U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

Khamenei’s Breaking Point: How to Get Iran Back to the Negotiating Table

The chances of extracting substantial concessions from the current regime are not great, but the odds fall to zero if Washington withholds security assurances or waits for the inevitably chaotic transition period.

May 2, 2019

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Mehdi Khalaji

President Donald Trump meeting with King Salman in Saudi Arabia in 2017 - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia Can’t Get a Divorce

Even amid growing exasperation over Riyadh’s behavior, realities on the ground and in the global economy show why the relationship is still crucial.

May 1, 2019

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Dennis Ross

Audio

In-Depth Reports

Inside the Trump Administration's Middle East Peace Effort: A Conversation With Jared Kushner

Watch a keynote conversation between White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Institute executive director Rob Satloff.

Apr 29, 2019

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Jared Kushner
Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Proceeding with Caution in Western Sahara

Given growing uncertainties in other North African states, Washington should avoid any sudden moves on the Sahara file even as it builds on the momentum of recent talks.

Apr 23, 2019

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Sarah Feuer

Articles & Testimony

More Money at the Gas Pump May Be the Price of Pressuring Iran

President Trump may be counting on the fact that U.S. voters oppose both higher gas prices and another war, but in the end he may have to pick one or the other.

Apr 23, 2019

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Renewing the Iran Sanctions Waivers (Part 2): Energy and Afghan Trade

Washington should phase out the oil waivers carefully and prevent Chabahar port from becoming an escape valve for Iran.

Apr 22, 2019

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Renewing the Iran Sanctions Waivers (Part 1): Nuclear Activities

Neither blanket extension nor wholesale cancellation is the best course, but several of the expiring waivers would serve U.S. interests if properly—and publicly—revised.

Apr 22, 2019

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

After the Palestinians Reject Trump’s Peace Plan, Then What?

Rather than trying to punish the PA by supporting West Bank annexations or other draconian measures, Washington should simply press forward with other willing partners until Ramallah comes around.

Apr 18, 2019

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David Pollock

Brief Analysis

How Sanctions Are Affecting Iran’s Airline Industry

Greater delays, downtime, and problems acquiring new planes have made Iran feel the heat, but its civil aviation sector continues to generate revenue for the regime.

Apr 17, 2019

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

Don't Pull Back from the Middle East

Safeguarding America’s widely agreed interests in the Middle East requires a substantial presence, as does the region’s tendency to export insecurity.

Apr 16, 2019

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

The Turkish Rupture Could Cause a Fissure in NATO

A dramatic rift seems unavoidable unless Ankara delays the arrival of Russian missiles and Washington provides security guarantees against Moscow and the Syrian Kurds.

Apr 16, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

With Interests in Libya Under Threat, U.S. Must Adopt Urgency

If Haftar does not pull back his forces, Washington and the EU should sanction him for disrupting the UN-backed peace process.

Apr 15, 2019

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Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

New Palestinian Cabinet Faces Governance and Fiscal Challenges

Lost revenue transfers from Israel frame the latest crisis, and Washington can help ease it even without restoring direct aid to the PA.

Apr 15, 2019

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Katherine Bauer
Ghaith al-Omari

In-Depth Reports

The King Is Dead! Does It Matter?

Sudden Succession Essay Series

Is a major national leader's departure necessarily history changing? This study suggests that paradoxically, the more successful a leader has been in realizing his goals, the less consequential his exit.

Apr 11, 2019

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Martin Kramer

◆ Sudden Succession Essay Series

Articles & Testimony

Trump Must Not Let Jared Kushner’s Peace Plan See the Light of Day

Releasing a U.S. proposal that is bound to fail would legitimize Israeli calls for annexation, give Saudi Arabia leverage over Washington, and strengthen Iran.

Apr 10, 2019

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

The IRGC Designation Couldn’t Come at a Worse Time for Iran

The regime has repeatedly avoided precipitous responses to U.S. sanctions, and it will be even more risk-averse today due to its domestic flood crisis and fears of broader escalation.

Apr 9, 2019

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Omer Carmi

Articles & Testimony

How Might Tehran Respond to IRGC Designation?

The regime or individual hardline elements could opt for a number of provocations, from detaining foreigners to launching disruptive naval and cyber operations.

Apr 8, 2019

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Michael Eisenstadt

Articles & Testimony

IRGC Designation: From Visas to Symbolic Effects

The practical effects may be limited to minor issues such as visa regulations, while the symbolic implications are not in Tehran's favor.

Apr 8, 2019

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Patrick Clawson

Articles & Testimony

Nuclear Issues Sharpen Focus on U.S.-Saudi Relations

Those who favor helping the Saudis develop their nuclear industry are running up against skeptics who fear Riyadh cannot be trusted with such capabilities.

Apr 2, 2019

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

How to Make Trump’s Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan Work

Resuming conditional aid to the PA is the best way to bolster peace diplomacy, or help ensure stability if the process founders.

Apr 2, 2019

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Michael Singh

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

Robert Satloff is the Segal Executive Director of The Washington Institute, a post he assumed in January 1993.

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 is the Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.

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