Policy Analysis

A handful of personalities have consumed all the country’s political oxygen, dashing hopes for a truly pluralistic ecosystem and requiring creative engagement from U.S. officials.

Geographic location and oil wealth give the sheikhdom significance far exceeding its size and population.

With each day of nonviolent protest, the people of Suweida province have solidified themselves as a symbol that resonates with Syrians everywhere, whether abroad or within a country that remains split between regime, Iranian, Russian, Turkish, and local faction control.

Experts discuss the military and political situation at what appears to be a decisive moment in the war, offering insights on Israel’s calculations, the effects of growing foreign pressure, and the need for further international action to address attacks by Iran’s other regional partners.

Squeezed by weak oil prices, Riyadh is acknowledging that some of its economic plans are over-ambitious.

Predicted low voter turnout for Iraq’s first provincial elections in a decade signals the lack of popular trust in Iraq for the country’s political system.

If Washington Post reporters had asked Israeli officials, they would have written a very different story.

The older generation remains skeptical of what an intifada might achieve, but Israeli crackdowns and worsening economic conditions could still ignite younger Palestinians and undermine PA security cooperation.

These elections will directly affect the future of the disputed territories, and political parties must be careful to avoid deepening sectarian divides, both in this case and in future elections.

The "Islamic Resistance" brand mourned the loss of government-paid PMF personnel who were killed while preparing a terrorist attack on international advisors.

A Hamas expert testifies on how the group, its sympathizers, and a motley array of other factions are taking advantage of the Gaza war to stoke anti-Semitic threats and attacks across the continent.

Given the inability—or unwillingness—of Iraqi institutions to adequately combat corruption, the need for an international entity to step in becomes evident. That is why supporting the global campaign for the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) is necessary in order to hold kleptocrats accountable when national court fails to do so.

Amid ongoing uncertainty over Gulf shipping attacks and Russian oil diplomacy, the reserve is still running lower than it should.

Houthi militant activity during the Hamas-Israel war should challenge the perception that the group has a mere “marriage of convenience” with Tehran.

A bad peace that does not address the wider issue of Hamas violence would only defer the war to a later date.

Efforts to expand the tanker fleet are welcome, but officials must also hire the right staff, untangle the regulatory environment, conduct major restructuring, and clarify questions about existing joint ventures.

The group is using a wide range of weapons and tactics to escalate its disruption of regional maritime security, establishing selective sea denial against Israeli vessels seeking passage through the strait and threatening U.S. warships that show up to protect them.

The Islamic Republic’s position that it is merely carrying out a religious mandate is disingenuous, as is clear from Khomeini’s own religious writings and from the history of the hijab in Iran. Whereas the concept of sitr remains separated from politics in Iran, the hijab is now unequivocally a political concept.

Industry figures are already rerouting some Israeli-linked ships and expressing concern about the increased attacks, but much wider economic repercussions could unfold if Houthi antishipping activity continues indefinitely or escalates.

During the Gaza war, Houthi militia forces have emerged as the most risk-acceptant member of Iran's "axis of resistance" and a demonstrated menace to international freedom of navigation.