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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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

Sep 23, 2021

With the US out of Afghanistan, Iran jumps on the opportunity of joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

By Jonathan Fulton

Even if Iran’s full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is stalled, the US exit from Afghanistan changes the regional landscape.

Afghanistan
China

Event Recap

Sep 22, 2021

EVENT RECAP: The future of counterterrorism: Twenty years after 9/11

By Yaseen Rashed

On September 8, the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Forward Defense practice area and the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative hosted an event with US national security experts to discuss counterterrorism twenty years after 9/11 and reimagine the future of the terrorist threat.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Sep 22, 2021

Iran ‘won’ the war with Iraq but at a heavy price

By Barbara Slavin, Abbas Kadhim

More than four decades after the beginning of a dreadful war that shaped the lives and worldview of a generation, Iraq and Iran seem to have put the past behind them and moved to a new relationship. But the road ahead is not without landmines. The balance of power is too lopsided in Iran’s favor to allow for a healthy alliance and Iran’s continued estrangement from the US makes Baghdad’s balancing act even trickier. The Iranians may be enjoying their triumphant short-term position, but the long-term consequences could be calamitous.

Iran
Iraq

MENASource

Sep 22, 2021

Mourned by some, cursed by others, former President Bouteflika left Algeria ill-prepared for the future

By Andrew G. Farrand

Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s death is unlikely to substantially shift the country’s trajectory, in large part because of just how rigid a system he and his generation of independence heroes already imposed upon Algeria during their lifetimes.

Middle East
North Africa

IranSource

Sep 21, 2021

Iranian children are being punished based on their parents’ religion and beliefs

By Hamed Farmand

In practice, Iran’s discriminatory law affects almost all aspects of minority children’s lives, such as safety and well-being and access to health and education.

Human Rights
Iran

MENASource

Sep 20, 2021

‘Investing in women is just good business’: Ways to increase funding for women-led ventures in the Middle East

By Stefanie Hausheer Ali

On September 14, 2021 the Atlantic Council’s empowerME Initiative held a workshop on “Venture Capital Financing: How to Increase Funding for Women-led Ventures.”

Middle East
The Gulf

MENASource

Sep 17, 2021

Syria after the fall of Kabul: A European perspective

By Michel Duclos

There is at least one common factor between Syria and Afghanistan: just as the Taliban has not changed once it took back power, the Bashar al-Assad regime will not change once its power is affirmed.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Sep 16, 2021

Iran’s environmental woes could be Raisi’s Achilles heel

By Javad Heiran-Nia and Mahmood Monshipouri

Among the challenges encountered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, climate change looms as one of the most serious, disrupting, and even life-threatening issues facing both rural and urban populations. This threat has worsened at a time when Iran is politically polarized, ideologically fractured, and economically embattled.  

Energy & Environment
Iran

MENASource

Sep 15, 2021

Renewed hostilities in Daraa offer lessons and opportunities in Syria. But will Washington pay attention?

By Alexander Langlois

Prolonged unrest in the south highlights rifts within the pro-Bashar al-Assad camp, notably between Iran and Damascus on one side and Russia on the other, potentially presenting a unique opportunity for diplomacy.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Sep 13, 2021

Defusing Saudi Arabia-UAE tensions through economic rebalancing

By Hani Findakly

By identifying the economic imbalances contributing to the breakdown, recalibration is possible to rebuild a more balanced relationship that circumvents the zero-sum game that has given rise to the Riyadh-Abu Dhabi dispute.

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