U.S. Policy

In areas such as basing, air superiority, high-tech weapons, and intelligence, America must act assertively to maintain its edge against competitors like Russia and China.

Watch video or read a transcript of a new Biden administration speech on U.S. policy in the Middle East, delivered at The Washington Institute’s 2023 Soref Symposium.

Watch as experts discuss National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's keynote address to the Institute's 2023 Soref Symposium.

The State Department’s deputy counterterrorism coordinator discusses how governments are addressing the challenges of repatriating detainees in Syrian camps and combating racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism.

Because Netanyahu’s main objectives on Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the Abraham Accords all depend on U.S. support, he also needs a workable policy toward the Palestinians—but his coalition partners are threatening this tenet.

In a series of articles, op-eds, and media appearances, Washington Institute experts discuss what the China-brokered agreement between Tehran and Riyadh means for Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

Leaders in the Middle East feel more threatened by the competition between China and the United States than by the individual powers themselves, so Washington needs to adapt accordingly.

In the direct aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, EU-funded UN aid was delivered to Damascus despite the Assad regime’s disastrous track record, which includes stealing aid from international institutions. On the ground in Northwest Syria, frustration with the UN is rising, especially as aid from neighboring countries entered quickly.

Despite increased pressure on both sides, Netanyahu is likely to maintain Israel's nonaligned approach to the conflict in Ukraine in an effort to preserve his immediate regional interests.