MENASource brings you up-close to a region at the epicenter of geo-political headlines. It is the Atlantic Council’s hub for in-depth commentary about breaking news, key topics, and trends from our team of experts on the Middle East and North Africa.

The views expressed in MENASource are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

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Top News: Syrian Kurds say they will declare federal region in Syria

MENASource
Jan 14, 2026

Voices from Iran: As rejection of government reaches all-time high, Iranians also wary of foreign intervention

If Trump is serious about peace, stability, and a lasting legacy, the path forward does not run through air strikes or transactional deals with a failing theocracy.

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Top News: Syrian Kurds say they will declare federal region in Syria

MENASource
Jan 13, 2026

Eight questions (and expert answers) on the SDF’s withdrawal from Syria’s Aleppo

By
Atlantic Council experts

Our experts unpack why violence erupted, what it means for Kurdish safety and integration in Syria, and how Washington is engaging.

Civil Society
Conflict

Top News: Syrian Kurds say they will declare federal region in Syria

MENASource
Jan 12, 2026

The Venezuela-Iran connection and what Maduro’s capture means for Tehran, explained 

By
Joze Pelayo, Kirsten Fontenrose, Ellie Sennett 

Our experts break down Iran’s ties to Venezuela and the impact Maduro’s capture could have on Tehran’s interests in and outside of its own borders. 

Iran
Oil and Gas

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Content

MENASource

Mar 16, 2016

Top News: Syrian Kurds say they will declare federal region in Syria

By MENASource

The main Syrian Kurdish group, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), announced plans Wednesday to declare a federal region in northern Syria, a model it hopes can be applied to the entire country. The idea was promptly dismissed by Turkey and also the Syrian government team at UN-brokered peace talks underway in Geneva.

MENASource

Mar 16, 2016

EconSource: Egypt Central Bank Mounts War on Black Market

By EconSource

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) offered $1.5 billion to local lenders in an exceptional auction today to cover importers’ debts.

MENASource

Mar 16, 2016

Turkey’s Presidential Politics: The Far Right’s Collapse and the Kurdish Left’s Prosecution

By Aaron Stein

On March 13, two suicide bombers detonated a car bomb at a major transit hub in Ankara’s Kızılay neighborhood, killing 37 and injuring more than 100 civilians. This latest attack has upended Turkish politics, prompting Turkish President Recep Tayyıp Erdoğan to call for the imposition of strong anti-terror laws intended to punish those that support […]

Turkey

MENASource

Mar 16, 2016

Top News: Egypt President Vows to Find and Punish Killers of Italian Student

By EgyptSource

Egypt will spare no effort to find and punish those who tortured and killed an Italian student in Cairo, the country’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said an interview published on Wednesday. “I confirm that we will spare no efforts and continue to work with the Italian authorities to arrest the perpetrators, so that they can […]

MENASource

Mar 15, 2016

Barakat’s Assassination: How to Analyze Egypt’s Politicized Security Environment

By Mokhtar Awad

Who killed Egypt’s Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat? That’s perhaps one of the most contentious questions in Egypt today. In nearly nine months, no credible claim of responsibility has surfaced, and we will probably never know for sure unless the group responsible publishes video evidence.

North Africa

MENASource

Mar 15, 2016

Is Saudi Arabia Backed into a Corner?

By Jillian Schwedler

The Houthis and Saudis have been talking in Riyadh for months, not only recently as suggested by reports last week. But formal peace talks failed as the kingdom insisted on the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 2216, which calls for a full surrender of the Houthis. What led to the breakthrough of the […]

Yemen

MENASource

Mar 15, 2016

EconSource: Saudi Arabia Orders 5 Percent Cut in Contract Spending

By EconSource

In a new austerity move, Saudi Arabia’s government has ordered ministries to cut spending on contracts by at least 5 percent.

MENASource

Mar 15, 2016

Top News: Nusra Front vows new offensive after Russian pullout

By MENASource

Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate al-Nusra Front is preparing to launch a new offensive, a jihadist commander said Tuesday, after Russia announced the withdrawal of its forces from the war-torn country.

MENASource

Mar 15, 2016

Top News: Parliamentary Affairs Minister to Act as Egypt’s Interim Justice Minister

By EgyptSource

Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail mandated on Monday that Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Magdi al-Agati act as a caretaker Justice Minister until a new minister is appointed, replacing recently sacked Ahmed al-Zind. Ismail said that there are no candidates yet for the position, though a new minister will be appointed within days. Ismail thanked […]

MENASource

Mar 15, 2016

Hamdeen Sabbahi’s Political Initiative Finds Little Support

By Khaled Dawoud

Former presidential candidate, Hamdeen Sabbahi, came under significant criticism with the launch of an initiative aimed at a unified political force. He described it as an alternative to the policies of the current regime and to those of the Muslim Brotherhood.

North Africa
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