Policy Analysis

The West Bank has been a relatively minor front in Israel’s post-October 7 war, but if violence by far-right settlers continues to increase, the fallout could be substantial.

The new Syrian government will be judged not just by its treatment of minorities, but also how it approaches political opposition—and its checkered history in this regard gives pause.

In negotiations, the Iranian regime prefers to operate discreetly and secretly, allowing Tehran to shape the information spectrum and protract talks to buy time and wear down their negotiation counterparts. By shining light on the diplomatic process, U.S. policymakers can provide a counter-narrative that takes to task Iranian intransigence and provides accurate information for the Iranian public.

Amid fears of Uyghur militancy and hopes of expanding business ties with Syria, Beijing has been rapidly adapting to the new reality in Damascus.

Rather than clearing a route to normalization with Israel, a Saudi nuclear agreement with Washington may be key to addressing Iran’s military nuclear potential and wider proliferation concerns in the region.

As nuclear talks proceed, the president should recall his past acknowledgement that respect for human rights and democracy is “an integral component of U.S. national security.”

With the U.S. point man on energy development touring the Gulf and Chinese and Russian nuclear initiatives on the rise, the Trump administration should consider how best to replicate the responsible Emirati model elsewhere in the region.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, signs of Chinese soft power are increasingly visible to residents of an area with longstanding ties to the United States.

A regional media bureau chief explains how continued Israeli military incursions in Syria are complicating efforts to stabilize the country, and why multilateral foreign assistance is a must.

A former Israeli military official and a Turkey expert discuss what each government wants from Syria, how they can address their most glaring friction points, and what the Trump administration can do to mediate the process.

With oil prices sliding and Iran talks ahead, the Gulf states are bracing for a high-stakes presidential visit.

The Trump administration needs to quietly but firmly signal Baghdad that enshrining the militia umbrella group as a de facto “Iraqi IRGC” would pose an unacceptable threat to U.S. interests.

The agreement has withstood all challenges so far, thanks in large part to the mechanism that Israel and the United States set up to ensure Hezbollah's southern assets are addressed—one way or another.

By encouraging the new Saudi-mediated talks with Damascus, Washington and its partners can help secure Beirut’s sovereignty, contain Hezbollah smuggling, and stabilize Lebanon’s other border with Israel.

Contrary to decades of conventional thinking, it turned out that an exceptional military campaign could damage the regime's regional standing—but now the United States must lead a similarly extraordinary civilian effort to make that change permanent.

The Kurdish-led group has reached important understandings with the new leadership in Damascus, but finalizing and implementing them while resolving points of contention will require further help from the United States and its partners.

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.

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

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.