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

MENASource

Oct 26, 2020

Qatar Development Bank CEO: The “blockade didn’t stop us from growing” and “prepared us for other shocks” like COVID-19

By Stefanie Hausheer Ali

On October 26, 2020, empowerME hosted Qatar Development Bank CEO Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Al Khalifa for a conversation about Qatar’s efforts to boost entrepreneurship, diversify its economy, increase women’s economic participation, and prepare youth for the jobs of the future.

Coronavirus
Economy & Business

IranSource

Oct 21, 2020

What Iran might sell now that the UN arms embargo expired

By Robert Czulda

The end of the UN arms embargo means that Iran can not only import military hardware but can also return to the market as an exporter.

Iran
Middle East

MENASource

Oct 20, 2020

Renewed calls for demonstrations on October 25 in Iraq come with hurdles

By Raghad Kasim

Over the course of the coming weeks, protests will break out with calls for reform. This mass mobilization may witness higher incidents of violence than in October of last year.

Iraq
Middle East

MENASource

Oct 19, 2020

Soccer for peace in the Middle East and North Africa

By Rabah Arezki

Although uniting around sport might be mainly symbolic, it could also be a confidence-building effort that could reduce tension and increase integration in a region that would mightily benefit from both.

Middle East
North Africa

IranSource

Oct 16, 2020

The Abraham Accords plays into Iran’s hands and opens the door for al-Qaeda

By Douglas London

President Donald Trump and the Gulf states might have fueled a more profound threat that extends Iran’s “axis of resistance” directly into their own houses, including a worrisome al-Qaeda component.

Iran
Middle East

IranElections2021

Oct 15, 2020

Will Iran let a woman run for president in 2021?

By Raz Zimmt

With Iran’s June 2021 presidential elections approaching, a perennial public debate over whether women have the right to run for president has resurfaced.

Iran
Middle East

IranSource

Oct 13, 2020

New sanctions on Iran’s banks: Crippling or more window dressing?

By Brian O’Toole

Policy actions like these are a continuation of a foreign policy toward Iran that appears characterized by spite rather than achievable policy ends.

Economy & Business
Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

MENASource

Oct 8, 2020

The Shia are a black hole for US policy in the Middle East

By Andrew L. Peek

The US government’s public engagement work has not caught up with the new focus on Iran. In other words, the US lacks virtually any engagement with the Shia body politic.

Iraq
Middle East

IranElections2021

Oct 7, 2020

Hossein Dehghan and other military vets vie for Iran’s presidency

By Sina Azodi

Given the extraordinary circumstances that Iran is currently facing, it appears that the establishment is pondering elevating a former high-level military officer to head the executive branch.

Iran
Middle East

Elections 2020

Oct 6, 2020

Trump or Biden? Iran weighs the pros and cons of closely watched vote

By Borzou Daragahi

How Iran views the election outcome will play an important role in determining its security posture in the coming months: whether it decides to escalate tensions with Washington or offer an olive branch to either an incoming Biden administration or a Trump White House with a renewed mandate.

Politics & Diplomacy
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