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

Jul 8, 2020

How Jordan responded to Israel’s annexation plans

By Seth J. Frantzman

King Abdullah II of Jordan has repeatedly warned that Israel’s and the Trump administration’s actions are fueling potential instability.

Israel Middle East

IranSource

Jul 7, 2020

An Iranian gamer’s battle against sanctions and sexism

By Sheida Hooshmandi

According to a 2017 study from Iran Computer and Video Games Foundation, there are twenty-eight million Iranian gamers.

Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Jul 2, 2020

How to fix the “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran

By Colonel Udi Evental

The Trump administration’s strategy suffers from internal tensions and inherent contradictions that have undermined its effectiveness from the beginning.

Iran Middle East

MENASource

Jun 30, 2020

Amid the coronavirus, where are US-Gulf counterterrorism efforts headed?

By Joze Pelayo

As governments of the Gulf Arab states seek to meet the extraordinary challenges posed by COVID-19, extremists have hastened to find ways to exploit the crisis.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Jun 26, 2020

Just how happy are Iranians with their lives?

By Nadereh Chamlou

Iran ranks 118 out of 153 countries on the UN’s 2020 World Happiness Index (WHI), slightly above the lowest quintile—the least happy.

Iran Middle East

Blog Post

Jun 25, 2020

Mapping Russia’s soft power efforts in Syria through humanitarian aid

By Marika Sosnowski and Jonathan Robinson

By mapping where Russia’s Center for Reconciliation of Conflicting Sides in Syria has delivered aid over an 18-month period (between 2018 and 2020), a picture of Russia’s soft power tactics in Syria can be formed.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Blog Post

Jun 23, 2020

The United States needs an Iran strategy, not a ‘campaign’

By Alma Keshavarz

The United States’ policy towards Iran has reached an impasse. The Trump administration will have gone a full term without a meaningful strategy towards this historic rival.

Iran Middle East

Blog Post

Jun 23, 2020

Iranian officials’ hypocritical support of #BlackLivesMatter

By Rebecca Stryer

Over the past few weeks, Iranian officials have not shied away from condemning the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25.

Iran Middle East

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
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