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

May 5, 2021

The Iran terror trial verdict could forever change terror trials in Europe

By Sarah Kay

The significance of the proceedings and the verdict stand to permanently change the way European law and member states investigate and try terrorism cases.

Human Rights
Iran

MENASource

May 5, 2021

Qatar and Egypt are letting bygones be bygones

By Allison Nour

Ultimately, increased Qatari-Egyptian cooperation will likely do more to align with the Joe Biden administration’s interests in increasing diplomacy in the region at a time when the US is re-evaluating its military footprint.

Middle East
North Africa

MENASource

May 3, 2021

Syrian Transitional Military Council: A ‘social media invention’ or much more?

By Matthew Ayton

Recent weeks have seen a crescendo of rumors claiming that local, regional, and international support is growing to establish a Syrian Transitional Military Council. It would allegedly be led by defected Brigadier General Manaf Tlass, whose mandate would be to midwife the war-ravaged nation into a post-Bashar al-Assad future.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Apr 30, 2021

Déby’s death: A microcosm of the flaws of French foreign policy in Libya

By Emadeddin Badi

Far from being the sole architect of his premature death, the conditions that led to Chadian President Idriss Déby’s passing are also a direct byproduct of the myopic policies of his main Western ally—France—in neighboring Libya.

Iran
Middle East

New Atlanticist

Apr 29, 2021

Adding an Ishmael Track to the Abraham Accords: How to pursue détente between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE

By Kirsten Fontenrose

Most Middle East observers thought that they would never see normalization between Arabs and Israelis in their lifetimes. Now that we have seen this step taken—this chasm jumped—there is no reason not to envision Arab-Iranian normalization if the regimes prioritize long-term national interests like their economies, their self-sufficiency, and the future well-being of their publics. This roadmap is theirs for the taking.

Iran
Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Apr 29, 2021

COVID-19 depressed women’s employment everywhere, and more so in Iran

By Nadereh Chamlou

In Iran, the closures and the pandemic have depressed women’s already low economic participation rates by about 20 percent. However, even during periods of relatively high economic rates of growth, female labor force participation and unemployment rates have remained unmoved.

Iran
Middle East

IranSource

Apr 28, 2021

Russia secretly feared the Iran nuclear deal. Here’s why.

By Mark N. Katz

Even if the US and Iran do find common ground over the JCPOA, Moscow no longer needs to fear that it will lead to a broader US-Iran detente as there are too many other issues that Washington and Tehran disagree over.

Iran
Middle East

MENASource

Apr 28, 2021

¡Viva los Arabes!: Underreported stories of the Arabs of the Americas

By Joze Pelayo

Due to the Iberian legacy it is argued that Arabs who migrated to Latin America felt much closer to home than those who migrated to the US.

Americas
Latin America

IranSource

Apr 26, 2021

Iran must end its relentless violations against the Baha’is

By Nazila Ghanea

Iran’s human rights violations against Baha’is have been distinctly state-driven, multifaceted, and severe.

Iran
Middle East

MENASource

Apr 26, 2021

In the game of Syria, the US and Europe hold the cards

By Rime Allaf

This is the time for the United States and European Union to exact concessions from Iran, which needs the financial benefits of a full nuclear deal, and from Russia, which needs reconstruction money.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy
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