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

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

IranSource

Apr 23, 2021

‘Poison pill sanctions’ are hard for Vienna negotiators to swallow

By Brian O’Toole

“Poison pill sanctions,” a large list of sanctions that would have been allowed under the 2015 nuclear accord, are clearly the sticking point in the ongoing negotiations and the focus of the technical working groups in Vienna.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion Iran

MENASource

Apr 22, 2021

The Middle East needs a Levant-North African Environmental Forum

By Ariel Ezrahi

Political borders will continue to exist and limit what can and cannot be done across such borders. However, there needs to be less thinking on national terms and more on local and regional terms when combating climate change.

Energy & Environment Middle East

IranSource

Apr 21, 2021

More questions than answers about Iran’s nuclear intentions

By Frederic C. Hof

If negotiations aimed at reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear talks fail and economic sanctions on Iran remain in place, would Tehran seek to field nuclear weapons?

Iran Middle East

MENASource

Apr 21, 2021

Russia in the Middle East: A source of stability or a pot-stirrer?

By Anna Borshchevskaya, Raed Wajeeh, Daniel Rakov, and Li-Chen Sim

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s Gulf tour in March exemplifies the complexity of Russian foreign policy in the region.

Israel Middle East
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