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

New Atlanticist

Mar 22, 2018

A Renewed Foresight in Middle Eastern Diplomacy: India’s Role at the Table

By Rachel Brandenburg and Bharath Gopalaswamy

Recent aviation agreements connecting Saudi Arabia, India, and Israel signal potential openness toward improving relations in light of growing geopolitical and security concerns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on March 7 that Saudi Arabia granted permission to Air India to use Saudi airspace for direct flights from Delhi to Tel Aviv, affirming allegations leaked in Israeli […]

India
Israel

New Atlanticist

Mar 21, 2018

The War in Yemen: No End in Sight

By Rachel Ansley

US President Donald J. Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman’s shared animosity toward Iran is apparently getting in the way of ending the war in Yemen that has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians and put millions more on the brink of starvation. While Yemen was very much on the agenda when […]

Saudi Arabia

New Atlanticist

Mar 17, 2018

Saudi Crown Prince Comes to Washington: 5 Things to Watch

By Owen Daniels

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) will arrive in Washington on March 19 for a visit to the United States that includes stops in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, and Houston.  In Washington, the crown prince will meet US President Donald J. Trump at the White House on March 20. He will […]

Saudi Arabia

IranSource

Mar 16, 2018

Dual Nationals and Environmentalists Ensnared in IRGC Attack on Rouhani

By Barbara Slavin

The intelligence branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has often targeted dual nationals in an effort to find scapegoats for Iran’s many problems. Its recent assault on environmentalists is particularly wrongheaded and cruel at a time when Iran faces unprecedented environmental challenges. Kavous Seyed-Emami, a Canadian-Iranian and respected advocate for endangered species in […]

TillersonFiredFeature

New Atlanticist

Mar 13, 2018

A State of Mind: Tillerson vs. Pompeo on the Issues, and What that Means for US Foreign Policy

By Atlantic Council

Newly former US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his replacement, former Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo, do not necessarily see eye to eye on every major foreign policy issue. Their divergent views raise serious questions as to how the shake-up in leadership at Foggy Bottom will alter the course of US foreign policy […]

Iran
Korea

Event Recap

Mar 12, 2018

Iran’s Post-Revolutionary Elite

By Future of Iran Initiative

Iran’s political elite is “graying” and the average age of its members exceeds 55 in the cabinet and 65 in clerical-led institutions, according to Mehrzad Boroujerdi, a professor of political science at Syracuse University and co-author of an upcoming new book, Post-Revolutionary Iran: A Handbook. Boroujerdi, who spoke March 12 at an event hosted by […]

Iran
Princess Reema speaks to Atlantic Council Audience

Event Recap

Feb 28, 2018

Envisioning Reform: The Social Impact of Saudi Arabia’s Transformation Agenda

By Alexander Werman

On Wednesday, February 28, the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Middle East Security Initiative hosted a discussion on Saudi Arabia’s reform agenda with HRH Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, vice-president for planning and development of the Saudi General Sports Authority. The conversation focused on Saudi Vision 2030 and socioeconomic transformation underway in the Kingdom. […]

Saudi Arabia

IranSource

Feb 20, 2018

US Should Offer Incentives for Iran Missile Testing Moratorium

By Sina Azodi

The Trump administration has been ratcheting up pressure on its European allies to agree to unspecified new measures against Iran’s ballistic missile program as the price for conserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The US, referring to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which codified the 2015 nuclear deal, has repeatedly called on […]

Middle East
Missile Defense

IranSource

Feb 18, 2018

Iran and India Revive Economic Relations with New Chabahar Agreement

By Masoud Mostajabi

The development of the strategic Chabahar port is becoming a success story in the Iran-India relationship. The Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman is a key project for the two countries. Originally agreed to in 2003 during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami and the prime ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the project was suspended […]

Afghanistan
India

Event Recap

Feb 13, 2018

Iraq’s Energy Potential: Opportunities and Challenges

By Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East

On February 13, 2018, the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East held a panel discussion on Iraq’s energy potential. Ambassador Richard L. Morningstar, chairman and founding director of the Council’s Global Energy Center, gave opening remarks. Ambassador Frederic C. Hof, the director of the Hariri Center, moderated […]

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