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

Blog Post

Jun 22, 2020

IAEA mildly reprimands Iran over suspect nuclear sites

By Mark Fitzpatrick

The board on June 19 issued a mild rebuke, echoing IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s expression of “serious concern” that Iran has not provided access to two locations where unreported nuclear activity allegedly took place nearly two decades ago.

Politics & Diplomacy

Blog Post

Jun 18, 2020

Iran’s muddled relationship with cryptocurrency is self-inflicted

By Steven Terner

On an institutional level, Iranian policymakers are having a very difficult time understanding how blockchain technology works.

Iran
Middle East

Blog Post

Jun 18, 2020

Gulf states should defend their sea lanes: Here’s how

By Richard LeBaron, John W. Miller

The United States should play more of a supporting role with the Gulf states themselves providing more leadership and most, if not all of the forces.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Jun 17, 2020

A tale of two Americas, a tale of two Irans

By Maryam Nayeb Yazdi

The murder of Neda Agha-Soltan in 2009 continues to be a rallying cry among protesters in Iran, much like the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has become for protesters in the United States today.

Iran
Middle East

New Atlanticist

Jun 16, 2020

GNA should resist Egypt’s ceasefire proposal for Libya

By David Mack

The GNA has momentum on the ground, but they risk losing the chance to restore a unified Libya if they acquiesce to an Egyptian proposal for what amounts to a ceasefire in place, backed by Russia. This could lead eventually to a dismembered Libya, with the GNA without effective control over its most vital national resources. Instead, the GNA can insist on continuing its relationship with a broad international coalition and talks among Libyans convened under auspices of a United Nations mediator.

Conflict
North Africa

MENASource

Jun 16, 2020

The battlefield over West Bank annexation

By Jonathan H. Ferziger

Amid the international furor generated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan, few Palestinians believe they can prevent it, even if most countries consider the West Bank occupied territory.

Israel
Middle East

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Jun 12, 2020

Black lives also matter in the Arab World

By Tuqa Nusairat

When it comes to the essence of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests—the call for an end to systematic and systemic racial discrimination—there is less willingness on the part of many people in the Arab world to acknowledge that such issues also afflict the Gulf, the Levant, and North Africa.

Human Rights
Middle East

Blog Post

Jun 11, 2020

Sultan Haitham makes a strong start by addressing economic challenges

By Marc J. Sievers

Sultan Haitham and his government have had to contend with the dual impact of the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic and the collapse of world oil prices, which the Omani government depends upon for most of its revenue.

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

Blog Post

Jun 11, 2020

The Cairo Declaration is a false resolution to Libya’s conflict

By Karim Mezran, Alessia Melcangi

The so-called “Cairo Declaration,” backed by General Khalifa Haftar and Libya’s parliamentary speaker Aguila Saleh, proposes an intra-Libyan resolution as a basis for resolving the country’s conflict.

Libya
Middle East

Blog Post

Jun 10, 2020

Refugee conditions deteriorate amidst multiple crises in Lebanon

By Salman Husain and Diam Abou-Diab

As multiple crises are simultaneously bearing down on Lebanon, its fragile humanitarian situation is nearing a breaking point.

Lebanon
Middle East
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