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

MENASource

Apr 9, 2021

Jordan was never ‘boring.’ A vibrant protest movement has been ignored for too long.

By Tuqa Nusairat

The greatest risk to Jordan’s stability remains that political and economic reform has been delayed for too long, and the little space that remains for Jordanians to express their legitimate frustration and dissent is narrowing every day.

Civil Society Coronavirus

MENASource

Apr 9, 2021

Russia is friendly with the Houthis in Yemen. But it’s complicated.

By Mark N. Katz

Even though Moscow may not be militarily involved in Yemen does not mean that Russia is uninvolved.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Apr 8, 2021

‘Here’s the (Iran) deal, folks’: Americans are fine with a return to the JCPOA

By Barbara Slavin

Thanks to the fact that the Donald Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA has been such an obvious and abysmal failure, a majority of Americans now support the original deal.

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Apr 6, 2021

Ebrahim Raisi: Will he stay or will he go?

By Sanam Vakil

In calculating his next acts, Raisi’s decision will undoubtedly reveal his appetite for risk and further reward in Iran’s notoriously factionalized system.

Iran Middle East

MENASource

Apr 6, 2021

The Abraham Accords hold the key to Biden’s East Med policy

By Matthew Zais

While motivated by the potential for a new Iran nuclear deal under the Biden administration, the Abraham Accords represent an unprecedented regional unification that was inconceivable just a few years ago. But it also represents an opportunity to continue America’s positive international energy diplomacy, and leadership in the East Med would be an ideal place to pick up the baton.

Middle East North Africa

MENASource

Apr 5, 2021

Experts React: A royal rift in Jordan amid competing allegations of a coup & corruption

By Atlantic Council

Atlantic Council experts react to the latest news of the royal rift in Jordan and how recent events may impact the country’s security, economy, and regional standing.

Middle East Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

MENASource

Apr 5, 2021

Strapped for dollars, the Syrian government is forcing its citizens to pay up

By Reem Salahi

A decade since the start of the popular uprising, the Syrian lira is in an unprecedented freefall after years of armed conflict, an economic crisis in neighboring Lebanon, deep-seated corruption and cronyism, and Western economic sanctions targeting Syrian government officials as well as Syrian-operated industries.

Human Rights Middle East

MENASource

Apr 5, 2021

US Mission to Saudi Arabia announces new women’s entrepreneurship program in partnership with Atlantic Council, AmCham Saudi Arabia, and Quantum Leaps

By Allison Holle

On March 31, the Atlantic Council’s empowerME initiative hosted an event in partnership with the US Mission to Saudi Arabia, AmCham Saudi Arabia's Women in Business Committee, and Quantum Leaps to mark the launch of their new joint program: IGNITING Women's Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Saudi Arabia.

Civil Society Education

MENASource

Apr 2, 2021

The end of Libya’s nightmare or the beginning of a new one?

By Karim Mezran and Tahani Elmogrbi

If badly managed, any of these challenges could turn fatal for Dbeiba’s government. It will take a lot of goodwill from the Libyan population and from the new elite of the country to allow space for compromise and acceptance of differences to ensure that the path is one of political dialogue and peaceful confrontation rather than one of armed conflict.

Libya Middle East

IranElections2021

Apr 2, 2021

Social media helps and hurts Iranian elections. Here’s how.

By Amir Rashidi

The internet has always been one of the most challenging issues for the Iranian government, especially during elections. Over the past three years alone, Iran has tried to meet this challenge on numerous occasions by shutting down the internet during nationwide protests or blocking popular apps and websites.

Iran Middle East
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