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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Arming the Kurds to Defeat ISIS in Mosul

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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Arming the Kurds to Defeat ISIS in Mosul

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

Arming the Kurds to Defeat ISIS in Mosul

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

Apr 8, 2015

Arming the Kurds to Defeat ISIS in Mosul

By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

Buttressed by anti-ISIS coalition airstrikes, Kurdish forces (Peshmerga) have successfully maintained their front lines against the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL). Both Baghdad and Washington need the Kurds to strike at ISIS in the symbolic city of Mosul, but some in the US government fear that directly arming the Kurds could encourage a future war […]

Iraq

MENASource

Apr 8, 2015

Top News: US Expedites Arms Shipments to Saudi Arabia

By MENASource

The United States is speeding up arms supplies and bolstering intelligence sharing with a Saudi-led alliance bombing a militia aligned with Iran in neighboring Yemen, US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

MENASource

Apr 8, 2015

Top News: Dialogue Meeting to Discuss Egypt Parliament Law Reforms Hampered by Disagreement

By EgyptSource

A meeting aimed at eliminating constitutional gridlock standing in the way of Egypt’s long-delayed parliamentary elections ended abruptly on Tuesday. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Ibrahim al-Heneidy said that Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab was forced to end the meeting with political parties and other national figures after verbal clashes erupted among the attendees.

MENASource

Apr 8, 2015

EconSource: Libya’s Rival Forces Warn Tobruk Government Against Independent Oil Sales

By EconSource

Libyan forces opposed to the country’s internationally recognized government in Tobruk have warned it that any attempts to export oil independently would force them to take military action to seize oil ports and facilities.

MENASource

Apr 8, 2015

US-Iran: Deal or No Deal, This Is Not the Question

By Hanin Ghaddar

The June 30 deadline will make or break the US-Iran nuclear deal. Until then, the preliminary accord, its interpretation, and implementation will be the center of attention for all stakeholders. However, less attention will be given to the developments in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon.

Iran Iraq

MENASource

Apr 7, 2015

The US-Iran Nuclear Agreement: It’s not the Details, It’s the Context

By Faysal Itani

The public debate over the US-Iran nuclear deal’s merits has largely focused on its technical details, protocols, and simplistic generalizations about Iranian goodwill (or lack thereof). But equally important are the geopolitical and strategic environments in which a deal is reached and US conduct in negotiations.

Iran Syria

MENASource

Apr 7, 2015

Iran: All About Nukes?

By Frederic C. Hof

Imagine a fistfight between a National Football League lineman and say, a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. Imagine the lineman, after effortlessly decking the Senior Fellow, offering a second round, but with one key difference: each fighter would be armed with a .38 Special.

Iran Syria

MENASource

Apr 7, 2015

Top News: Houthis Claim to Have Seized Weapons Meant for Pro-Hadi Forces

By MENASource

Weapons dropped from the air by the Saudi-led coalition for popular committees fighting the Houthis in Aden have fallen into Houthi hands, according to the Houthis.

MENASource

Apr 7, 2015

Top News: Prime Minister says Elections to be Held before Ramadan

By EgyptSource

Prime Minister Mahlab said in a phone call to Al Nahar TV on Monday that parliamentary elections could be held before the beginning of Ramadan.

MENASource

Apr 7, 2015

EconSource: Kuwait Fund to Lend Egypt $1.5 billion Over the Next Five Years

By EconSource

The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development plans to lend Egypt $1.5 billion over the next five years, extending $300 million each year, the fund’s Director-General has said. He did not provide details of the loans. The fund is the Kuwaiti government’s agency for aiding developing countries in areas including agriculture, transport, and energy. Kuwait, […]

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