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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Mapping Russia’s soft power efforts in Syria through humanitarian aid

MENASource Jul 31, 2026

Why GCC integration matters more than ever

Gulf countries can’t build their knowledge economies of the future on their own.

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Mapping Russia’s soft power efforts in Syria through humanitarian aid

MENASource Jul 13, 2026

Israel’s next government must prioritize the Abraham Accords

By Amit Yarom and Itai Melchior

The fall election could open a narrow window for Israel to reset its regional strategy and create momentum to expand normalization.
Israel Politics & Diplomacy
Mapping Russia’s soft power efforts in Syria through humanitarian aid

MENASource Aug 3, 2026

Can al-Zaidi separate the sects from the state in Iraq?

By Munqith Dagher

The biggest challenge facing Iraq’s prime minister is how to curb the role of sectarian institutions in shaping Iraq’s state decisions.
Conflict Iran

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Content

Blog Post

Jun 25, 2020

Mapping Russia’s soft power efforts in Syria through humanitarian aid

By Marika Sosnowski and Jonathan Robinson

By mapping where Russia’s Center for Reconciliation of Conflicting Sides in Syria has delivered aid over an 18-month period (between 2018 and 2020), a picture of Russia’s soft power tactics in Syria can be formed.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Jun 18, 2020

Libya’s crisis is a tough puzzle to solve for Egypt

By Alessia Melcangi and Giuseppe Dentice

Two elements are certain in this complex scenario. Firstly, Cairo will not fall into the trap of being drawn into an open proxy war in Libya, since it might have serious repercussions on the security of its porous borders, especially in the south. Secondly, Haftar’s next moves will effectively define whether the relations have cooled between him and Cairo or whether Libya is facing yet another aftershock in a marriage that is more tactical than strategic.

Conflict Crisis Management

Blog Post

Jun 18, 2020

Gulf states should defend their sea lanes: Here’s how

By Richard LeBaron, John W. Miller

The United States should play more of a supporting role with the Gulf states themselves providing more leadership and most, if not all of the forces.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

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
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