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Atlantic Council blogs provide short-form analyses from Council experts and a wider community of global voices on the world’s most important news stories.
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IranSource

Jan 4, 2024

Iran targeted human rights sanctions series: Why are people and entities sanctioned for human rights abuses?

By Celeste Kmiotek, Lisandra Novo

Every perpetrator designated by a jurisdiction for targeted sanctions generally faces the same consequences.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Human Rights

MENASource

Jan 4, 2024

Here’s how Hezbollah will likely respond to Israel’s assassination of Saleh Al-Arouri

By David Daoud

What Hezbollah has not been seeking is opening a full-scale war with Israel. However, Hezbollah has other indirect options that it may activate.

Israel Lebanon

New Atlanticist

Jan 3, 2024

Why Beijing’s latest pre-election attempt to coerce Taiwanese voters could backfire

By Lev Nachman, Wen-Ti Sung

China recently said that it would end preferential tariff terms for some Taiwanese chemical exports. But the move may drive some Taiwanese voters away from the direction Beijing wants.

China Economy & Business

MENASource

Jan 3, 2024

Gulf states are vying for sports fans’ hearts and minds—one sovereign wealth fund at a time

By Joze Pelayo

In 2023, the annual tennis tournament colloquially called the Washington Open was renamed the Mubadala Citi DC Open thanks to a sponsorship from Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment Company—an unknown name to most Washington sports fans, but one they may see again. The Gulf Arab states have been turning their efforts and attention to Beltway sports amid […]

Economy & Business Inclusive Growth

Econographics

Jan 3, 2024

Five under-the-radar economic trends that could define 2024

By Josh Lipsky

We picked five under-the-radar trends that will matter for the global economy in 2024. Each shows the potential weak spots in the global economy alongside the forces that could stabilize growth.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Jan 3, 2024

Delors and Schäuble leave melancholic legacies for Europe. Now no one is left in charge.

By David Marsh

Former French Finance Minister Jacques Delors and former German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble both passed away in December 2023, leaving behind an indelible imprint on the continent.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

UkraineAlert

Jan 2, 2024

Ukraine needs urgent air defense aid as Putin launches bombing campaign

By Peter Dickinson

As Russia launches a long-awaited new bombing campaign against Ukrainian cities, fears are mounting that deadlock over continued US and EU military aid may soon leave Ukraine facing critical air defense shortages, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Technologies

New Atlanticist

Jan 2, 2024

Six ways for the US to put democracy back on the global agenda in 2024

By Patrick Quirk

As 2024 begins, the Biden administration must take urgent steps to put its pro-democracy rhetoric into action in key theaters around the world.

Africa Americas

UkraineAlert

Jan 2, 2024

Ukraine’s wartime economy is performing surprisingly well

By Anders Åslund

The Ukrainian government is to be congratulated for its considerable accomplishments on the economic front while defending itself against Europe’s largest invasion since World War II, writes Anders Åslund.

Conflict Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Dec 29, 2023

Five things that did not happen in 2023

By Atlantic Council experts

From a recession and a trade war to an invasion and a nuclear war, there was a lot that did not happen in the past year. Here is what that means for 2024.

China Economy & Business