Through our Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East and Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, 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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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

May 8, 2018

Trump Quits Iran Nuclear Deal

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US President Donald J. Trump on May 8 pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal saying the agreement did not satisfactorily address the Islamic Republic’s ability to build a nuclear bomb or limit its “malign activity.” He also signed a memorandum to reimpose sanctions on Iran. Trump’s decision will likely strain Washington’s […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

May 8, 2018

Trump Quits Iran Nuclear Deal

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US President Donald J. Trump on May 8 pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal saying the agreement did not satisfactorily address the Islamic Republic’s ability to build a nuclear bomb or limit its “malign activity.” He also signed a memorandum to reimpose sanctions on Iran. Trump’s decision will likely strain Washington’s […]

Iran

IranSource

May 8, 2018

Here’s What Would Happen if Trump Does Not Renew Sanctions Waivers for Iran

By David Mortlock

Very little is likely to actually happen immediately on May 8 if US President Donald J. Trump does not renew sanctions waivers for Iran.  Indeed, there is only one waiver scheduled for renewal by a May 12 deadline. That provision is Section 1245 of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  Section 1245 had a […]

Iran

IranSource

May 8, 2018

A Brief History of Sanctions on Iran

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US President Donald J. Trump is expected to announce his decision on May 8 on whether to continue to waive sanctions on Iran or pull the United States out of a multilateral nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic. Here’s a quick look at the history of sanctions on Iran. Check out the timeline at the […]

Iran

IranSource

May 7, 2018

Where Does the P5+1 Stand on the Iran Nuclear Deal?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

US President Donald J. Trump is expected to reveal his decision on May 8 as to whether he will extend key sanctions waivers on Iran. A failure to do so would effectively take the United States out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—the Iran nuclear deal—which it signed with the United Kingdom, France, […]

Iran

IranSource

May 7, 2018

The Dangerous Consequences of US Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal

By Barbara Slavin

European leaders have vowed to try to salvage the Iran nuclear deal if US President Donald J. Trump carries out his threat to withdraw later this week. But unlike the Paris climate accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would have great difficulty surviving without US participation. […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

May 7, 2018

The Dangerous Consequences of US Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal

By Barbara Slavin

European leaders have vowed to try to salvage the Iran nuclear deal if US President Donald J. Trump carries out his threat to withdraw later this week. But unlike the Paris climate accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would have great difficulty surviving without US participation. […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

May 4, 2018

Are Israel And Iran Headed To War?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Early in the morning on April 9, missiles streaked through the Syrian sky toward the Tiyas (T-4) air base in Homs province, northeast of Damascus. Besides Syrian forces, the base hosts Russians and Iranians, members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force. Several Iranians were killed in the strikes. Syria, Russia, and Iran […]

Iran
Israel

IranSource

May 4, 2018

What Washington’s Iran Policy Debate Misses: the Iranian People

By Sina Toossi

The dominant view in Washington since the 1979 Islamic revolution – with brief interruptions especially under the Clinton and Obama administrations – has been that Iran represents an irreconcilable challenge to US interests in the Middle East and must be countered with all tools of power, including sanctions and threats of war. Influencing the debates […]

Iran

IranSource

May 3, 2018

Little Fires Everywhere: The Middle East After Trump’s Iran Deal Decision

By Richard LeBaron

The best-selling novel “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng provides an apt title for the next book in the long-running non-fiction history of Middle East conflicts—that which will come after US President Donald J. Trump moves to modify or nullify the Iran nuclear agreement. Those fires, not so little for those directly affected, are burning […]

Iran
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