MENASource

As the MENA region continues to be the epicenter of news headlines, the Atlantic Council’s MENASource is a hub for thought-provoking and hard-hitting analyses about the latest trends, ideas, and debates. This online publication provides fast reactions and in-depth commentary on breaking news and key regional topics by a diverse team of experts and contributors.

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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Regime change in Iran? Here’s why the US should avoid the temptation.

MENASource Mar 26, 2026

As Iran attacks, the US should provide air defense for Iraqi Kurdistan

Washington faces a choice: Continue to defer to Baghdad’s procedural objections while Iran conducts unimpeded strikes on Kurdish territory or acknowledge the strategic reality and take decisive action.

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Regime change in Iran? Here’s why the US should avoid the temptation.

MENASource Mar 17, 2026

A crisis in Egypt could be a warning sign for the global economy 

By Khalid Azim

Market watchers should keep an eye on Egypt as an oil shock could cause financial turmoil.
Economy & Business International Financial Institutions
Regime change in Iran? Here’s why the US should avoid the temptation.

MENASource Mar 11, 2026

Three lessons from Libya for the war in Iran

By Frank Talbot

Any outside power using force to attain a political outcome must define the end state it seeks, align coalition partners around a shared strategy, and establish credible escalation controls.
Conflict Iran

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Content

MENASource

Feb 27, 2026

Regime change in Iran? Here’s why the US should avoid the temptation.

By Jennifer Gavito and Bianca Rosen

Launching a large-scale conflict aimed at regime change in Iran would likely create more problems than it would solve for the United States.

Conflict Crisis Management

MENASource

Feb 25, 2026

To harness Saudi Arabia’s demographic dividend, Riyadh must invest in human capital

By Khalid Azim

The success of Saudi Arabia’s economic development will be determined not be the volume of capital it mobilizes, but how effectively that capital is translated into human capability.

Economy & Business Inclusive Growth

MENASource

Feb 20, 2026

Iran’s regime is suffering from strategic vertigo. Its next misstep may be its last.

By Michael Rozenblat

Iranian leaders continue to see their major decisions backfire. Will they choose obstinance again in ongoing talks with the US?

Conflict Iran

MENASource

Feb 20, 2026

Syria is not Libya, but it could become one if the world looks away

By Kurt Davis Jr.

There are lessons from Libya's fragmentation and collapse that can be applied now as Syria sits at a similar inflection point.

Conflict Libya

MENASource

Feb 18, 2026

Israel needs a fundamental shift in its foreign policy

By Amir Asmar

Israel's international standing has been tarnished by its conduct in Gaza, but the apparent end of the war presents a unique moment for reexamination.

Conflict International Norms

MENASource

Feb 15, 2026

Six reasons why Trump should choose the military option in Iran

By Michael Rozenblat

The benefits of fundamentally changing—or even eliminating—the Islamic Republic could outweigh the risks if the alternative is an emboldened, undeterred Iran.

Conflict Iran

MENASource

Feb 5, 2026

How Iran’s water bankruptcy seeped into the protest movement

By Nik Kowsar

Many of Iran's protest hubs overlap with areas where severe water shortages in recent years have made life increasingly difficult for people.

Climate Change & Climate Action Energy & Environment

MENASource

Feb 5, 2026

How Israeli technology could help solve Iran’s water crisis

By Joseph Epstein and Dalga Khatinoglu

Iran faces a stark choice: find ways to access the world's most advanced water technologies, or continue toward a crisis.

Climate Change & Climate Action Energy & Environment

MENASource

Feb 5, 2026

Washington’s UNRWA report shows how public discourse is divorced from reality

By Melanie Robbins 

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees has become a proxy theater for unresolved political questions.

Education International Organizations

MENASource

Feb 3, 2026

Why the Muslim Brotherhood is staying calm amid crackdowns in Jordan

By Aaron Magid

Despite widespread popularity, the Islamist faction did not organize large-scale protests, lowered its media profile, and avoided attacks.

Extremism Intelligence
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