All Policy Analysis by Dennis Ross

Even if the U.S. strike in Syria has not fundamentally changed the dynamic in the war, opening a new window of possibility, Washington has sent the powerful message that using chemical weapons carries a price.

The latest regime attack has once again shown that any effort to confront the Islamic State in Syria must also confront Assad.

In deciding whether to cooperate with Russia militarily, the U.S. administration must consider the Kremlin's ties to Iran and its Shiite proxies, and the associated risks of fueling future Sunni jihadist movements.

Those who think the two-state solution is being buried should put their shovels away.

By forcing the settlements issue prematurely, Israel's right-wing parties may have misjudged the new administration's interest in preserving its peacemaking options.

Like many of his predecessors, President Trump has come to office pledging to solve the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In this paper, two veteran U.S. peace negotiators point out the repeated failure of past efforts to reach "all-or-nothing" solutions to this conflict, urge the president not to seek a comprehensive settlement

Only a new U.S. policy that accepts some settlements while rejecting others would practically maintain the viability of two states in the future.

Iran's destabilizing presence throughout the region has grown in the year since the nuclear deal, so the new administration should take firm steps to curb it.

Given the unprecedented turmoil and uncertainty afflicting the Middle East, the new administration will need to devote particular care and urgency to understanding the essence of America's interests in the region, and applying clear principles in pursuing them. This is the advice offered by two U.S. diplomats with a distinguished

The new administration can succeed in the region if it understands the nature of the threats posed by Iran and radical Islamists, is prepared to work with America’s traditional partners, and appreciates how to take advantage of the latest local developments.

The Trump administration should take a new approach to the conflict, refining U.S. policy toward Israeli settlements and more actively promoting peaceful coexistence until meaningful negotiations become feasible again.

Making the concept of Israeli-Palestinian land swaps harder to implement is probably not the legacy President Obama wants, yet it may be one he has just made more likely.

The Trump administration cannot say it is going to be tougher on Iran and at the same time partner with Russia in Syria -- the two goals are mutually exclusive under the current circumstances.