U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia

Engaging the Saudis Does Not Require Biden to Forego Our Concern for Human Rights

The president will still be able to set boundaries with Riyadh—while also addressing other major issues such as national security, rampant energy costs, and normalization with Israel.

Jun 22, 2022

◆

Dennis Ross

Photo of Israeli politicians Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid delivering a statement..

Video

Brief Analysis

The Israeli Government Falls: New Election and Implications for U.S.-Israel Relations

Watch an expert webcast examining the collapse of Israel's year-old coalition government and the implications for President Biden's upcoming Middle East trip as well as for U.S.-Israel policy more broadly.

June 23, 2022

◆

David Makovsky
Dennis Ross

Ships of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet on exercise in the Persian Gulf

Articles & Testimony

Fixing Washington’s Gulf Rift

From Abu Dhabi and Riyadh’s perspective, there is no substitute for an American partner with the will to militarily deter or answer Iran’s regional aggression.

Jun 21, 2022

◆

David Schenker

Israeli and UAE flags flying together in Abu Dhabi - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

The Abraham Accords and the Changing Shape of the Middle East

A veteran U.S. diplomat reflects on the decades of direct engagement that paved the way to the accords, which have since opened a new avenue for curbing Iran and reanimating Israeli-Palestinian progress.

Jun 21, 2022

◆

Dennis Ross

Three-star rank insignia of a US Army Lieutenant General

Articles & Testimony

How Pentagon Bureaucracy Could Undermine West Bank Security

The proposal to downgrade the U.S. Security Coordinator from a three-star general to a colonel could decimate a crucial mission, especially amid the recent uptick in Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

Jun 16, 2022

◆

Shira Efron
Ghaith al-Omari

President Joe Biden speaks on the phone in the Oval Office of the White House

Articles & Testimony

A Month Out, the Spin Begins on Expectations of Biden’s Saudi Arabia Trip

Despite the recent emphasis on Washington’s “oil vs. human rights” dilemma, the visit’s greatest impact may wind up falling in the Arab-Israel arena.

Jun 15, 2022

◆

Simon Henderson

Video

Brief Analysis

Al-Qaeda, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and the Future of Jihadism

A panel of leading counterterrorism scholars and practitioners discuss the evolving face of the global jihadist movement amid changes in Washington’s CT posture.

Jun 15, 2022

◆

Anastasia Smith
Aaron Y. Zelin
Matthew Levitt

Video

Brief Analysis

The KRG Turns Thirty: The Future of U.S.-Kurdish Relations in Iraq (Part 2)

In the second of three discussions marking the thirty-year anniversary of the KRG, experts spotlight the impressive U.S.-Kurdish legacy along with current challenges facing the partnership.

Jun 9, 2022

◆

Jennifer Gavito
Qubad Talabani
Bilal Wahab

◆ The KRG Turns Thirty

Brief Analysis

Rhetoric Meets Reality in Jawlani’s Push for Self-Sufficiency

As a key UN vote approaches, Washington should push Turkey to help promote a diverse, balanced economy in HTS-controlled northwest Syria.

Jun 8, 2022

◆

Aaron Y. Zelin

An Egyptian guard inspects bomb damage near the Gaza border in Sinai

Articles & Testimony

Egypt's Remilitarized Sinai Is a Future Powder Keg

Cairo needs to hear from Israel, the United States, and the Multinational Force & Observers that its security violations erode the Egypt-Israel peace.

Jun 3, 2022

◆

David Schenker

High Oil Prices, Middle East Politics Cast Shadow Over Summer’s Start

The Biden administration is seeking to break a stalemate with MbS in Riyadh, but moves by Russia and Iran will also affect the trajectory of energy markets.

May 31, 2022

◆

Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Redeploying US Troops to Somalia Is the Right Move

The country’s terrorist challenge grew in the absence of American forces, requiring the Biden administration to reestablish strong connections with local personnel on the ground.

May 25, 2022

◆

Ido Levy

Video

Brief Analysis

The KRG Turns Thirty: The Future of U.S.-Kurdish Relations in Iraq

On the anniversary of the Kurdish region’s first election, three experts take stock of the bilateral relationship and internal political and economic challenges.

May 23, 2022

◆

Bilal Wahab
Amberin Zaman
Vance Serchuk

◆ The KRG Turns Thirty

Book cover with U.S. and Egyptian soldiers taking part in Bright Star exercise

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

The U.S.-Egypt Military Relationship:

Complexities, Contradictions, and Challenges

Shared security interests, such as maintaining and expanding Arab-Israel peace efforts, can serve as the foundation of future ties.

May 23, 2022

◆

David Witty

Articles & Testimony

The Impact of Russia’s Ukraine Invasion in the Middle East and North Africa

A former Pentagon advisor testifies on how the war might affect Moscow's ability to sell arms to MENA governments and project power in the region.

May 18, 2022

◆

Grant Rumley

Israeli Prime Minister Bennett meets with the UAE's foreign minister in December 2021 - Source: Reuters

Video

Brief Analysis

Building an Arab-Israel Bloc: Can It Compensate for a Reluctant Washington?

Arab, European, and Israeli experts assess the possibilities and limits of normalization, discussing concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. retrenchment, and the Palestinian issue.

May 12, 2022

◆

Nickolay Mladenov
Zohar Palti
Ebtesam al-Ketbi
Karim Haggag

Saudi men read a newspaper - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Is the West Losing the Battle of Narratives in the Middle East?

Instead of leaving misinformation and whataboutism largely unchallenged, Washington and its allies need to express their perspective to Arab audiences more effectively while highlighting Russian and Chinese hypocrisy.

May 9, 2022

◆

Anna Borshchevskaya
Catherine Cleveland

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

The Age of Political Jihadism:

A Study of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

The Syria-based group now functions more like a government than a nonstate actor, portending a reorientation for the larger jihadist movement.

May 9, 2022

◆

Aaron Y. Zelin

In-Depth Reports

Countering Iran's Regional Strategy

A Long-Term, Comprehensive Approach

A coordinated response to Iran’s aggression can preserve U.S. and Western interests, reinforce Israel and America’s Arab allies, and promote regional stability.

May 8, 2022

◆

Eyal Zamir

Articles & Testimony

We Can’t Face Down Putin Alone

Some potential allies in the Middle East may not be democracies, but they're not revisionist states either, so the United States cannot afford to write them off.

May 6, 2022

◆

Dennis Ross

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.

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, podcasts, and special reports.

Regions & Countries

Issues

U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

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

Regions & Countries

Issues

U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

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

Sign Up for Updates on U.S. Policy