Policy Analysis

Last week’s population census in Iraq became the country's first in almost three decades.

Join us for a special expert webcast examining the prospects for lasting peace in light of the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire. Watch live starting at 10:00 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) on Monday, December 2, 2024.

Iraqi militias were already powering down for weeks before the November 18 Israeli warning, after which attacks dropped off almost entirely.

A poster of 36 militia “martyrs” provides useful data about how was killed by the U.S. at certain times and places.

The decision would require tradeoffs affecting the security, survivability, and military credibility of Tehran's nascent arsenal.

Amid serious escalation in the Middle East, the United States should more clearly frame its recent deployment of B-2 and B-52 bombers to the region as a warning to Iran—and reinforce this with more posturing, messaging, and accelerated deployment of deep penetrators.

The ongoing tensions in Nineveh's municipal council highlight how regional powers vie for influence in Iraq's local elections.

Signs that Ankara is interested in a potential reconciliation with the PKK could lead an end to a decades-long conflict and have ripple effects across the region, although numerous obstacles remain.

Saraya Awliya al-Dam launched a Shahed drone from a small boat in an apparent effort to draw attention by demonstrating a rudimentary new capability.

A terrorism expert assesses how Washington and its partners can best counter—and in some cases engage—jihadist actors in Afghanistan and the Sahel amid growing limitations on U.S. influence in such locales.

A group with a Saudi-linked name has claimed six attacks on Israel, but they were probably launched from Iraq using Kataib Hezbollah and/or Houthi drone teams.

An Iraqi militia directorate that has grown into a major state-funded educational foundation, arranging university education for students tied to the PMF and sending some to Iran on scholarships paid by Tehran.

In seeking to bolster partnerships and simultaneously protect U.S. technology, officials will need to navigate export options ranging from permissive to restrictive.

The nascent administration needs to clarify its stances on preventing an Iranian nuclear breakout, investing in Arab-Israel military cooperation, and responding to potential West Bank annexations.

Although recent military setbacks have fueled Iranian talk about a possible nuclear breakout, uncertainty about the risks, costs, and utility of weaponization may give the United States leverage to ensure that Tehran continues to hedge.

The administration should first consider how enhanced sanctions would fit into its broader regional policy before talking about how to get them going again.

A panel of distinguished journalists from across the Middle East discuss regional perspectives on the second Trump administration’s potential approach to critical issues of war and peace.

A look at how his new administration might combine old and new policies to tamp down the past year of war and address other threats.

The energy transition in both countries includes a continued need for fossil fuels while reducing emissions—though Riyadh hopes to export “all forms of energy” down the road, and Abu Dhabi seeks nuclear advances to meet power demand.

Many leaders seem eager for the return of a U.S. administration that has shown a predilection for encouraging big business ties—though the ten weeks before Inauguration Day will be fraught with risks of new or escalated regional crises.