheres of coordination throughout the south, and cooperating against Iran and Hezbollah’s comeback attempts in Syria and Lebanon.

With U.S. security aid for Iraq under review, Baghdad is attempting to assess the potential impact of an extended freeze on its national security.

Using a combination of bilateral and multilateral tools, Washington can curtail China’s ability to produce and export quality weapons while pressuring governments who consider buying them.

Based on their experiences with Trump’s first administration, many Kurdish politicians in both Syria and Iraq believe they are on the brink of historic decisions that will shape their political future.

Israel’s cross-border incursion is understandable but may have gone too far, raising the need for U.S. intercession on merging Syria’s disparate forces, easing sanctions, deconflicting with Turkey, and other urgent stabilization tasks.

To resolve crises like the Gaza war and Iran’s drive toward nuclear breakout, the Trump administration will need to rediscover the practice of statecraft and marshal the necessary allied help.

The announcement of "working groups" between Israel and Lebanon comes at a key juncture in the ceasefire, and complementary action by the United States and France can facilitate full implementation.

The Trump administration should not be duped by the supposed “reforms” that militia leaders are considering in parliament, which threaten to turn the PMF into another Iranian “Revolutionary Guard” and keep U.S.-designated terrorists in key posts.