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Military & Security

Policy Analysis on Military & Security

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Brief Analysis
Preserving U.S. Military Advantages in the Middle East
In areas such as basing, air superiority, high-tech weapons, and intelligence, America must act assertively to maintain its edge against competitors like Russia and China.
May 14, 2023
◆
  • Nathan P. Olsen
GCC
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Syria’s Normalization and the GCC: Adjusting to A New Modus Vivendi
Though GCC member states may disagree on Syria's normalization, the collective memory of past conflicts and the desire for regional stability will likely override internal divisions.
May 10, 2023
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  • Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco
Bafel Talabani
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Roots of the Rift between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan's PUK
The tensions between Turkey and the PUK are not new, though recent actions by both sides have exacerbated the situation despite shared economic interests.
Apr 28, 2023
◆
  • Mehmet Alaca
Brief Analysis
Countering “ISIS at Large” in Syria
Examining CENTCOM’s mix of unilateral and partnered operations against senior ISIS officials in Syria provides useful insights into the group’s current capabilities and the focus of U.S. attention in the region.
Apr 27, 2023
◆
  • Devorah Margolin
Sabereen Wagner
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Militia-Russia Love Affair: April 2023 Update
Iraqi militia officials are still regularly praising Putin's invasion of Ukraine and even conferring honorary Shia Muslim status on Russian officials.
Apr 26, 2023
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  • Amir al-Kaabi
◆ Militia Spotlight
Quds Day speech
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Akram Kaabi Feted in Quds Day Communiques
In an ungrudging division of labor, senior militia figure Akram Kaabi is being built up by other factions as the main anti-U.S. "resistance" leader in Iraq.
Apr 26, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Basra Lynx crash May 6, 2006
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Ashab al-Kahf Threatens U.S. Helicopters
In its latest threats to U.S. aviation, the oldest militia facade group in Iraq made an interesting callback to a deadly 2006 shootdown of a British helicopter.
Apr 25, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Photo of a Shahed drone in an Iranian military parade near imagery of Supreme Leader Khamenei..
Video
Brief Analysis
Iran's Military Drone Program: Security Implications and Policy Responses
A former CENTCOM chief joins two arms experts to discuss the capabilities of Iran’s drones, the gaps in current efforts to curb their proliferation, and the pressing need for a regional air defense architecture that can counter them.
Apr 24, 2023
◆
  • Kenneth McKenzie Jr.
  • Damien Spleeters
  • Valerie Lincy
Iranian and Russian flags on a table
Articles & Testimony
What the Russia-Iran Arms Deals Mean for the Middle East
In the longer term, the increased flow of weapons will likely exacerbate tensions in the region, spur Arab states to enhance their own arsenals, and endanger any U.S. and partner forces that confront Tehran’s proxies.
Apr 19, 2023
◆
  • Grant Rumley
The guided missile submarine USS Florida - source: Department of Defense
Brief Analysis
U.S. Deploys Cruise Missile Submarine to Strengthen Deterrence Against Iran
Amid rising tensions with Tehran and its proxies, the United States is sending a message by openly deploying one of its few guided missile submarines to the region.
Apr 14, 2023
◆
  • Farzin Nadimi
Iranian military officers, including Major General Bagheri, tour an underground air base - source: Iranian government
Articles & Testimony
Iranian Military Developments and Trends
Iran’s future military activities will likely be marked by greater continuity than change, but Supreme Leader Khamenei’s succession could presage more risk-acceptant behavior and a reconsideration of its nuclear hedging strategy.
Apr 13, 2023
◆
  • Michael Eisenstadt
Turkey CHP
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Can the Turkish Opposition’s Refugee Policies Actually Improve Syrians’ Situations?
With elections approaching, the Turkish opposition may have an opportunity to rethink Syrian refugee policies.
Apr 10, 2023
◆
  • Joshua Levkowitz
Video
Brief Analysis
Twenty Years After Saddam: The Future of the U.S.-Iraq Relationship
A Conversation with David Petraeus
A former coalition commander joins Washington Institute experts to discuss the war’s legacy, the country’s current challenges, and how U.S. policy should evolve in response.
Apr 10, 2023
◆
  • David Petraeus
  • Bilal Wahab
  • Michael Knights
  • Anna Borshchevskaya
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Surging Violence: Hamas Attempts to Reshape the West Bank’s Political Landscape
With an opportunity to subtly expand its influence in the West Bank, Hamas is less likely to risk an all-out war with Israel from Gaza as they did in 2021.
Apr 5, 2023
◆
  • Nasser Khdour
Brief Analysis
Iran-Israel Clashes in Syria Could Spill Into the Gulf
As in past incidents where IRGC officers were killed, U.S. naval forces should watch closely for any Iranian attempt to retaliate against Israel by attacking one of its commercial vessels in nearby waters.
Apr 4, 2023
◆
  • Farzin Nadimi
Qahaliboun drone
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militias Try to Conceal Iraqi Role in Lethal Strike on American Base
Top "resistance" groups sought to avoid embarrassing the Sudani government, but at least one propaganda channel gave away Iraqi involvement.
Apr 3, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
LG
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Liwa al-Ghaliboun (Brigade of the Victors)
Liwa al-Ghaliboun is an Iraqi cell that is directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force and has undertaken proxy attacks on U.S. personnel in Syria.
Apr 3, 2023
◆
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
Photo of Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu standing alone in parliament.
Video
Brief Analysis
Pausing Israel's Judicial Overhaul: Toward Compromise or Deepening Crisis?
A former Israeli intelligence official joins two other experts to discuss how the situation might affect the government’s domestic political prospects, relations with Washington, and ability to counter external security threats.
Mar 31, 2023
◆
  • David Makovsky
  • Tamar Hermann
  • Zohar Palti
Brief Analysis
Inside Iran’s Regime (Part 3): IRGC Economic Frustrations
Top commanders have purportedly raised a slew of concerns with the Supreme Leader, from funding shortfalls to corruption among regime elites.
Mar 30, 2023
◆
  • Henry Rome
Iranian and international negotiators participate in nuclear talks in Vienna, 2021.
Articles & Testimony
‘No Deal, No Crisis’ Is No Plan for Iran
The West is in the middle of a steadily escalating nuclear crisis, even if policymakers are reluctant to admit it.
Mar 29, 2023
◆
  • Henry Rome
  • Louis Dugit-Gros

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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.

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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.
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.
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