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Military & Security

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Photo of smoke rising over Doha following an Israeli strike in September 2025.
Brief Analysis
Israel Strikes Qatar: Implications for Gaza Diplomacy, Gulf Relations, and U.S. Policy
A compilation of Washington Institute views on the fallout of the targeted strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, including what the United States and its partners can do to translate this latest Israeli military surprise into beneficial political achievements.
Sep 10, 2025
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  • Robert Satloff
  • Elizabeth Dent
  • Simon Henderson
  • David Makovsky
A Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) soldier
Brief Analysis
Without a Hezbollah Disarmament Deadline, Lebanon Should Face Repercussions
The government and military’s decision to seize the group’s weapons is unprecedented and welcome—but it won’t mean anything without a clear and viable timeline for implementation, especially as political maneuvering for next year’s election begins.
Sep 8, 2025
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
Photo of a Houthi funeral in Yemen following an Israeli strike that killed multiple government officials.
Brief Analysis
Israel and the Houthis Are Entering a Dangerous Escalation Cycle
Despite their confident saber rattling, both sides face real constraints that could impede their operational goals, and their actions increase the risks to maritime security, energy exports, and broader regional stability.
Sep 5, 2025
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  • April Longley Alley
Brief Analysis
Iran’s Nuclear Reconstitution Options
Iran’s leaders have several paths to restoring or reconfiguring their nuclear program—some more realistic or risky than others—so Washington should focus on shaping which route they choose rather than discounting the possibility altogether.
Sep 4, 2025
◆
  • Richard Nephew
An IDF display of weapons seized from a Hezbollah cache in southern Lebanon - source: Reuters
Maps & Graphics
Articles & Testimony
Disarming Hezbollah: Much Talk, Little Action
President Aoun has promised Washington that he will begin confiscating Hezbollah’s weapons soon, but he is delivering a different message to the group and its political allies.
August 2025
◆
  • Ehud Yaari
LAF soldiers study a map - source: Lebanese Armed Forces
Brief Analysis
Lebanon’s Moment of Truth
The government’s unprecedented decision to disarm Hezbollah is brave, but as U.S. officials have repeatedly discovered, continual pressure will be needed to ensure that Lebanon and Israel actually implement their obligations under the new plan.
Aug 27, 2025
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  • David Schenker
Passports seized from foriegn fighters in northern Syria - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Syrian Citizenship for Foreign Fighters? U.S. Red Lines and Nuances
Any proposal for granting citizenship to such fighters must be careful, clear, and firm in how it addresses various complexities, including international concerns about external security threats, Syria’s stability, and the post-Assad accountability process.
Aug 27, 2025
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  • Devorah Margolin
Somali cadets march during a graduation ceremony following training in Turkey - source: Turkish government
Brief Analysis
To Halt the Jihadist Advance in Somalia, Work with Turkey and the UAE
Overhauled Turkish and Emirati training programs for the Somali army and renewed funding for the African Union mission could provide the boost that Mogadishu needs, and Washington should push for both.
Aug 20, 2025
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  • Ido Levy
UN peacekeepers affiliated with UNIFIL are pictured along the Israel-Lebanon border - source: Reuters
Video
Brief Analysis
The Future of UNIFIL and Hezbollah Disarmament
Former Israeli and Lebanese military officials discuss whether the UN force can play any effective role in the urgent tasks of expanding Beirut’s sovereignty and disarming Hezbollah.
Aug 18, 2025
◆
  • Khalil Helou
  • Sarit Zehavi
  • Assaf Orion
Kataib Hezbollah troops receiving instruction in Iraq
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Kataib Hezbollah Leader Meets With Coordination Framework, Refuses Government Authority to Censure
KH's secretary-general signaled that his terrorist organization would not face negative consequences for killing an Iraqi policeman. Thus far, he's right.
Aug 18, 2025
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
  • Ameer al-Kaabi
◆ Militia Spotlight
Men stand next to exhibits at the International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi - source: Reuters
Video
Brief Analysis
Arms Sales and the Middle East: Another Arena for Great Power Competition?
Security experts discuss Russia and China’s varying approaches to expanding their weapons exports and broader influence in the region and beyond.
Aug 15, 2025
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  • Samuel Bendett
  • Ionela Ciolan
  • Laura Cressey
  • Jake Rinaldi
Israeli and UAE flags flying together in Abu Dhabi - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Israel-UAE Defense Cooperation Grows Under the Abraham Accords
Negotiations between Elbit Systems and EDGE Group over the Hermes 900 UAV system exemplify how the accords are ushering in a new era of defense-industrial cooperation.
Aug 5, 2025
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  • Elizabeth Dent
Brief Analysis
If Iraq Passes the New PMF Law, the U.S. Response Should Be Severe
Permanently enshrining Iran-backed terrorist groups inside the Iraqi state would be a massive blow to U.S. interests, so Washington’s reaction should be clear, proportionately harsh, and coordinated with other regional partners who have likewise been victimized by these groups.
Aug 4, 2025
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  • David Schenker
Iranian and Russian flags on a table
Brief Analysis
Exploiting Fault Lines in Iran’s Relations with Russia and China After the Israel War
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.
Aug 1, 2025
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
  • Grant Rumley
The national flags of China and Iran fly in Tiananmen Square during Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Beijing, China, February 14, 2023 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Tehran’s Wake Up Call for Beijing
The military clash over Iran's nuclear program confirmed what Chinese strategists have long preached: in great-power contests, hard power decides outcomes.
Jul 31, 2025
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  • Grant Rumley
  • Craig Singleton
MS-KH-Cover
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Kataib Hezbollah Kills an Iraqi Policeman and Civilian in Baghdad
The clash occurred when a KH-protected official was removed from a lucrative position that has given the terrorist group access to massive tracts of fertile farming land in southern Baghdad.
Jul 29, 2025
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  • Michael Knights
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Ameer al-Kaabi
◆ Militia Spotlight
MS-Cover-Kurdistan-Attacks
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militias Strain Credibility by Denying Involvement in Kurdistan Drone Attacks
Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq are improbably trying to distance themselves from drone strikes in northern Iraq, including multiple attacks on U.S. oil investors.
Jul 25, 2025
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
  • Ameer al-Kaabi
◆ Militia Spotlight
A poster at a Pentagon briefing depicts the U.S. bombing attack on Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment facility in July 2025 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
After the Bombing: Iran’s Nuclear Options
While the recent military strikes against its nuclear program may further incentivize Tehran to go for the bomb, they may also complicate such efforts and give Washington more leverage to dissuade it.
Jul 23, 2025
◆
  • Michael Eisenstadt
Bedouin fighters stopped at a government checkpoint near Suwayda in July 2025 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Making Sure Damascus Learns the Right Lessons from the Suwayda Clashes
The deep problems within the transitional government’s security ranks have once again been tragically exposed, so the Trump administration should increase pressure on the foreign fighter issue and related matters—for the sake of Syria’s minorities and U.S. regional interests alike.
Jul 21, 2025
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  • Andrew J. Tabler
MS-UABProfile-Cover
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Uli al-Baas
An Iran-linked propaganda and paramilitary formation with stated ambitions to form a new anti-government insurgent and political structure in Syria.
Jul 21, 2025
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  • Sary Mumayiz
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

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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.

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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.
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 the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner 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.
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