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:
  • Military & Security
  • Proliferation
  • Israel
  • Iran
  • Lebanon
  • 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:

Articles & Testimony
Is a New Israel-Hezbollah War Looming?
After many years serving as Iran’s mercenaries in regional wars, Hezbollah leaders now feel compelled to resume their aggressive approach to Israel.
Sep 9, 2023
◆
  • David Schenker
Qais al-Khazali and Hadi al-Ameri
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Coordination Framework's Four-Way Split in Provincial Elections (Part 2): Division Over Diyala?
Diyala is the one area where the CF's main militia politicians are competing, with the upstart Qais al-Khazali trying to challenge his elders Hadi al-Ameri and Faleh al-Fayyad in their tribal home province.
Sep 12, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Iraq elections
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Coordination Framework's Four-Way Split in Provincial Elections (Part 1): Overarching Trends
Badr, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Nouri al-Maliki are testing each other's strength in the south but mostly hanging together in the north.
Sep 11, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
A hotel building in Kabul damaged by a bomb claimed by the Islamic State affiliate ISKIP - source: Reuters
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
ISKP Goes Global: External Operations from Afghanistan
Two decades after the 9/11 attacks, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan is once again becoming a haven for terrorist activities abroad—but this time by a local Islamic State branch.
Sep 11, 2023
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Rayan al-Kildani in a gaudy fake gold chair
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Rayan al-Kildani Pretends to Have a Personal Audience with the Pope
A serious Iraqi human rights abuser sank to new depths to build his credibility after being rejected by the country's Christian leadership.
Sep 8, 2023
◆
  • Yaqoub Beth-Addai
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Iran’s Misunderstood Nuclear Law
Tehran may argue that its 2020 nuclear law constrains its room for maneuver in any future talks, but its compliance with that law has long been spotty, and officials seem more focused on ensuring that any concessions they make are reversible.
Sep 7, 2023
◆
  • Henry Rome
Aub Zainab al-Lami
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Coordination Framework Militias Exposed for Stealing Baghdad Real Estate
Pressure from Ayatollah Sistani and Sadrists has put Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq on the defensive over their growing illicit property empire.
Aug 31, 2023
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Amir al-Kaabi
◆ Militia Spotlight
Photo showing an Israeli tank and UN peacekeeping forces on the border with Lebanon.
Video
Brief Analysis
Israel-Lebanon Border Tensions: Hezbollah Provocation, IDF Response, and the Potential for Conflict
Three experts discuss the worsening situation on the ground and assess whether a new war is likely in the near term.
Aug 25, 2023
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
  • Assaf Orion
  • Matthew Levitt
Basij protests
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Nujaba Claims Victimization by Coordination Framework Militia-Politicians
Tensions between Iraq's "resistance" groups are on the rise, with Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba claiming that its online platforms and street protests are being targeted.
Aug 21, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Crown Prince Muhammad and President Xi walking in Riyadh.
Brief Analysis
Closing Washington’s China Gap with Middle East Partners
For the first time in decades, America’s top strategic priority diverges from that of its key regional partners, but Washington can close the gap by increasing their understanding of China and removing the blinders from their threat perceptions.
Aug 14, 2023
◆
  • Michael Singh
A Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) soldier
Brief Analysis
Can the Lebanese Army Prevent a Hezbollah-Christian Conflict?
Given the military’s behavior during a recent confrontation and the spike in Christian anger toward Hezbollah, Washington should consider fine-tuning its assistance to the LAF, cutting off units that are not committed to protecting the people.
Aug 11, 2023
◆
  • Hanin Ghaddar
Sudani
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Nujaba Leads the "Big Three" Reaction to Iraq's Telegram Ban
While one leading militia spearheaded online vitriol against a social media ban that affected its affiliates, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah seemed more inclined to compromise.
Aug 10, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Netblocks shows Telegram down in Iraq, Aug 6, 2023
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militia Reactions to Iraq's Suspension of Telegram
The official ban on their favorite social media app may be temporary, but their response has highlighted divisions within the Shia militia milieu.
Aug 9, 2023
◆
  • Amir al-Kaabi
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Two Ukraine-owned and operated Bayraktar drones
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
A "System of Systems" Approach to Countering Drones:
Examining Recent Operations from the Middle East to Ukraine
Military officials are seeking not a silver bullet but instead advances based on existing layered, interoperable systems.
Aug 7, 2023
◆
  • Eric Feely
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Iraqi Kurds Face Legitimacy Issues Amid Election Deadlock and Internal Division
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) has been heading for unprecedented political and financial uncertainties as a result of the growing disputes between the two ruling parties and the central government’s moves to erode the KRI’s autonomous status.
Aug 7, 2023
◆
  • Bekir Aydoğan
Syrian refugees leaving Turkey after earthquake
Articles & Testimony
Deterring Russia’s Horizontal Escalation in Syria
To dissuade Moscow from further provocations that endanger coalition forces, the West needs to demonstrate that it has other military and political options in Syria.
Aug 3, 2023
◆
  • Andrew J. Tabler
Brief Analysis
The Iran Deal’s October Sunsets: Sanctions Without Snapback
Facing the imminent expiration of UN sanctions but unwilling to trigger “snapback,” the EU and Britain should unilaterally extend some of their own restrictions on Tehran.
Jul 28, 2023
◆
  • Henry Rome
  • Louis Dugit-Gros
A Sudanese protester against military rule
Video
Brief Analysis
Sudan's Civil War: Mediation Challenges and the U.S. Role
Three experts assess the conflict’s effects on regional humanitarian and security issues, outlining the requirements for a durable ceasefire.
Jul 28, 2023
◆
  • Yasir Zaidan
  • Reem Abbas
  • Alex Rondos
USAF and IDF personnel participate in a joint exercise - source: U.S. Government
Articles & Testimony
The Wrong Message at the Wrong Time
Although some of the arguments for decreasing U.S. military assistance to Israel stem from understandable impulses, implementing such ideas now would only embolden enemies and make conflict more likely.
Jul 27, 2023
◆
  • Dennis Ross
Articles & Testimony
Guns, Drugs, and Smugglers: A Recent Heightened Challenge at Israel’s Borders with Jordan and Egypt
A dataset covering case-by-case information underscores the problems that authorities in each country face as they cooperate to clamp down on criminals and secure their shared frontiers.
Jul 2023
◆
  • Matthew Levitt
  • Lauren von Thaden

Pagination

  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • First page « First
  • …
  • Page 14
  • Page 15
  • Page 16
  • Page 17
  • Current page 18
  • Page 19
  • Page 20
  • Page 21
  • Page 22
  • …
  • 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