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: Obama and Putin Meet on Syria, Remain Divided on Assad’s Fate

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: Obama and Putin Meet on Syria, Remain Divided on Assad’s Fate

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: Obama and Putin Meet on Syria, Remain Divided on Assad’s Fate

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

Sep 29, 2015

Top News: Obama and Putin Meet on Syria, Remain Divided on Assad’s Fate

By MENASource

President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin met on Monday at the United Nations. Their speeches earlier in the day presented starkly different views on the Syrian crisis and how to bring stability to the Middle East.

MENASource

Sep 29, 2015

EconSource: Yemen’s Aden Oil Refinery Resumes Operations

By EconSource

Yemen’s 150,000 barrel per day Aden refinery resumed operations on Tuesday after being shut down for more than five months, according to an industry source at the refinery.

MENASource

Sep 28, 2015

Syria: Barrel Bombing as an “Active Measure”

By Frederic C. Hof

Fans of television interviewer Charlie Rose have long known not to be surprised when Mr. Rose manages, in a flawlessly professional manner, to elicit intelligence on the essence of his guest’s character. He did it again in his recent interview of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia
Syria

MENASource

Sep 28, 2015

Top News: Sisi to Address UN General Assembly Monday Evening

By EgyptSource

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be addressing world leaders in the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly on Monday evening.

MENASource

Sep 28, 2015

Top News: UN’s Ban Ki-moon Discusses Yemen with World Leaders

By MENASource

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir to discuss the ongoing situation in Yemen, Syria, the Middle East Peace Process, and common objectives in the fight against terrorism. On Yemen, the Secretary-General underlined his strong view that there was no military solution to the Yemeni conflict.

MENASource

Sep 28, 2015

EconSource: Sisi Announces Planned Shift to VAT Regime, Meets with World Bank and UN Heads

By EconSource

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced Egypt’s plan to introduce a value-added tax (VAT) regime as part of major economic reforms.

MENASource

Sep 25, 2015

The Implications of Russia’s Syria Intervention for Turkey

By Aaron Stein

Russia’s recent deployment of aircraft and military equipment in Syria runs counter to Turkey’s efforts to unseat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The introduction of Russian aircraft and surface-to-air missiles prompted many to argue that Moscow is seeking to prevent the establishment of a US- and Turkish-backed air-exclusion zone over parts of northern Syria.

Russia
Syria

MENASource

Sep 25, 2015

Top News: Saudis Seek to Fend Off UN Inquiry on Yemen

By MENASource

Dutch diplomats want the UN human rights chief to send a mission to report on possible abuses and conflict-related crimes in Yemen. The Netherlands submitted a resolution Thursday at the UN Human Rights Council while Yemen and Saudi Arabia also submitted one calling for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide “technical assistance” […]

MENASource

Sep 25, 2015

Top News: Egypt Keen to Participate Effectively at UN General Assembly Says Presidency

By EgyptSource

Egypt will present its views on various issues during President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to the UN General Assembly, said presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef, who added that the country is keen on participating fully in Assembly activities.

MENASource

Sep 25, 2015

EconSource: Report Says Gender Equality Could Yield $2.7 Trillion in Economic Gains for the Region

By EconSource

A new study by the McKinsey Global Institute finds that were women in the Middle East and North Africa to enjoy the same economic opportunities as men, the region would be $2.7 trillion better off between now and 2025.

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