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

Jul 14, 2020

COVID-19 could set back Mideast economies for years

By Larry Luxner

The coronavirus pandemic is causing widespread suffering throughout the Middle East, but its long-term impact on the region’s economy and its vulnerable populations will be felt for years to come.

Coronavirus Middle East

IranSource

Jul 14, 2020

US and Israel shift from sanctions to alleged sabotage against Iran

By Sina Azodi and Mohsen Solhdoost

While the attacks have been embarrassing to Iran and exposed the shortcomings of its intelligence and security apparatuses, they could also backfire, adding support to those who argue that Iran should withdraw completely from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or even the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Iran Middle East

MENASource

Jul 14, 2020

After the coronavirus and low oil prices, Oman’s future is more global

By Phillip Cornell

With the onset of COVID-19 and an economic crisis that is bound to accelerate history, Oman’s commitment to steady progress and political neutrality will face new tests and leverage the country’s wider global relationships.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Jul 14, 2020

What lies ahead as Jordan faces the fallout of COVID-19

By Emily Santucci

What makes Amman’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic unique lies less in the specific measures imposed, but more so in the swift and aggressive fashion by which they were carried out.

Coronavirus Middle East

IranSource

Jul 13, 2020

The JCPOA: A bittersweet anniversary for Iran, the US and the wider world

By Barbara Slavin, Holly Dagres

The next US and Iranian governments will face many challenges, not least recovery from COVID-19 and economic recession.

Iran Middle East

MENASource

Jul 10, 2020

Nile Basin’s GERD dispute creates risks for Egypt, Sudan, and beyond

By Amal Kandeel

Competition for the Nile Basin’s freshwater has been growing markedly for three decades. In 2011, it intensified after Ethiopia started building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Ethiopia North Africa

IranSource

Jul 10, 2020

A series of unusual events in Iran point to sabotage. How will Tehran respond?

By Borzou Daragahi

A spate of explosions has struck highly secure and sensitive sites, as well as regular industrial locales, including factories and gas pipelines, and even a clinic in a fancy part of north Tehran.

Iran Middle East

New Atlanticist

Jul 9, 2020

Experts dissect Iran regime’s disinformation campaign as COVID-19 worsens

By Larry Luxner

How much Iran’s 84 million people actually know about events inside their own country is debatable, given Tehran’s heavy-handed censorship and a global disinformation campaign that blames all crises, including COVID-19, on foreigners and perceived enemies of the regime.

Coronavirus Disinformation

MENASource

Jul 9, 2020

Lebanon’s economic recovery plan will only repeat past failures

By David Daoud and Paul Gadalla

Decades of corruption, waste of public funds, and financial mismanagement have ruined Lebanon’s economy. Rather than create productive sectors, successive Lebanese governments have bet on high-end tourism, luxury real estate, and expatriate remittances to remain afloat since 1990.

Lebanon Middle East

MENASource

Jul 8, 2020

The Syrian online war of narratives

By Karl Nicolas Lindenlaub

Narrative in the Syrian Civil War acts as a front contested with unprecedented means over an unprecedented scale.

Middle East Syria
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