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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How the agri-food sector can turn Iraq’s economy around

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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How the agri-food sector can turn Iraq’s economy around

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
How the agri-food sector can turn Iraq’s economy around

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

Dec 9, 2020

How the agri-food sector can turn Iraq’s economy around

By Hadi Fathallah and Timothy Robertson

Amidst Iraq’s economic meltdown, agri-food can play a pivotal role in turning the economy around and putting it back on a sustainable growth track.

Iraq
Middle East

MENASource

Dec 9, 2020

The GCC’s digital economy is growing, but risks must be managed

By Dominik Treeck

Gulf Cooperation Council governments need to establish effective protections for the digital economy to gain scale and become sustainable.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Dec 8, 2020

To move forward, US policy on Iraq requires balancing confrontation with Iran

By C. Anthony Pfaff

If Washington wants to shape Iranian behavior relative to Iraq—or anywhere for that matter—it has to give Tehran alternatives it can accept.

Iran
Iraq

MENASource

Dec 4, 2020

Biden administration should act fast to bolster people-to-people exchanges with the Middle East

By Richard LeBaron and Dan Sreebny

While US policy toward individual MENA countries will be hammered out in the interagency process through the first year of the new Joe Biden administration, we recommend action in the first months employing existing Public Diplomacy programs to reinforce support for unlocking human potential.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Dec 3, 2020

Limited and constrained: The Biden administration and the prospects of a Syria policy

By Abdulrahman al-Masri

While any departure from the Trump administration’s transactional and inconsistent leadership is welcomed, the hopes surrounding the incoming Biden administration’s return to engagement in Syria requires more in-depth scrutiny.

Politics & Diplomacy
Syria

MENASource

Dec 3, 2020

Netanyahu and MBS are not done with Trump just yet

By Shalom Lipner

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are circling their wagons. Like other Donald Trump fans, they are hunkering down now to meet the challenges of the impending post-Trump era.

Israel
Middle East

MENASource

Dec 1, 2020

2021 budget reveals the depth of Syria’s economic woes

By William Christou and Karam Shaar

Unless a political settlement is reached and the sanctions are lifted to enable reconstruction, the economy of regime-held Syria will continue to struggle.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Nov 24, 2020

UNRWA—and the Palestine refugees it serves—remains an investment worth protecting

By Mara Kronenfeld

UNRWA is one of the only entities standing between a tragic COVID-19 outbreak among Palestine refugees and safe passage to the other side of this global crisis. Though the agency has the expertise to help Palestine refugees, it can only continue doing so with adequate and reliable funding.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Nov 20, 2020

Stormy waters: Israel and Lebanon negotiate their maritime border

By Udi Evental

After a decade of United States-led mediation, on October 14, delegations on behalf of Israel and Lebanon entered negotiations on the demarcation of their disputed maritime borderline.

Israel
Lebanon

MENASource

Nov 18, 2020

Mudassir Sheikha and Amjad Ahmad on how to create more “unicorns” in the Middle East

By Allison Holle

Atlantic Council’s empowerME initiative hosted Careem Co-Founder & CEO Mudassir Sheikha and empowerME Director and venture capital veteran Amjad Ahmad for a conversation about Sheikha’s path to success and strategies for building a more productive entrepreneurial ecosystem to create more unicorns in the Middle East. Below are the key takeaways from the discussion moderated by CNBC Reporter & Anchor Hadley Gamble.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy
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