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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Optimism mixed with realism about the Biden administration’s promises on Yemen

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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Optimism mixed with realism about the Biden administration’s promises on Yemen

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
Optimism mixed with realism about the Biden administration’s promises on Yemen

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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MENASource

Feb 23, 2021

Optimism mixed with realism about the Biden administration’s promises on Yemen

By Khaled H. Alyemany

The appointment of Ambassador Tim Lenderking as US Special Envoy to Yemen is the right step towards streamlining United States’ efforts internally and externally with allies to end the war, address its humanitarian impact, and avert the looming famine.

Middle East
The Gulf

MENASource

Feb 23, 2021

Don’t rely on Moscow to help with “reconciliation” in Syria’s Daraa province

By Jomana Qaddour, Abdulrahman al-Masri

Any deal Russia strikes in Syria’s southern province will be volatile and temporary, given that resolving underlying conditions are impossible under the Bashar al-Assad regime and Russia’s direction.

Middle East
Russia

MENASource

Feb 22, 2021

America steps back into the ring with the Palestinians

By Jonathan H. Ferziger, Shalom Lipner

The renewed US effort to engage with the Palestinian leadership comes against the backdrop of the past four years, during which the Mahmoud Abbas government found itself consistently on the defensive.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Feb 22, 2021

China is happy about the Abraham Accords and the GCC crisis coming to an end

By Jonathan Fulton

Middle Eastern dispute resolution benefits lots of countries with interests in the region and several can be expected to capitalize. However, given China’s increasingly deep MENA footprint, it will capitalize more.

China
East Asia

MENASource

Feb 18, 2021

The Biden administration may have hit the reset button in Libya

By Karim Mezran

Despite its marginality and irrelevance for US’s interests, Libya has come to constitute the litmus test of this perceived change in the world political landscape.

Libya
Middle East

MENASource

Feb 18, 2021

Israel’s upcoming election: A referendum on the handling of the coronavirus

By Shalom Lipner

March 23 will see Israelis trek to the polls—for the fourth time since April 2019—after the close of an election campaign that has, thus far, entertained discussion of little else other than the coronavirus and its ramifications.

Israel
Middle East

MENASource

Feb 17, 2021

Responding to Iranian proxies in Iraq: Lowering the cost of accountability

By C. Anthony Pfaff

Rather than being faced with doing nothing, leaving, or being kicked out, such a joint approach can make the US the more attractive partner, undermine Iran’s ability to control the narrative, and improve prospects for future security cooperation.

Iran
Iraq

MENASource

Feb 17, 2021

What it takes for MENA to be the next leading venture capital opportunity

By Amjad Ahmad, Christopher Schroeder, and Allison Holle

Investing in venture capital in the Middle East is not merely an opportunity to gain financial dividends, but also to impact the lives of hundreds of millions of people by adding value and creating local wealth that can then address manifold social challenges. This will allow talent to rise and strengthen the ecosystem further.

Economy & Business
Middle East

Arab Spring

Feb 17, 2021

Ten years ago, Libyans staged a revolution. Here’s why it has failed.

By Borzou Daragahi

Ten years on, it’s important to dispel myths about why Libya went so wrong so as not to draw the wrong lessons.

Middle East
North Africa

MENASource

Feb 16, 2021

Two years on, Algeria’s Hirak is poised for a rebirth

By Andrew G. Farrand

Partisans of the Hirak are quick to point out that they voluntarily paused the movement and can restart it at any time. Two years after the Hirak’s eruption, that possibility appears likely.

Middle East
North Africa
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