Middle East Programs Commentary & Analysis

Our blogs feature thoughtful reflections and opinions on current events in the Middle East & North Africa.

Through our Middle East Programs, the Atlantic Council works with allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.

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Meet our blogs

MENASource

MENASource follows movements across the region and provides news and analysis on current events, including a platform for Middle Eastern perspectives, among others, on major issues—economic, political, security, cultural—that are at stake in the post-Arab Spring era.  

IranSource

IranSource provides a holistic look at Iran’s internal dynamics, global and regional policies, and posture through unique analysis of current events and long-term, strategic issues related to Iran.

All commentary & analysis

New Atlanticist

Oct 28, 2020

How to defeat Iranian and Russian cyber operations against the US election

By Thomas S. Warrick

Instead of offering general reassurances, the directors of national intelligence, the FBI, and cybersecurity should tell all Americans they have it in their power to hand Russia and Iran a strategic defeat. Vote early.

Cybersecurity Disinformation

IranSource

Oct 28, 2020

Do Iranians really care who wins the US election?

By Sydney Martin

Several factors help explain why so many Iranians assert that it will not matter who wins in the US presidential election.

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Oct 27, 2020

The US election through the eyes of Iran’s moderates and hardliners

By Ali Fathollah-Nejad and Amin Naeni

The outcome of the US presidential election will reverberate far beyond the United States, especially in Iran, where it may influence the fortunes of rival political factions as well as the results of Iran’s own presidential elections next June.

Iran Middle East

MENASource

Oct 26, 2020

Will US troops actually leave Syria in exchange for hostages?

By Abdulrahman al-Masri

While the talks between Washington and the Bashar al-Assad regime may be in its early stages, Donald Trump may want to secure some pre-election victories by securing the release of hostages and the return of soldiers.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Oct 26, 2020

Qatar Development Bank CEO: The “blockade didn’t stop us from growing” and “prepared us for other shocks” like COVID-19

By Stefanie Hausheer Ali

On October 26, 2020, empowerME hosted Qatar Development Bank CEO Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Al Khalifa for a conversation about Qatar’s efforts to boost entrepreneurship, diversify its economy, increase women’s economic participation, and prepare youth for the jobs of the future.

Coronavirus Economy & Business

IranSource

Oct 21, 2020

What Iran might sell now that the UN arms embargo expired

By Robert Czulda

The end of the UN arms embargo means that Iran can not only import military hardware but can also return to the market as an exporter.

Iran Middle East

MENASource

Oct 20, 2020

Renewed calls for demonstrations on October 25 in Iraq come with hurdles

By Raghad Kasim

Over the course of the coming weeks, protests will break out with calls for reform. This mass mobilization may witness higher incidents of violence than in October of last year.

Iraq Middle East

MENASource

Oct 19, 2020

Soccer for peace in the Middle East and North Africa

By Rabah Arezki

Although uniting around sport might be mainly symbolic, it could also be a confidence-building effort that could reduce tension and increase integration in a region that would mightily benefit from both.

Middle East North Africa

IranSource

Oct 16, 2020

The Abraham Accords plays into Iran’s hands and opens the door for al-Qaeda

By Douglas London

President Donald Trump and the Gulf states might have fueled a more profound threat that extends Iran’s “axis of resistance” directly into their own houses, including a worrisome al-Qaeda component.

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Oct 15, 2020

Will Iran let a woman run for president in 2021?

By Raz Zimmt

With Iran's June 2021 presidential elections approaching, a perennial public debate over whether women have the right to run for president has resurfaced.

Iran Middle East
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