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

IranSource

Aug 14, 2018

European Failure to Safeguard Iran Deal Shows EU is Still a Paper Tiger

By Robert Czulda

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed that the Iran nuclear deal could be saved. Now, it is highly likely that, even if the agreement is not formally cancelled, it will soon become a façade without any real meaning. President Donald Trump’s recent threats to block any companies still engaging with Iran from business in […]

European Union
International Organizations

IranSource

Aug 13, 2018

As Sanctions Return, India Caught between Iran and the United States

By Fatemeh Aman

As the first set of US sanctions against Iran went back into effect Aug. 7, India is applying its negotiations skills—effectively, so far—toward managing relations with both sides.  The United States and its Persian Gulf Arab allies may be able to provide India with enough crude to offset any reduction in India’s oil imports from […]

India
Iran

IranSource

Aug 10, 2018

How US Sanctions Impede the Women’s Movement in Iran

By Sussan Tahmasebi

While the world’s attention was on US President Donald Trump’s Twitter war with Tehran the other week, some good news in Iran escaped notice. A group of women’s rights activists arrested in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on International Women’s Day were acquitted, after initially being charged for planning and participating […]

Iran

IranSource

Aug 9, 2018

Iran’s Turbulent Future

By Nader Uskowi

The news coming out of Iran these days tells the story of a country in crisis. The economy is sliding towards collapse, even before the first round of US sanctions were reinstated on August 6. Nationwide protests are calling for regime change—a dirty word in Tehran up until recently. The Iranian government and its military […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Aug 9, 2018

The Saudi Arabia-Canada Feud, Explained

By David Wemer

Saudi Arabia and Canada have found themselves in the middle of a diplomatic crisis, which threatens to end all diplomatic and economic contacts between the two countries. Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian Ambassador in Riyadh on August 6, after Canada’s Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland, called for the release of Saudi human rights activist Samar Badawi […]

Saudi Arabia
United States and Canada

SyriaSource

Aug 8, 2018

Is Syria lost to Iran?

By Frederic C. Hof

The short answer is “No.” A family and an entourage that placed itself at the disposal of Iran while burning much of Syria to the ground will not prevail, provided the United States and its partners begin to push back. Yet termites are at work, and the fulfillment of this proviso is far from certain.

Syria

IranSource

Aug 8, 2018

Why Iran and the United States Should Negotiate

By Mehran Haghirian

The telephone conversation between Presidents Hassan Rouhani and Barack Obama in 2013, the numerous talks between Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif during two years of nuclear negotiations, and a multilateral meeting last year that included Zarif and then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, demolished many taboos in regard to […]

Iran

IranSource

Aug 7, 2018

The Lose-Lose Rut of US-Iran Hostility

By Hamid Zangeneh

The Islamic Republic of Iran has relied on enmity with the United States for its own legitimacy throughout its existence, using it – and the threat of US allies such as Israel and the Persian Gulf littoral sheikdoms — to excuse violence against its own citizens and intervention in regional conflicts. Similarly, the US government […]

Iran

IranSource

Aug 6, 2018

Trump and Iran: Nostalgia for Better Bumblers

By John Limbert

It’s a truism that every president makes us nostalgic for his predecessor. In the case of Iran, US President Donald Trump and his men are outdoing the bumbles and fumbles of Reagan, the two Bushes, Clinton, and Obama, while making those earlier presidents appear as far-seeing statesmen. Earlier presidents at least knew Iran was a […]

Iran

IranSource

Aug 3, 2018

Keeping Rouhani Honest: Has Iran’s President Fulfilled His Promises?

By Holly Dagres

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration on August 3, 2013. Many campaign promises were made during Rouhani’s 2013 and 2017 presidential runs. ASL19, a technology and research group working on freedom of expression and access to information in Iran, has been tracking Rouhani’s full-fledged promises over the years. Similar to […]

Iran
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