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: Nearly 40,000 Syrians flee regime’s advance on Aleppo

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: Nearly 40,000 Syrians flee regime’s advance on Aleppo

MENASource
Jan 28, 2026

Trump’s National Security Strategy doesn’t downgrade the Middle East, it redefines it

By
Kristian Alexander

Trump’s strategy is a sophisticated refinement of “America First.” For the Gulf, the implications are significant, but manageable.

Middle East
National Security

Top News: Nearly 40,000 Syrians flee regime’s advance on Aleppo

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

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Content

MENASource

Feb 4, 2016

Top News: Nearly 40,000 Syrians flee regime’s advance on Aleppo

By MENASource

A regime offensive near Aleppo continues from Monday with Russian air support, accompanied by Iran-backed Shia militias and Hezbollah forces, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Thursday. The operation broke an opposition siege on two regime held towns.

MENASource

Feb 4, 2016

Is 2016 Finally a Breakout Year for the Egyptian Economy?

By Mohsin Khan and Elissa Miller

On assuming office in June 2014, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi committed to revive the Egyptian economy, which had been in the doldrums for the past several years, and set it on a path of sustained high growth and low unemployment. To achieve this objective he identified a mixture of populist and traditional free-market policies to […]

North Africa

MENASource

Feb 4, 2016

Top News: Italian Student Giulio Regeni Found Dead in Cairo ‘with Signs of Torture’

By EgyptSource

Egyptian officials released conflicting reports as to the cause of Italian PhD candidate Giulio Regeni’s death on Thursday, days after the Italian government announced it was growing increasingly concerned about his disappearance.

MENASource

Feb 4, 2016

Three Things We Do Not Know About Yemen

By Jillian Schwedler

Tens of thousands of Yemenis gathered in the capital Sana’a to express their anger toward the government on February 3, 2011 in what was dubbed the “Day of Rage.” Five years later, a failed transitional process has led to open war between competing factions and their regional backers. As the war in Yemen enters its […]

Yemen

MENASource

Feb 4, 2016

EconSource: EBRD Plans EUR 900 Million Package for Turkey, Jordan

By EconSource

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said Wednesday is planning to invest EUR 900 million euros ($986 million) as part of international efforts to tackle the refugee crisis.

MENASource

Feb 4, 2016

MENASource Podcast: Is the Syrian Rebellion Doomed?

By MENASource

In the second installment of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center Podcast, Senior Fellows Aaron Stein and Faysal Itani discuss the implications of the latest Syrian regime gains on the battle field and the potential impact on US-Turkish relations, the anti-ISIS coalition, and the negotiations in Geneva.

Russia
Syria

MENASource

Feb 3, 2016

The Regimen of Sisi’s Non-Regime

By H.A. Hellyer

It has been almost five years since the head of the Mubarak regime, Hosni Mubarak himself, was removed from office—a moment many heralded as the end of the Egyptian state regime. Today, a new political reality exists. Is it appropriate  to speak of a new, singular, cohesive, Egyptian regime? Or is the picture actually far […]

North Africa

MENASource

Feb 3, 2016

Top News: New offensive by Assad’s forces overshadows Syria peace talks

By MENASource

Rebels said the new assault on Aleppo, backed by heavy Russian air strikes, was unprecedented and that the divided northern city might soon be encircled. Russia will not stop its air strikes on Syria until armed groups are defeated, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

MENASource

Feb 3, 2016

Top News: Rights Group Says Violations Against Journalists Doubled in Second Half of 2015

By EgyptSource

Violations against the press and media personnel in Egypt doubled over the second half of 2015 compared to the first half, according to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE).

MENASource

Feb 3, 2016

EconSource: Minister Says UAE GDP Growth Seen at 3.5 Percent in 2016

By EconSource

The economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expected to grow about 3.5 percent in 2016 as the country moves forward with strategic projects despite the global drop in oil prices, Economy Minister Sultan bin Saeed al-Mansouri said.

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