Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

The Zarif Tape: Revelations on Russia, the Qods Force, and Iran’s Election

The foreign minister had much to say about the IRGC branch’s political interference at home and close relations with Moscow, and the regime has done nothing to dispute his account so far.

Apr 29, 2021

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Mehdi Khalaji

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Profile: Fatemiyoun Electronic Squad

Fatemiyoun Electronic Squad is a facade group that undertakes cyberattacks on behalf of Kataib Hezbollah, in close collaboration with other affiliates.

Apr 26, 2021

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Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

Brief Analysis

Hamas Fields a Militant Electoral List: Implications for U.S.-Palestinian Ties

The group plans to put numerous convicted terrorists on the ballot, and neither the PA nor the international community seems willing to talk about the potential legal, diplomatic, and budgetary consequences.

Apr 21, 2021

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Katherine Bauer
Matthew Levitt

Video

Brief Analysis

Can Erdogan Charm Biden?

An expert conversation on the pitfalls and potential areas of cooperation between Washington and Ankara in the coming years.

Apr 21, 2021

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Soner Cagaptay
Asli Aydintasbas
Max Hoffman
Jenny White

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Profile: Usbat al-Thaireen

Usbat al-Thaireen is the earliest known facade group employed to veil Kataib Hezbollah's culpability in anti-coalition operations, and its eventual shutdown may provide an important case study of such a group's complete life cycle.

Apr 20, 2021

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Crispin Smith
Michael Knights
Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

Photo of Muslim World League secretary-general Mohammad Al-Issa visiting Auschwitz

Video

Brief Analysis

Teaching the Holocaust in the Arab World

A remarkable panel of Arab educators, activists, and civic leaders share their experiences with breaking regional taboos and formulating effective ways to teach youths about genocide.

Apr 12, 2021

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Ali al-Nuaimi
Zeina Barakat
El Mehdi Boudra

Articles & Testimony

Team of Legal Gladiators? Iraqi Militias’ Tortured Relationship with Law

Iran-backed armed groups hate being exposed as criminals in the eyes of a populace that cares deeply about rule of law, so they have turned Iraq’s legal sector into a battlespace.

Apr 12, 2021

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Crispin Smith
Hamdi Malik
Michael Knights

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Profile: Sabereen News

Sabereen News is the main social media conglomerate supporting all "resistance" actions and factions in Iraq.

Apr 9, 2021

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Hamdi Malik
Crispin Smith
Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh

Brief Analysis

China’s Foreign Minister Tours the Middle East: Outcomes and Implications

The trip echoed Beijing’s strategy of stringing together initiatives that seem insubstantial on their own but cumulatively threaten to undermine U.S. and regional interests.

Apr 9, 2021

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Ilari Papa

Frech president Emmanuel Macron inspects the site of the Beirut port explosion

Brief Analysis

French-German Proposals to Rebuild Beirut Port: Policy Implications

Whoever winds up spearheading the reconstruction effort, Washington should stay on top of them to ensure that international prerequisites for reform and monitoring are enforced—and to keep China from exploiting Lebanon’s struggles.

Apr 9, 2021

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David Schenker

A delegation of Gulf Arab men and women visit Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

Articles & Testimony

The Crumbling Walls of Arab Holocaust Denial

Four factors have gradually legitimized honest regional discussion of the Holocaust and made traditional statements of denial and distortion less acceptable.

Apr 8, 2021

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Will Khamenei’s Son Play a Role in Iranian Succession?

Revived rumors about Mojtaba Khamenei’s activities inside the regime provide another lens through which to view the complex dynamics that will drive the eventual succession process.

Apr 7, 2021

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Wilfried Buchta

Brief Analysis

The Hamzah Affair: Context and Implications of Jordan’s Royal Crisis

The immediate crisis seems to have ended for now, but the stunningly public Hashemite feud is a reminder that Jordan’s stability needs tending and is not something to be taken for granted by Washington or Amman’s regional friends.

Apr 5, 2021

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Ghaith al-Omari
Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

One Less Hurdle Before Iraqi Elections

A complicated parliamentary compromise has reactivated some of the machinery required for this year’s proposed ballot and a potential resolution to the KRG energy dispute, though the country’s hobbled legal institutions are still holding back reform.

Apr 1, 2021

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Safwan Al-Amin
Bilal Wahab

Satellite map of wider Rea Sea with country names

In-Depth Reports

The Case for a Holistic U.S. Policy Toward the Emerging Red Sea Region

To promote stability and other U.S. interests, Washington must reshape its approach to this increasingly complex staging ground for global competition.

Apr 1, 2021

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Elana DeLozier

◆ Transition 2021

Articles & Testimony

No, Putin Will Not Help at UN on Syria

Wishful thinking aside, Moscow will continue to push solely for its own interests in these discussions, which for the foreseeable future means empowering Assad.

Mar 30, 2021

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Brief Analysis

Egypt-Turkey Rapprochement Is Constraining the Muslim Brotherhood

Recent understandings between Cairo and Ankara have many of the group’s exiled figures worried about their future on Turkish soil.

Mar 30, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Video

Brief Analysis

Iran's Long Game in Syria

Three scholars explore the stunning breadth of Iranian dominance over Damascus and what this means for any U.S. plans to foster stability in Syria or reopen negotiations with Tehran.

Mar 29, 2021

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Oula A. Alrifai
Nakissa Jahanbani
Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

The New Palestinian Fork in the Road: Will They Take It?

New proposals by Palestinian commentators can give Abbas and other senior officials a viable framework for rescheduling premature elections and jumpstarting engagement with Israel, Egypt, and Jordan.

Mar 29, 2021

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David Pollock

Articles & Testimony

What Biden Can Do for Libya

The U.S. does not always have to be at the head of the table, but it has to be present and ready to jump in if progress stalls on issues such as advancing political dialogue, holding elections on time, and addressing Russia’s worrisome military encroachment.

Mar 26, 2021

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Ben Fishman

Supported by the

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics focuses on social, political, and economic developments in the Arab world, with an emphasis on the Arab countries of the Levant.

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Featured experts

David Schenker

David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics. He is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.

Ghaith al-Omari

Ghaith al-Omari is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship.

Hanin Ghaddar

Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute's Rubin Family Arab Politics Program, where she focuses on Shia politics throughout the Levant.

Bilal Wahab

Bilal Wahab was the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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Regions & Countries

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Arab & Islamic Politics

Policy Analysis on Arab & Islamic Politics

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

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