Policy Analysis

A former U.S. envoy to Syria joins an expert on President Sharaa’s ruling faction to discuss how Damascus should approach governance issues one year after the fall of Assad.

In addition to providing discounted crude of a quality desired by American refiners, the resumption of oil flows via the ITP is already showing promise of furthering U.S. policy toward partners and adversaries alike.

The transitional leadership can claim several successes, but a shadow government, opaque economic practices, and uneven accountability for former regime crimes could undermine progress.

For the Gaza ceasefire to survive, each side will need to address the persistent challenges of West Bank settler violence and Hamas weapons.

Washington and its allies are waiting for Beirut to acknowledge the difficult but unavoidable truth: that war will resume unless serious action is taken to target all the pillars of Hezbollah’s power, bolster Shia political alternatives, and otherwise satisfy the ceasefire’s most important requirement: disarming the group.

Reservoirs are drying up due to systemic mismanagement and other problems, and regime officials do not appear willing or able to undertake the necessary fixes.

Although Washington should keep pressing the Lebanese government to seize weapons and prosecute political assassins, the chances of Beirut actually confronting the militia appear increasingly slim.

For many Iraqis who dreamed of a state built on the rule of law and robust institutions, the outcome of this year’s vote feels like a major setback.

Moscow won’t feel the pain as long as China keeps buying, but Washington can change Beijing’s calculus by threatening to block access to the U.S. financial system.

With President Trump recently pledging to help Saudi Arabia and other regional partners broker a ceasefire, his administration should focus on pressuring the external spoilers who have fueled the fighting.

Instead of pinning a terrorist designation on the entire group, the Trump administration should focus more narrowly on the national security threats presented by individual Brotherhood branches and organizations, especially those funding Hamas.

As the Saudi crown prince visits Washington, the United States should use the occasion—as well as American leverage—to roll back China’s influence in the country.

A historic city has fallen, but if the world listens carefully, it may yet rise again as a catalyst for a different path in which power flows from legitimacy, not force.

Sudani did very well at the ballot box, but the peculiarities of Iraq’s long government formation process and the final distribution of parliamentary seats may leave the main Iran-backed coalition in the driver’s seat.

For the United States and Saudi Arabia to both win in today’s competitive global ecosystem, they need each other, and the Trump administration is poised to cap years of bipartisan effort by taking the relationship to new levels.

Recent academic output from both countries reveals joint research efforts in numerous military-related fields and some convergence between their defense innovation ecosystems, posing potential risks to the United States and its partners.

Washington Institute experts discuss each government’s likely agenda for the landmark visit, from dealmaking in the energy and AI sectors to deepening the bilateral defense relationship and taking the difficult next steps in the fragile Gaza ceasefire plan.

The Trump administration’s full-throated assurance of support for Qatar and willingness to pressure Israel on key issues could set a new benchmark for U.S. security relationships with the Gulf countries.

An in-depth look at the legal regime that Syria's transitional authorities have put in place to deal with religious minorities, focusing on how its policies have played out in a climate of ongoing violence and public distrust.

The UN Support Mission in Libya and the country’s rival legislatures are pushing to restructure the electoral authority, an effort that risks politicizing one of the country’s few remaining trusted institutions.