U.S. Policy

Contrary to decades of conventional thinking, it turned out that an exceptional military campaign could damage the regime's regional standing—but now the United States must lead a similarly extraordinary civilian effort to make that change permanent.

The Washington Institute’s director of research testifies on the Trump administration's best means of combining diplomatic, military, and congressional pressure to permanently block Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon or reconstituting its damaged regional threat network.

To resolve crises like the Gaza war and Iran’s drive toward nuclear breakout, the Trump administration will need to rediscover the practice of statecraft and marshal the necessary allied help.

Watch an expert webcast marking the publication of Institute scholar Dennis Ross's updated book on American grand strategy in today's multipolar world.

Washington should act quickly to facilitate transactions for key sectors such as electricity, food, and rubble removal, lest public discontent lead to widespread protests and possibly government collapse.

Mismatching objectives and means has repeatedly produced failure and undermined consensus, but Washington no longer has the luxury of bad statecraft on pressing issues like Iran’s nuclear program.

The Institute’s managing director testified before a Senate panel on U.S. policy post-Assad, explaining how patience, pragmatism, and a willingness to lead can help Washington avoid its past vacillation between excessive intervention and exasperated neglect in the Middle East.

Despite its risks for regional stability and U.S. policy, the president’s Gaza proposal has put this issue at the top of the priority list.

Cutting aid programs is not inherently wrong—but making those cuts before assessing their specific impact on regional allies and American lives could be disastrous for U.S. policy in the Middle East.