All Policy Analysis by Michael Knights

If the battle lines stay where they are now, with the capital and largest port still out of government control, then the Iranian-backed Houthis will effectively have won the war.

Washington should accelerate common-sense economic efforts that can help right away, even as the fraught, slow-moving UN peace process continues.

There are alternatives to the overt presence of U.S. controllers on the ground, and allies can help maintain the tempo of strikes in various ways.

The U.S.-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State is the strongest alliance Iraq has ever enjoyed, but much of the resultant international attention and support could dissipate if forces are removed.

The Iraqi militia seeks to follow peers like the Sadrist movement and Badr Organization, but it must first back up its rhetoric with moderating actions.

The Saudi-led coalition would face several tactical and diplomatic challenges if full-scale fighting resumes on the coast, so it may seek a gradual, low-profile reduction of the Houthi presence.

Amid mounting evidence that the rebels are trying to collapse the ceasefire, Washington should rally a multinational demarche to accelerate their withdrawal from key ports and urban areas.

To pressure Iran without cornering Iraq, U.S. officials should set a program of activities with achievable timeframes, supported by public diplomacy.

If Washington abandons its low-cost, high-impact approach to fighting ISIS in Syria, it will pave the way for a host of bad actors to reestablish themselves there.

Attack data shows that the group is enthusiastically regrouping in a more concentrated area of northern Iraq, and the government is not adapting fast enough to stop it.

Looking back one year on, the September 25, 2017 Kurdistan independence referendum and the October 16, 2017 Iraqi overrun of Kirkuk were disastrous setbacks for U.S. national security interests. With Iraq and the Kurdistan Region—America’s key allies in the counter-Islamic State campaign—having fought each other on the battlefield, these partners

Washington is launching a seemingly determined effort to end the war, but are Iran and its Houthi allies ready to compromise with their enemies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE?

Four experts who recently returned from Baghdad and Erbil report on the results of the government formation process.

The United States should keep training and advising Saudi forces if they meet certain conditions, but it should end refueling support to Saudi aircraft operating near Yemen.

Washington should continue its selective approach to restricting the delivery of certain offensive weapons, yet leave defensive procurement on track.