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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Blurring the Record on Syria

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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Blurring the Record on Syria

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

Blurring the Record on Syria

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

Mar 31, 2014

Blurring the Record on Syria

By Frederic C. Hof

In his exchange with Scott Pelley, President Obama did not (as the Reuters account implies) literally employ the “boots on the ground” straw man to caricature the position of his critics. But he came close.

Syria

MENASource

Mar 31, 2014

Forays by the Coptic Church into Politics Spell Trouble for its Subjects

By Amir Beshay

A video posted this week on Facebook appears to show Egyptian pop singer Ihab Tawfiq singing the now-popular pro-army anthem “Teslam al-Ayadi” in a Coptic church, reportedly in France. This comes as the latest of many examples of the Coptic Church participating in Egypt’s political scene in a way some see as unacceptable. While the […]

North Africa

MENASource

Mar 31, 2014

Top News: Yemen’s President Hadi Talks About Iranian Influence, Necessity of Drones

By MENASource

In an interview with the London-based al-Hayat, President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi called on Iran to “lift its hand off Yemen,” claiming that interference from Iran persists “whether through its support for the [Southern] Herak separatists or some religious groups in northern Yemen.” Hadi also praised Gulf Cooperation Council and Saudi efforts at supporting Yemen’s transition.

MENASource

Mar 31, 2014

The Week in Egypt – March 31, 2014

By Daniel Stoker

Catch up on the latest out of Egypt every week, with analysis, news updates, photos, videos, and more. 

North Africa

MENASource

Mar 31, 2014

Top News: Presidential Elections Timetable Announced; Presidential Candidates Begin Registration Monday

By EgyptSource

Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) – the judicial body overseeing the polls – announced the timetable for presidential elections on Sunday. Hopeful candidates will be able to register with the PEC from March 31 until April 20, said Anwar al-Assi, chairman of the PEC and the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC).

MENASource

Mar 31, 2014

EconSource Headlines- March 31, 2014

By EconSource

Follow the latest in economic news and developments about the Arab transition countries. 

MENASource

Mar 31, 2014

Marib Youth and Political Transition in Yemen

By Nadwa Al-Dawsari

Over the past few years, Marib, a tribal area 120km northeast of Sana’a, has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. It has allegedly been a staging ground for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operations targeting security and military personnel as well as oil pipelines.

Yemen

MENASource

Mar 28, 2014

Politicized Verdicts Mean No Real Accountability in Egypt

By EgyptSource

Much of the world’s press has been focused on an Egyptian trial in which 529 people were sentenced to death on March 24. What the press has failed to focus on is the root cause behind this, and three other mass trials in which 1,618 defendants will stand before the same judge: the violence that […]

North Africa

MENASource

Mar 28, 2014

European Union Critical of Egypt’s Lack of Reform in 2013

By EgyptSource

The European Union (EU), on March 27, issued a report critical of Egypt’s progress in enacting suggested reforms in 2013. The report, which makes recommendations for the future, also describes 2013 as a “challenging year, during which no particular progress can be reported,” in regards to earlier recommendations.

North Africa

MENASource

Mar 28, 2014

Top News: Saudi Royal Order Names Muqrin the Deputy Crown Prince

By MENASource

King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a royal order on Thursday appointing Prince Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as Deputy Crown Prince, making him second in line to the throne.

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