Policy Analysis

Iraq’s bloated 2023 budget has created space for the Kurds to get a share of the wealth this year, but preparing for the next leap to permanent solutions is more important.

The profiles are a repository of institutional memory on the various armed groups, facade groups, and social organizations associated with Iraqi militias, to be used as concise reminders of how these entities are connected.

Despite facing unprecedented protests and other deep challenges, the Supreme Leader delivered upbeat New Year’s messages and argued that simply controlling runaway inflation would solve most of Iran’s ills.

Three experts unveil a powerful new interactive tool designed to help policymakers, scholars, journalists, and the general public better understand and analyze the Islamic State’s global reach.

The region has been most receptive to Moscow’s war narrative, which Russian state-run media outlets have been permitted to spread far and wide with no Ukrainian or Western counter-narrative.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a ripple effect on global politics, including in the Middle East.

Astronomical models provide a surprisingly helpful illustration of how Iran-backed armed groups wield power in the MENA region.

Their latest gathering at Sharm al-Sheikh was a welcome opportunity to discuss de-escalation and establish closer ties between key civilian officials, but their efforts may not mean much in the end without visible movement on the security, economic, and political fronts.

Israel should act quickly on multiple fronts to show Hezbollah that it will not shy away from escalation, especially if the organization continues to test it.

Despite representing a significant escalation, the incident also continues a longstanding pattern of behavior aimed at rewriting the informal understandings established since the 2006 war.

Similar to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Iraqi "resistance" groups have long sought a company with preferential access to lucrative state contracts, and the Sudani government is finally providing them after years of opposition—on the Saudi border no less.

The slow-rolling regime change focused on capturing U.S.-supported institutions and turning them against U.S. interests, highlighting the threat that motivated, well-funded groups pose to developing democracies.

A narrowing space for reliable media has encouraged alternative platforms that promote hateful language, bigotry, and racism directed toward Syrians.

After falling under the control of "resistance"-linked board members, this key Iraqi media institution began a widespread crackdown on freedom of expression.

For those promoting federalism in Lebanon, a historical analysis of the country's geographic and ethnosectarian divisions demonstrates the necessity of inclusive discussion and collective engagement.

Two decades after the fall of Saddam Hussein, widespread frustration with the current state of Iraq is leading increasing numbers to express a negative view of life in the post-Saddam era in public opinion polling.

Rampant corruption and economic instability facilitated Saied’s takeover, but Western governments need to recognize that these ills stem from deeper human rights problems such as unchecked police brutality, erosion of freedoms, and lack of respect for due process.

An Iran-backed militia run by a notorious human rights abuser was kicked out of a Christian town after it tried to replace local police leaders.

The steps taken to actually implement Riyadh and Tehran’s new normalization accord bear close watching given the uncertainties surrounding their 1998 and 2001 agreements.

Kataib Babiliyoun pretends to be a local Christian unit, but its members have been recruited from Shia Muslim communities in southern Iraq with the goal of dominating Iraq's strategic Nineveh Plains region.