Skip to main content
TWI logo The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
logo
wordmark
Homepage

Main navigation

  • Analysis
  • Experts
  • About
  • Support
  • Maps & Multimedia
Trending:
  • Democracy & Reform
  • Terrorism
  • Lebanon
  • Iran
  • Israel
  • Syria

Regions & Countries

  • Egypt
  • Gulf States
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Middle East
  • North Africa
  • Palestinians
  • Syria
  • Turkey

Issues

  • Arab & Islamic Politics
  • Arab-Israeli Relations
  • Democracy & Reform
  • Energy & Economics
  • Great Power Competition
  • Gulf & Energy Policy
  • Military & Security
  • Peace Process
  • Proliferation
  • Terrorism
  • U.S. Policy
TWI English
TWI Arabic: اللغة العربية Fikra Forum

Breadcrumb

  • Policy Analysis

Military & Security

Policy Analysis on Military & Security

Filter by:

Qais_AAH
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Asaib Ahl al-Haq Accuses Falih al-Fayyadh of Turkish Collusion
Asaib Ahl al-Haq continues to battle with Falih al-Fayyadh, this time highlighting the latter's alleged ties to Turkey as a means to undermine the Popular Mobilization Forces secretary-general
May 8, 2025
◆
  • Ameer al-Kaabi
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
KH_protest
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Return of Abu Ali al-Askari
In its first statement since October, a notorious Kataib Hezbollah Telegram account offered a deeper dive into how the "resistance" views a range of new developments in Iraq, Syria, and Iran.
Apr 24, 2025
◆
  • Crispin Smith
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Sharaa_wanted
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Sudani's Invitation to Ahmed al-Sharaa Triggers Militia Backlash
Iraq's self-styled "resistance" had an allergic reaction to the idea of Syria's new president setting foot on Iraqi soil, putting Prime Minister Sudani at odds with some of his terrorist supporters.
Apr 23, 2025
◆
  • Ameer al-Kaabi
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
KH-Prayers
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Kataib Hezbollah Chief Urges Ongoing Caution with the United States
Abu Hussein has asked the group's fighters to keep showing restraint, seemingly reinforcing Iran's preference for calm as nuclear talks with Washington proceed.
Apr 22, 2025
◆
  • Crispin Smith
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Flight deck crew issues commands to a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet prior to launch from the carrier USS Harry S. Truman - source: Department of Defense
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Is the Houthi Threat a Checkmate for U.S. Military Logistics?
The Iran-backed militia’s disruption of Red Sea shipping is threatening America’s ability to rapidly deploy and supply its forces in the Middle East and beyond, but a combination of logistical workarounds, military measures, and diplomatic efforts may be the answer.
Apr 21, 2025
◆
  • James E. Shepard
An Iraqi member of a Shia PMF militia
Brief Analysis
The Danger of Letting Iraq’s PMF Authority Law Pass
The Trump administration needs to quietly but firmly signal Baghdad that enshrining the militia umbrella group as a de facto “Iraqi IRGC” would pose an unacceptable threat to U.S. interests.
Apr 8, 2025
◆
  • Michael Knights
Photo of an F-18 fighter jet launching from a U.S. aircraft carrier.
Video
Brief Analysis
Assessing the U.S. Military Campaign Against the Houthis
Experts discuss how the new campaign differs from previous U.S. strikes in Yemen, what targets are being hit, and whether it can resolve the threat without broader American policy efforts.
Mar 28, 2025
◆
  • Elizabeth Dent
  • Michael Knights
  • Noam Raydan
Abdul-Mahdi_Sanaa
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Abdulmahdi in Yemen: An Emerging Militia Godfather
A former Iraqi prime minister is using his freedom from U.S. sanctions to act as an envoy between designated terrorist groups.
Mar 28, 2025
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
The U.S. Navy aircraft carriers Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower on joint operations in the CENTCOM region - source: Department of Defense
Brief Analysis
Two Carriers in the Middle East: Implications for the Houthis, Iran, and U.S. Force Readiness
The decision to order an additional carrier strike group to the region comes amid the Trump administration’s new campaign against the Houthis and public warnings to Iran, though it could affect U.S. force readiness worldwide.
Mar 27, 2025
◆
  • Elizabeth Dent
US and Israeli military planes participate in the 2023 Juniper Oak joint exercise - source: IDF
Video
Brief Analysis
Bombing Iran's Nuclear Program: Implications of Preventive Action
Washington Institute experts discuss what challenges must be addressed in negotiating a new nuclear deal or, failing that, planning a military campaign to degrade or destroy the program.
Mar 25, 2025
◆
  • Dana Stroul
  • Richard Nephew
  • Michael Eisenstadt
  • Holly Dagres
Articles & Testimony
How the Trump Administration Can Limit China’s Arms Exports
Using a combination of bilateral and multilateral tools, Washington can curtail China’s ability to produce and export quality weapons while pressuring governments who consider buying them.
Mar 21, 2025
◆
  • Grant Rumley
A United Nations peacepeeker scans the terrain in southern Lebanon - source: Untied Nations
Brief Analysis
Moving Past “Wait and See” in South Lebanon: The U.S.-French Role
The announcement of "working groups" between Israel and Lebanon comes at a key juncture in the ceasefire, and complementary action by the United States and France can facilitate full implementation.
Mar 18, 2025
◆
  • Souhire Medini
An Iraqi member of a Shia PMF militia
Brief Analysis
Iraq’s PMF Law Is No Substitute for Real Security Reform
The Trump administration should not be duped by the supposed “reforms” that militia leaders are considering in parliament, which threaten to turn the PMF into another Iranian “Revolutionary Guard” and keep U.S.-designated terrorists in key posts.
Mar 17, 2025
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
Qais_Sulaimani
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Dual Face of Qais al-Khazali: Extremist at Heart, Politician by Necessity
Khazali presents himself as a mainstream political figure, but his internal narrative reveals unwavering loyalty to Iran's "axis of resistance" and a deeply entrenched extremist ideology opposed to the West.
Mar 17, 2025
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
An F35A fighter on a night-training mission at dusk
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Attacking Iran's Nuclear Program:
The Complex Calculus of Preventive Action
Should a negotiated deal prove elusive, policymakers will need to consider how to define a successful strike, Iran’s potential responses, and whether a strategy of prevention can be sustained.
Mar 11, 2025
◆
  • Michael Eisenstadt
Uli al-Baas cover 1
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Uli al-Baas (Part 2): Key Analytic Findings
Uli al-Baas certainly looks and feels like an Iran-supported militia info-ops platform, designed to give the impression (possibly accurate) that a pantheon of armed groups are activating to fight Israel and the new Syrian government.
Mar 9, 2025
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
  • Sary Mumayiz
◆ Militia Spotlight
Uli al-Baas-Syria
Maps & Graphics
Uli al-Baas (Part 1): A New Islamic Resistance Front in Syria?
A newly formed "resistance" group emerged online in January, vowing to confront Israel's presence and Syria’s interim president.
Mar 9, 2025
◆
  • Sary Mumayiz
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Soldiers from the Texas National Guard participate in a change-of-command ceremony in Iraq - source: Department of Defense
Articles & Testimony
Iraqis Fear That Trump’s America Will Depart Once and For All
Baghdad has good reason to be concerned about the relationship’s trajectory, but that doesn’t mean Washington should proceed with troop withdrawals just yet.
Mar 4, 2025
◆
  • David Schenker
A priest leads an Easter mass at the Grand Immaculate Church in Al-Hamdaniya, Iraq, April 9, 2023 - source: Reuters
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Babylon Brigade Plans to Rig 2025 Voting in Christian Areas
An Iran-backed brigade led by a U.S.-designated human rights abuser is preparing to repeat its unfair practices and dominate local Christian voting in this year's general election.
Mar 3, 2025
◆
  • Yaqoub Beth-Addai
◆ Militia Spotlight
Syria's Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani speaks during a meeting with Syrian diaspora after the International Conference on Syria in Paris on February 13, 2025 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Post-Paris Steps in Syria Could Be Decisive
With the clock ticking on the post-Assad honeymoon period, Washington still has time to acknowledge the realities on the ground by providing crucial U.S. know-how and strategic support to the international aid, recovery, and counterterrorism missions.
Feb 28, 2025
◆
  • Devorah Margolin
  • Aaron Y. Zelin

Pagination

  • Current page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Page 9
  • …
  • Last page Last »
  • Next page Next ›
Supported by the

Military and Security Studies Program

The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program has established itself as an unrivaled source of reliable, incisive, and forward-looking analysis concerning several of the most critical national-security challenges facing the United States today: The U.S. military role in the Middle East, Iran's nuclear program and its proxy armies, the ongoing conflict is in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, the regional proliferation of missiles and weapons of mass destruction, the security dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and many other security issues on the frontline of the U.S. policymaking agenda.

Sign Up for Email Updates from The Washington Institute

Never miss a breaking event on U.S. policy interests in the Middle East. Customize your subscription to our expert analysis, op-eds, live events, and special reports.

Sign up

Featured experts

Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Senior Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.
Michael Knights
Michael Knights
Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and cofounder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to Iran-backed militias.
Grant Rumley
Grant Rumley
Grant Rumley is the Meisel-Goldberger Senior Fellow and Director of the Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Elizabeth Dent - source: The Washington Institute
Elizabeth Dent
Elizabeth Dent is a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where she focuses on U.S. foreign and defense policy toward the Gulf states, Iraq, and Syria.
Background image with TWI branding
logo
wordmark
Homepage

1111 19th Street NW - Suite 500
Washington D.C. 20036
Tel: 202-452-0650
Fax: 202-223-5364

Footer contact links

  • Contact
  • Press Room
  • Subscribe

The Washington Institute seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them.

The Institute is a 501(c)3 organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

Footer quick links

  • About TWI
  • Support the Institute
  • Alumni

Social media

  • The Washington Institute on Facebook facebook
  • The Washington Institute on X x
  • The Washington Institute on YouTube youtube
  • The Washington Institute on LinkedIn linkedin

© 2025 All rights reserved.

Footer

  • Employment
  • Privacy Policy
  • Rights & Permissions