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: President Obama, Iraq’s Prime Minister Abadi to Discuss ISIS Fight in Washington

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: President Obama, Iraq’s Prime Minister Abadi to Discuss ISIS Fight in Washington

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: President Obama, Iraq’s Prime Minister Abadi to Discuss ISIS Fight in Washington

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

Apr 14, 2015

Top News: President Obama, Iraq’s Prime Minister Abadi to Discuss ISIS Fight in Washington

By MENASource

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and President Barack Obama will discuss the fight against Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) on Tuesday at a White House meeting likely to be dominated by Iraqi requests for US arms and tension over Iran’s role on the battlefield.

MENASource

Apr 14, 2015

Top News: No Egyptian Ground Troops in Yemen says Military Spokesman

By EgyptSource

Egypt’s military has said that it has not deployed ground troops to war-torn Yemen as part of the Saudi-led military offensive against Houthi rebels there.

MENASource

Apr 14, 2015

EconSource: Iraqi Prime Minister, in Washington, Seeks Billions to Overcome Deficit

By EconSource

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi used his first official visit to Washington this week to pursue billions of dollars in loans and international assistance as his government struggles with plunging oil prices and a large budget deficit.

MENASource

Apr 14, 2015

The UNSMIL Draft Agreement and International Engagement with Libya

By Azza K. Maghur

Since UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon nominated Mr. Bernardino Leon as the UN Special Representative and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) in August 2014, stagnant Libyan waters have moved.

Libya

MENASource

Apr 13, 2015

Egypt’s Azhar Flexes its Muscles

By Khaled Dawoud

Egypt’s oldest Islamic establishment, Al-Azhar, came out in full force this week against what it claims is an organized plan to undermine its historic role in representing “moderate Islam.” After an initial complaint to the Free Media Zone Authority asking it to ban a controversial television talk show critical of traditional Islamic schools of thought […]

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 13, 2015

Top News: Egyptian Court Sentences Fourteen to Death Fourteen Killed in Sinai Attacks

By EgyptSource

The Cairo Criminal Court ratified on Saturday death sentences served to Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and thirteen other Brotherhood leaders. Thirty-seven other defendants were sentenced to life in prison, including Egyptian-American Mohamed Soltan.

MENASource

Apr 13, 2015

Top News: United States Expands Role in Saudi-Led Campaign in Yemen

By MENASource

The United States is expanding its role in Saudi Arabia’s campaign in Yemen, vetting military targets and searching vessels for Yemen-bound Iranian arms amid growing concerns about the goals of the Saudi-led mission, according to US and Arab officials.

MENASource

Apr 13, 2015

EconSource: ISIS Militants Breach Iraq Refinery Perimeter, Repelled

By EconSource

Militants from the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) breached the security perimeter around Iraq’s largest refinery in Baiji early on Monday but were beaten back by security forces and coalition air strikes, according to local officials.

MENASource

Apr 10, 2015

The War on Egypt’s Human Rights Defenders

By Ragab Saad

In his annual report before the latest session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein criticized the flagrant human rights violations in Egypt, particularly the trials of dozens of political activists and human rights advocates.

North Africa

MENASource

Apr 10, 2015

EconSource: IFC Plans up to $2 Billion Investment in Egyptian Infrastructure, Power

By EconSource

The World Bank’s development arm plans to invest between $1.2 billion and $2 billion in Egypt over the next four years, including around the Suez Canal, its regional director said. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is looking at ports and logistics projects, according to Mouayed Makhlouf, the IFC’s director of Middle East and North Africa.

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