All Policy Analysis by Anna Borshchevskaya

The author’s return to a post-Assad Syria revealed grounds for hope—but also sobering reminders of how far the country has to go in shoring up its economy, governance, and internal security.

While it no longer enjoys primacy in Damascus, the Kremlin has proven itself able to adapt to the new reality, and Washington must play the long game in response.

Former senior U.S. defense officials join a Russia expert to discuss how the Iran crisis is shaping Moscow’s military, political, and economic ambitions in the region.

Whatever course Iran and the wider Middle East may take following the war, Russia is well positioned for the aftermath.

The first presidential visit to China in nearly a decade will cover trade, technology, and a range of other bilateral topics, including frank conversations on Middle East subjects such as Beijing’s support to Iran and the wider global repercussions of the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Three experts examine how Moscow, Beijing, and European capitals are navigating the crisis and what their choices reveal about the future of the global order.

By offering military expertise and technology to the Gulf states, Kyiv has given the U.S. government a unique opportunity to counter Iran and Russia while boosting the security of American partners and forces in the region.

The de facto halt to Gulf oil shipments has already helped Moscow win back India as a major oil customer, while the rise in global prices could greatly refresh its depleted Ukraine war budget.

Washington Institute experts explain what U.S. officials and military planners should be on the lookout for as great power competitors and close allies outside the region consider their responses to the crisis.

Putin has been using his position in the region to chip away at Russia’s isolation during the Ukraine war, and another Middle East regime change won’t do much to change that strategy.

Join us for a special conversation with the former top U.S. envoy for Ukraine. This event has been postponed.

Russia has been quietly reconsolidating its military patronage, energy ties, and future business prospects in Syria for more than a year, but Washington has multiple options for countering Moscow’s long game.

Moscow has cultivated ties with U.S. adversaries and allies alike, and Washington must respond by advancing a holistic policy that empowers Ukrainian commercial interests and addresses deficits in sanctions policy.

Moscow has certainly not left the Middle East playing field, and many countries will continue expanding their Russian ties unless Washington convinces them there are better options.

A distinguished panel of experts and veteran diplomats sets the stage for the president’s historic White House visit, examining critical U.S., Israeli, and Syrian issues as well as lessons from past diplomatic efforts.

By enticing Damascus with “no strings attached” deals, Moscow is once again trying to use Syria as a long-term strategic cudgel against U.S. interests, making it all the more urgent for Western governments to make fuller use of their current economic leverage.

The Israeli and U.S. military campaigns revealed how far Moscow and Beijing are willing to go (or not go) in their support for Tehran, providing Washington with opportunities to keep Iran in a weakened position.

The axis hasn’t fallen apart—if anything, these countries appear willing to work together even more closely now than before the Iran-Israel war.

Although Tehran’s current vulnerability presents important opportunities to counter Russia’s strategic ambitions, Moscow has long retained its influence in the region by purposefully avoiding overcommitment to any one partner.

A compilation of views on the next round of prospective talks with Iran, sanctions relief options, military and technical considerations, the international role, and more.