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U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

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Articles & Testimony
Freedom of Religion in Turkey: Foreign Policy Implications
The director of the Institute’s Turkish Research Program testifies on why Ankara remains vitally important to U.S. policy in the Middle East and the great power arena despite its major domestic shifts in mosque-state relations under President Erdogan.
Aug 14, 2025
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  • Soner Cagaptay
Brief Analysis
Congressional Funding Increase Not Enough to Strengthen State Department
American assistance to the Middle East apparently won’t be cut back as drastically as the Trump administration hoped, but questions abound regarding the diluted department’s capacity to actually use the restored funds effectively.
Aug 13, 2025
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  • Ben Fishman
Montage within Saudi Arabia map, including Muhammad bin Salman, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Trump, others.
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Saudi Public Opinion in a Changing Middle East:
Great Powers, the Gaza War, Pathways for the Kingdom
China and Russia get higher marks than the United States, and Israel normalization is on hold—but respondents view Hamas negatively, want Arab involvement in the peace process, and increasingly support moderate interpretations of Islam.
Aug 13, 2025
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  • Catherine Cleveland
Brief Analysis
How “Day After” Governance of Gaza Can Draw from Existing Plans
NGOs and foreign officials have already outlined many of the most crucial transitional governance and security issues that will arise during and after Israel’s eventual withdrawal—and all of them will require some degree of oversight and leadership from the Trump administration.
Aug 12, 2025
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  • James Jeffrey
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Iran Has Taken More U.S. Citizens Hostage. It’s Time to Shred the Regime’s Playbook.
Both before and after the twelve-day war, the Islamic Republic has taken U.S. citizens hostage, necessitating a multifaceted U.S.-led strategy that ends the practice for good.
Aug 8, 2025
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  • Holly Dagres
MS-PMF-Cover
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Threatened Militia Escalation Related to the PMF Draft Laws
Iran-backed terrorist militias are upping their threats against the United States and Iraqi minorities in the event the PMF is not made into a permanent institution.
Aug 5, 2025
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  • Ameer al-Kaabi
  • Michael Knights
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Articles & Testimony
In Tunisia, U.S. Tariffs Will Be Felt Across Many Fronts
For producers, the main concern is not lost revenue or market share but instead damage to relationships they have worked hard to cultivate.
Aug 5, 2025
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  • Sabina Henneberg
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
U.S. flag and Algerian flag; silhouettes of oil rig, migrant families
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Strategic U.S. Engagement with Algeria:
A Pathway amid Shifting Global Dynamics
Washington should help Algiers embrace greater openness, both to promote stability in North Africa and to advance U.S. interests like counterterrorism and economic competition with China.
Jul 14, 2025
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  • Sabina Henneberg
Photo of Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani next to the national flag.
Brief Analysis
Delisting Hayat Tahrir al-Sham: Implications for U.S. Counterterrorism and Syria Policy
Although skepticism is understandable given the background of those now leading Syria’s government and security forces, removing the FTO designation is an unprecedented counterterrorism decision with numerous potential benefits and ripple effects.
Jul 10, 2025
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  • Aaron Y. Zelin
Brief Analysis
An Opportunity Not to Be Missed: Agenda for the Trump-Netanyahu Meeting
The two leaders should focus on articulating a vision for a diplomatic agreement with Iran, sketching a common roadmap on Gaza, setting the stage for further Arab-Israeli normalization, and updating the parameters of bilateral strategic cooperation for a new regional reality.
Jul 3, 2025
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  • Dana Stroul
  • Robert Satloff
Brief Analysis
Here’s How State Department Cuts Would Impede U.S. Policy in the Middle East
The Trump administration’s budget cuts, intended to make America “safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” could wind up harming U.S. interests in the region while strengthening Russian and Chinese media warfare.
Jul 3, 2025
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  • Ben Fishman
  • Elizabeth Surman
Video
Brief Analysis
After the "Hammer": Postwar Opportunities and Risks for U.S. Policy in the Middle East
The objectives of Operation Midnight Hammer aligned with the broader U.S. goals of curbing Iranian threats and stabilizing the Middle East—but military force alone will not produce those outcomes.
Jul 1, 2025
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  • Robert Satloff
  • Mona Yacoubian
  • Richard Nephew
A photo illustration shows US and Iranian flags and an atomic symbol - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Iran Talks Are Still Necessary—Here’s What They Should Focus On
From insisting on zero enrichment to making the ceasefire conditional, officials should ensure that any post-conflict negotiations with Tehran fully address U.S. policy imperatives, including the need to prevent reconstitution of the nuclear program.
Jul 1, 2025
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  • Michael Singh
A photo illustration shows US and Iranian flags and an atomic symbol - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Back to the Table? Recommendations for Negotiations with Iran
A compilation of views on the next round of prospective talks with Iran, sanctions relief options, military and technical considerations, the international role, and more.
Jun 27, 2025
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  • Dennis Ross
  • Richard Nephew
  • Farzin Nadimi
  • Patrick Clawson
  • Michael Singh
  • Grant Rumley
  • Anna Borshchevskaya
Children wave US and UAE flags during President Trump's May 2025 visit to Abu Dhabi - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Unpacking Trump’s 2025 Gulf Investment Tour
The president focused his first planned visit to the region on securing trillions of dollars in economic deals, but carrying these projects to completion while ensuring U.S. interests will require close, sustained oversight.
Jun 25, 2025
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  • Elizabeth Dent
Israeli firefighters work at the site of in Iranian missile strike on a residential building in Tel Aviv in June 2025 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
How Iran Could Escalate
In the wake of retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets, a former Pentagon official assesses Tehran’s bad options and Washington’s best response.
Jun 23, 2025
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  • Dana Stroul
The Syria Breakdown Series Title Card
Video
Articles & Testimony
Making Sense of Syria Sanctions: The Syria Breakdown, Part Seven
What does it mean for Damascus, for Washington, and for U.S. partners and allies now that the Trump administration has dismissed fifty years worth of economic sanctions against Syria?
Jun 18, 2025
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  • Matthew Levitt
◆ The Syria Breakdown
Attendees at the Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh in May 2025 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
The Emerging Trump Doctrine in the Middle East
The administration’s future approach to the region seems destined to echo its tendencies since January, including an emphasis on negotiated deals (as with Gaza and Iran), limited use of military force (as with the Houthis), and massive economic agreements in the name of countering China’s influence.
Jun 11, 2025
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  • Grant Rumley
  • Claudia Groeling
Articles & Testimony
Why the Right Hates the National Security State: The Historical Roots of Trump’s Assault on the NSC
The breaking of the national security state is indeed a crisis, but it also represents an opportunity to build a compromise approach tailored to the world’s present-day threats, similar to the situation policymakers faced immediately after World War II.
Jun 11, 2025
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  • Michael Singh

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Supported by the

Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East

The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East focuses on the region as a setting for heightened competition between the United States and other world powers, such as China and Russia.

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Featured experts

Robert Satloff - source: The Washington Institute
Robert Satloff
Robert Satloff is the Segal Executive Director of The Washington Institute, a post he assumed in January 1993.
Ambassador Dennis Ross
Dennis Ross
Dennis Ross, a former special assistant to President Barack Obama, is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute.
Michael Singh
Michael Singh
Michael Singh is the Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.
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