U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

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

Articles & Testimony

Golan Policy May Invite Israel’s Right to Annex West Bank Territory. That Would Spell Disaster.

If the Trump administration wants its peace plan to have any chance of success, it must announce soon that it will oppose any unilateral steps toward annexation.

Mar 29, 2019

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Dennis Ross
David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

How Bibi’s Bestie at the White House Is Helping Him Win the Israeli Election

President Trump’s recent Golan announcement and photo-op with Netanyahu could draw more voters to the beleaguered prime minister’s side.

Mar 25, 2019

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Neri Zilber

Brief Analysis

Why Turkey’s Local Elections Matter

Many major jurisdictions are up for grabs, with potentially weighty foreign policy implications if Erdogan maintains his current coalition’s hardline nationalist trajectory.

Mar 20, 2019

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Murat Yetkin
Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Are Israeli Politics Dooming Kushner's Peace Push?

Even if Netanyahu somehow prevails in the April election, prospects for a grand deal with the Palestinians will likely remain dim.

Mar 19, 2019

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David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

A U.S.-Iraq Security Partnership: Avoiding the Pitfalls Just Ahead

Nationalist sentiment and Iranian pressure have led some Iraqi legislators to oppose a continued U.S. military presence, but Washington could make things much worse if it overreacts.

Mar 13, 2019

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Barbara A. Leaf
Bilal Wahab

Articles & Testimony

Trump’s Subtlety Could Yield Middle East Peace

Past administrations have publicized their plans too soon, provoking fury from extremists on both sides.

Mar 13, 2019

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Jonathan Schanzer
Ghaith al-Omari

Brief Analysis

U.S. Sanctions Are Hurting Hezbollah

To further tighten the noose, Washington should disrupt the group’s efforts to tap international aid, Lebanese ministry budgets, Syrian smuggling revenue, and other resources.

Mar 6, 2019

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Hanin Ghaddar

Brief Analysis

Repatriating Western Jihadists: The Impact of U.S. Syria Policy

Unless Washington changes its mixed message on foreign fighters and helps its European allies find practical solutions, it may soon face another mass outbreak of seasoned operatives from Syria.

Feb 27, 2019

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Matthew Levitt
Aaron Y. Zelin

Brief Analysis

Options for a Lighter U.S. Footprint in Syria

There are alternatives to the overt presence of U.S. controllers on the ground, and allies can help maintain the tempo of strikes in various ways.

Feb 22, 2019

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August Pfluger
Michael Knights

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

International Engagement in Iraq Is Tied to Military Presence

The U.S.-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State is the strongest alliance Iraq has ever enjoyed, but much of the resultant international attention and support could dissipate if forces are removed.

Feb 21, 2019

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

The Khashoggi Showdown: Executive-Congressional Dynamics and the U.S.-Saudi Relationship

The administration’s handling of the situation has exacerbated distrust among lawmakers and opened the door to wider questioning of the bilateral relationship.

Feb 19, 2019

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Dana Stroul

Brief Analysis

What Washington—and Iran—Should Take Away from the Warsaw Conference

The moderator of a landmark Middle East panel explains why the conference may signal growing Arab-Israeli strategic convergence, firmer European action on Iran, and further stalemate in Syria.

Feb 19, 2019

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Dennis Ross

Satellite image of the Red Sea region and the Arabian Peninsula

Brief Analysis

Seeing Red: Trade and Threats Shaping Gulf-Horn Relations

The Red Sea is fast becoming a critical economic and security node between the Gulf states and the Horn of Africa, so Washington should work to ensure cooperation, not conflict.

Feb 15, 2019

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Elana DeLozier

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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U.S. Policy

Policy Analysis on U.S. Policy

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