Content

Dispatches

Nov 4, 2026

Why this US midterm was unusually important for the Middle East

By William F. Wechsler

Midterm losses may reduce the immediate risk of renewed US strikes on Iran, but could drive Trump toward escalation in the months ahead.

Elections Iran

Fast Thinking

Nov 4, 2026

What the midterms will (and won’t) change for US foreign policy

By Atlantic Council

Our experts explain where the power shift could change foreign policy—and where it won’t. 

Artificial Intelligence Elections

In the News

Nov 4, 2026

Charai for The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune: The Midterm Verdict and the Test of American Leadership

By Atlantic Council

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Dispatches

Nov 4, 2026

Experts react: Democrats just swept the US midterms. Here’s what it means for the world.

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts assess the global implications of the midterm elections on issues ranging from energy and the economy to US foreign policy.

Elections United States and Canada

Econographics

Nov 4, 2026

The midterms are done. Time for the fiscal clashes to begin.

By Josh Lipsky, Bart Piasecki

The Democrats’ victory in the 2026 US midterm elections sets the stage for major showdowns on the federal budget and the debt ceiling.

Dollar Dominance Economy & Business

UkraineAlert

Nov 3, 2026

Europe must weigh rising Ukraine costs against higher price of Russian victory

By Peter Dickinson

If Russia succeeds in overrunning an underfunded and exhausted Ukraine, the consequences for Europe will be catastrophic and the price tag of stopping an emboldened Putin will dwarf the current cost of supporting Kyiv, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Policy

Dispatches

Nov 3, 2026

New Palestinian leaders will need more than an electoral mandate to govern

By Eric Alter and Bisher Al-Khasawneh

The 2027 Palestinian elections will only give new leaders the authority to govern if they can control finances and security and rival factions agree to accept the results.

Elections Middle East

Report

Nov 3, 2026

Religion as statecraft: What a decade of research reveals about the geopolitics of religious soft power

By Peter Mandaville

The post-Cold War assumption that international politics was converging toward a secular liberal framework in which religion would play at most a marginal role has not survived contact with the evidence. From China to Turkey to Saudi Arabia and Russia, states are integrating religion into their foreign policy in strategically significant ways.

China India

Inflection Points

Nov 3, 2026

Dispatch from Abu Dhabi: America votes—and the world holds its breath

By Frederick Kempe

The world is showing more interest than ever in the US midterm elections, and with good reason given how the results could affect Trump's foreign policy.

Conflict Elections

Scorecard

Nov 2, 2026

Scowcroft Strategy Scorecard: Grading Canada’s second-ever national security strategy 

By Atlantic Council

For only the second time in its history, Canada has a new national security strategy. Does it match the clarity with which Prime Minister Mark Carney has described the challenges the country faces? Atlantic Council experts weigh in.

National Security Politics & Diplomacy

Experts