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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The battlefield over West Bank annexation

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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The battlefield over West Bank annexation

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
The battlefield over West Bank annexation

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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MENASource

Jun 16, 2020

The battlefield over West Bank annexation

By Jonathan H. Ferziger

Amid the international furor generated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan, few Palestinians believe they can prevent it, even if most countries consider the West Bank occupied territory.

Israel Middle East

Blog Post

Jun 11, 2020

Sultan Haitham makes a strong start by addressing economic challenges

By Marc J. Sievers

Sultan Haitham and his government have had to contend with the dual impact of the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic and the collapse of world oil prices, which the Omani government depends upon for most of its revenue.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Blog Post

Jun 11, 2020

The Cairo Declaration is a false resolution to Libya’s conflict

By Karim Mezran, Alessia Melcangi

The so-called “Cairo Declaration,” backed by General Khalifa Haftar and Libya's parliamentary speaker Aguila Saleh, proposes an intra-Libyan resolution as a basis for resolving the country’s conflict.

Libya Middle East

Blog Post

Jun 10, 2020

Refugee conditions deteriorate amidst multiple crises in Lebanon

By Salman Husain and Diam Abou-Diab

As multiple crises are simultaneously bearing down on Lebanon, its fragile humanitarian situation is nearing a breaking point.

Lebanon Middle East

MENASource

Jun 1, 2020

Syrian opposition: Move, disband, or do the bidding of others

By Frederic C. Hof

Recent events inside Syria pose a question: Can the Syrian opposition outside Syria play a constructive political role if the regime begins to wobble or topple?

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

May 27, 2020

Twenty years after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, Hezbollah faces host of challenges

By Nicholas Blanford

The Israeli troop withdrawal was a moment of victory for Hezbollah, but the group has also placed the party in a quandary for the first time, which it has had to wrestle with before a growing audience of critics.

Israel Lebanon

MENASource

May 19, 2020

Pompeo’s mystery tour to Israel

By Shalom Lipner

With much of global diplomacy relegated to video conferences these days due to the coronavirus pandemic, the timing of Pompeo's decision to traverse the Atlantic raised more than a few eyebrows.

Israel Middle East

MENASource

May 13, 2020

Iraq’s new prime minister must manage expectations

By Rend Al-Rahim

There is one that Mustafa al-Kadhimi must be the most cautious in tackling—the management of expectations.

Iraq Middle East

MENASource

May 12, 2020

Has Moscow really turned against Assad?

By Mark N. Katz

Russian articles criticizing the Assad regime do not presage a Kremlin effort to replace him, but are, instead, a concerted Russian effort to get the Assad regime to change its ways.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

May 8, 2020

Palestinians fight skepticism over whether they can stop annexation

By Jonathan Ferziger

Palestinians are scrambling to galvanize international opposition to Israel's annexation of some thirty percent of the West Bank while battling skepticism that they can do anything to stop it.

Israel Middle East
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