All Policy Analysis by Dennis Ross

Read or watch urgent insights into America’s objectives in Iran and the policies that would best advance U.S. security, help the Iranian people, and improve the prospects for long-term regional stability.

Neither side seems to want a war, but they fear the costs of backing down and are apparently convinced the other side will blink first.

The Trump administration needs to exert pressure on each of the “two Gazas,” pushing Hamas and its regional interlocutors on disarmament while pressing Israel to play a more constructive role and conduct phased withdrawals when merited.

The success of the administration’s new approach hinges on updating U.S. government tools and structures needed to fuel its ambitions and manage the associated strategic risks.

Washington Institute experts and former officials lay out the urgent need for clarity on vital questions related to U.S. oversight, the stalled International Stabilization Force, Israel’s red lines, Hamas opposition to multilateral proposals, the contours of the PA’s role, and more.

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.

Thirty years after Rabin’s assassination, Israel is ignoring the crucial Palestinian lessons handed down by its most intellectually honest statesman.

With Hamas already regrouping, U.S. officials must help craft targeted language that empowers the Board of Peace to oversee a technocratic administration and stabilization force, with the goal of quickly filling the territory’s governance and security vacuum.

The momentum created by phase one of the peace plan will eventually fade, so the Trump administration must work quickly with its partners to establish clarity on complex issues like disarming Hamas and securing Gaza, and on identifying the actors to implement them.

An Emirati official and an Israeli expert join two former U.S. officials to discuss the ongoing aftershocks of the Hamas attack, including the revised prospects for peace amid the Trump administration's new diplomatic push.

Distinguished former officials and analysts mark two years since the horrific attack on Israel, assessing how best to build on new diplomatic momentum in Gaza while avoiding long-term damage to the prospects of regional integration.

The 21-point U.S. plan offers an alternative to Hamas governance, but the president will have to ensure an interim administration meets its disarmament commitments—and support Israeli responses if Hamas reemerges.

Instead of empty gestures, Western leaders could have pressed for a detailed postwar plan for securing Gaza, removing Hamas from power, reforming the PA, and laying real foundations for future statehood.

After seeing President Clinton’s chance at a deal slip away, America’s former top peace envoy explains how Trump has a wide—but brief—window to press Arab and Israeli leaders on resolving the Gaza conflict and other regional issues.

The prime minister has shown historic military resolve, but political courage must come next.

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.

Two veteran U.S. officials join a former Israeli ambassador to discuss the effects and future consequences of the Trump administration’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear program.

U.S. and Israeli experts assess the quickly evolving situation as the IDF continues striking targets across the country, Tehran retaliates with missile salvos, and the international community mulls how best to contain the crisis.

A ten-year memorandum of understanding lapses during the president’s term, and he will have to decide whether negotiating a new deal serves American interests.

In this second of several daily videos from Washington Institute scholars, Ambassador Dennis Ross reviews activity on the first day of President Trump's May 2025 trip to the Gulf region.