Policy Analysis

The current drive for the “reconstruction” of Syria—spearheaded by the Damascus regime and its backers in Russia and Iran—is not a legitimate effort of rebuilding and relief, despite recent consideration from regional and international actors. Rather, the proffered “reconstruction” efforts promise the continuation of the Syrian war by new means

The international community can help avert future chaos through measures to stem political, economic, and security deterioration, and Washington can reinstate funding for Palestinian development projects.

Attack data shows that the group is enthusiastically regrouping in a more concentrated area of northern Iraq, and the government is not adapting fast enough to stop it.

The district’s ethnic composition and wartime migrations make it the weakest point of the YPG defense system, and the most likely entryway for Turkish troops and their proxies.

The cabinet’s composition is a fait accompli, but foreign officials may still be able to influence key security appointments—or, failing that, up the financial and diplomatic pressure on Hezbollah and its political allies.

The combination of premature steps would further damage U.S. credibility while giving Iranian proxies and Islamic State remnants free rein in east Syria.

A new UN report does little to assuage concerns about suspicious Iranian procurements, underscoring the need for allied intelligence agencies to boost their detection efforts.

Explore the subtle strategies, including information manipulation, that Moscow is using to expand Russian influence in the Middle East.

What are the prospects for liberal democracy in Iran, and what can the international community do to help the ongoing protest movement? Watch video or read a transcript of this special event.

Two leading experts discuss why thousands of young Tunisians mobilized for jihad in Iraq and Syria, and what governments are doing now that they are taking their cause back home—or to the West.

The Italian-sponsored stabilization conference produced some positive outcomes, but a genuine breakthrough requires U.S. involvement.

Data from a rare public opinion poll conducted in the United Arab Emirates in November shows its citizens more divided than often assumed on a number of topical issues, both foreign and domestic. These issues include women’s rights, cooperation with Israel, and even the UAE’s close ties with the United

His recent outreach to Jews is welcome, though it should not be mistaken for a total shift in his repressive tendencies or a sea change in the Egyptian public’s rejection of Israel.

A former Israeli general explains why rethinking the missions is crucial to containing Iran’s proxies and reducing waste in international security expenditures.

Thirty-five years of historical precedent make clear that Tehran will lash out if it feels cornered.

Negotiations in Stockholm have created opportunities for progress, but pressuring the parties is necessary to cement these initial gains and keep the nascent process from collapsing.

The author of a landmark new book on the IRGC joins two Iran scholars for a lively conversation on how best to understand the force’s origins and exploit its weaknesses.

Riyadh’s allies need to adjust more to the kingdom’s dynamic decisionmaking, once noted for being slow and cautious.

The country avoided the tumult of the Arab Spring, but its next election cycle will bring political, economic, and social challenges back to the fore.

In November, Secretary-general Haba El-Okb gave a speech on behalf of the Algerian President acknowledging Algeria’s widespread issue of corruption at a provincial governors’ conference held in Algiers. Through his proxy, Bouteflika warned that “bribery, nepotism, suffering, and iniquitous bureaucratic maneuvering—these ills have festered in the body of our society