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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The Incirlik Expansion and the US-Turkish Strategy to Fight ISIS

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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The Incirlik Expansion and the US-Turkish Strategy to Fight ISIS

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

The Incirlik Expansion and the US-Turkish Strategy to Fight ISIS

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

Oct 8, 2015

The Incirlik Expansion and the US-Turkish Strategy to Fight ISIS

By Aaron Stein

After nine months of negotiations, the United States and Turkey reached an agreement to open Turkish airbases for strike missions against the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) in late July 2015. Since then, the United States has stationed six F-16s at Incirlik and search and rescue aircraft at Diyarbakir airbase.

Syria
Turkey

MENASource

Oct 8, 2015

Top News: US Senate Democrats Hold Up Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

By MENASource

A US Senate panel voted Wednesday to delay weapons sales to Saudi Arabia over concerns regarding the kingdom’s ongoing air war in Yemen. Congress was notified on August 19 of the Obama administration’s intent to provide Riyadh with thousands of precision-guided munitions.

MENASource

Oct 8, 2015

Top News: Sisi Tells Putin Regional ‘Political’ Settlement is Urgently Needed

By EgyptSource

 Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed over the phone the latest security and political developments in the Middle East with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin late Wednesday, according to state-affiliated MENA news agency.

MENASource

Oct 8, 2015

EconSource: Saudi Arabia said to order spending curbs amid oil price slump

By EconSource

Saudi Arabia is ordering a series of cost cutting measures as a global slide in oil prices weighs on the kingdom’s budget. The Saudi Finance Ministry told government departments not to contract any new projects and to freeze appointments and promotions in the fourth quarter of 2015, sources said.

MENASource

Oct 7, 2015

Libya’s Leadership Vacuum and its Impact

By Jason Pack

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday September 28, US President Barack Obama acknowledged the shortcomings of the 2011 NATO military intervention in Libya while simultaneously defending the initial logic of the mission, stating that a vacuum had been left behind after the toppling of the Qaddafi regime.

Libya

MENASource

Oct 7, 2015

Top News: Emboldened by Russian Air Strikes, Syrian Regime Forces Mount Attacks

By MENASource

Syrian troops backed by Russian air strikes battled insurgents in Idlib and Hama provinces on Wednesday in the first major ground fighting since Moscow began launching air raids on militants last week, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

MENASource

Oct 7, 2015

Top News: Sisi Issues Presidential Decree Amending Penal Code

By EgyptSource

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued on Tuesday a decree amending the Penal Code.

MENASource

Oct 7, 2015

EconSource: IMF says Iran Nuclear Deal to Boost Mideast Economy

By EconSource

The Iranian nuclear deal will lift economic growth in the Middle East next year as the rolling back of sanctions brings a rebound in oil exports, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday in its latest World Economic Outlook.

MENASource

Oct 6, 2015

Top News: Conflicting Reports Over Attacks in Aden

By MENASource

Attacks in Aden, on a hotel used by Yemen’s Prime Minister Khaled Bahah and on two military installations, have killed eighteen Saudi-led coalition troops and pro-government fighters. Explosions rocked the Qasr hotel, the headquarters of the UAE’s forces in the city, and a residence early on Tuesday.

MENASource

Oct 6, 2015

Egypt’s Upcoming Elections: A Primer

By Omar Halawa

After more than two years without a parliament, Egypt is witnessing its first parliamentary elections in three years, with the race kicking off in October. Once elected, this parliament will be Egypt’s largest in several decades with 596 parliamentarians; 448 will be elected under the individual system, and 120 elected from the party-based system. Twenty-eight will […]

Elections
North Africa
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