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

IranSource

Nov 15, 2018

Demanding Iran’s Withdrawal From Syria Doesn’t Make Sense

By Albert B. Wolf

“We’re not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias,” National Security Advisor John Bolton said on September 24. Similar rhetoric was followed by James Jeffery, the State Department’s special representative for Syria, on September 30. Then on October 27, Brett McGurk, US Special […]

Iran Syria

MENASource

Nov 14, 2018

The United States should not get involved in Libya’s civil war

By Hafed Al-Ghwell

An unmistakable sense of despair and gloom accompanies most news reports and literature on the state of affairs in Libya after 2011. The Arab Spring was meant to usher in a period of unprecedented change after decades of notoriously undemocratic leadership across the Middle East and North Africa. Yet, seven years later, there has been very little positive development in terms of transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in the Arab world.

Libya

IranSource

Nov 14, 2018

US Treasury Identifies Channels Iran Has Used to Circumvent Sanctions

By Shahir Shahidsaless

On November 5th, Ahmad Amirabadi, a member of the Iranian parliamentary board of directors, posted an exasperated tweet: “Almost all the individuals and entities that were active in bypassing the previous [US] sanctions [during the Obama administration] are included [in the new list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons]. The question is, how this […]

Iran

IranSource

Nov 13, 2018

Iranian Women Demanded ‘Open Stadiums’ for a Long Time

By Open Stadiums

In a country where football was traditionally seen as a man’s sport, I was a passionate football fan. For Iranians, it was considered not just strange but taboo that a young Iranian girl be into football the way I was while growing up. It hurt whenever people mocked me, “Girls know nothing about football, they […]

Iran

SyriaSource

Nov 9, 2018

Regime resurgence endangers local aid community

By Barrett Limoges, Sage Smiley, Reem Ahmad, and Noura Hourani for Syria Direct

When pro-government forces recaptured the southwestern rebel stronghold of Daraa province in July, Muhammad Sabsabi’s colleagues tried to bury their pasts.Some tried to flee. Many simply went underground.

Syria

IranSource

Nov 8, 2018

Reza Pahlavi: A Democratic Alternative for Iran?

By Saman Askari

As a new round of crushing US sanctions against Iran goes into effect and the Iranian people’s frustration with their country’s economic and political situation grows, various foreign-based groups calling for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic have ratcheted up their rhetoric and activities. At the center of credible opposition forces in exile sits Reza […]

Iran

MENASource

Nov 7, 2018

The unknowns of the Libya stabilization conference

By Nicola Pedde

The approaching conference on Libyan stabilization hosted by Italy—which will be held on November 12 and 13 in Palermo—will bring together the main Libyan leaders, with the purpose of defining their respective negotiation platforms in advance. Italy must not only navigate the components of Libya's heterogeneous and conflicting political landscape, but also host the most relevant regional and global actors.

Libya

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2018

Israel seeks to bridge the Gulf

By Daniel Kamlarz

With uncertainty among key regional powers, it is the ideal time to bring forward new strategic formulations like the construction of Israeli-Omani relations to create new paths toward regional stability.

Israel The Gulf

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2018

How will the outcome of the Midterms affect Trump’s policy options?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

“Expect louder voices defending democracy in America and around the world, expect a unified bipartisan cry on behalf of human rights. Expect greater pressure on the White House to end senseless wars like the one in Yemen and the Syrian civil war," said Evelyn Farkas, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Elections Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Nov 6, 2018

Regional Rivalries Threaten Iran-Pakistan Relations

By Fatemeh Aman

A recent abduction of border security forces along the Iran-Pakistan border in southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province is testing Iran-Pakistan relations. Iran has suggested that Saudi Arabia was behind the abduction, which it believes was aimed at sabotaging its relationship with Islamabad. Pakistan needs Saudi money more than ever as it struggles economically. So just how […]

Iran Pakistan
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