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.

Learn more about the Middle East

Top News: Russia, Egypt Dismiss UK, US Suggestion That Bomb Caused Plane Crash

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.

Read More

Top News: Russia, Egypt Dismiss UK, US Suggestion That Bomb Caused Plane Crash

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: Russia, Egypt Dismiss UK, US Suggestion That Bomb Caused Plane Crash

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

Stay Updated


Content

MENASource

Nov 5, 2015

Top News: Russia, Egypt Dismiss UK, US Suggestion That Bomb Caused Plane Crash

By EgyptSource

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Wednesday there was a “significant possibility” the Russian jetliner that crashed in the Egyptian desert may have been brought down by a bomb, while British Prime Minister David Cameron said, “We cannot be certain that the Russian airliner was brought down by a terrorist bomb, but it looks increasingly […]

MENASource

Nov 4, 2015

Top News: Turkey’s President Erdogan Says New Constitution Should Be Priority

By MENASource

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey’s parliament should prioritize discussions on a new constitution, in his first major speech since the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) won back its majority in a snap election over the weekend.

MENASource

Nov 4, 2015

Top News: Sinai State Claims Arish Car Bomb Explosion

By EgyptSource

A car bomb targeting a policeman’s club in the Egyptian city of al-Arish killed several people and wounded ten on Wednesday, security sources said. In a statement shared on social media, the Sinai State, Egypt’s Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack, which it described as a suicide bombing.

MENASource

Nov 4, 2015

Sisi in London: What to Expect

By H.A Hellyer

From November 4 to 6, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be in the UK on an official visit. It marks the first trip to London by an Egyptian president since the January 25 revolutionary uprising in 2011. The trip raises a number of questions around Western engagement with Egypt under Sisi, particularly from one […]

North Africa

MENASource

Nov 4, 2015

EconSource: Qatar to Spend Cautiously, Avoid Big Budget Deficit

By EconSource

Qatar will put together a state budget for 2016 that avoids a large deficit despite lower revenues resulting from low oil and gas prices, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said on Tuesday in a speech to the government’s Advisory Council.

MENASource

Nov 3, 2015

Top News: Iran Says May Quit Syria Talks over Spat with Saudi; Russia Trying for Talks in Moscow

By MENASource

Iran said on Monday it would quit Syria peace talks if it found them unconstructive, citing the “negative role” of Saudi Arabia, in the latest spat between the regional rivals that jeopardizes efforts to ease turmoil across the Middle East. Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that Iran would not participate if the talks were “not […]

MENASource

Nov 3, 2015

EconSource: EBRD Earmarks $250 Million for Renewable Energy in MENA

By EconSource

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched a $250 million financing program to promote private sector investment in renewable energy in Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan.

MENASource

Nov 3, 2015

Top News: Egypt’s Sisi to Visit UK Thursday to Discuss Security, Trade

By EgyptSource

For the first time since his election, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will travel to the UK on Thursday to meet British Prime Minister David Cameron, where they will discuss regional and international issues.

MENASource

Nov 2, 2015

What We Know about the Russian Airliner Crash in Sinai

By Elissa Miller

On Saturday, an Airbus A321 plane operated by Russia’s Kogalymavia under the brand name Metrojet crashed in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula after losing radar contact twenty-three minutes after takeoff, according to Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry. Metrojet Flight 9268, which was flying from Sharm al-Sheikh to St. Petersburg and was at an altitude of 31,000 feet when […]

North Africa

MENASource

Nov 2, 2015

Qatar’s New Slavery Museum

By Matthew Hall

Hanging in Qatar’s museum of modern art are several works by Faraj Daham—nature scenes painted on the circular steel lids of oil drums. In the background of these paintings—literally and figuratively—is Qatar’s oil industry. The artworks stand out because they reference, however obliquely, a topic central to Qatar’s political reality. They stand out amid the […]

The Gulf
Load More