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

Jun 24, 2016

Despite Fallujah Victory, Baghdad Remains in Political Quagmire

By Nussaibah Younis

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi appears to have launched the sudden assault on the city of Fallujah last month in an effort to distract from the political turmoil in Baghdad. And to some extent, it has worked. Popular support for the fight has won the prime minister a short political reprieve, and the media landscape has […]

Iraq

New Atlanticist

Jun 16, 2016

Ben Rhodes: Tearing Up Iran Nuke Deal Will Precipitate a Crisis in the Middle East

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The next US president would precipitate a crisis in the Middle East and alienate America’s allies if he or she decides to tear up the nuclear deal with Iran, a senior White House official said at the Atlantic Council on June 16. “The way in which the Iran deal was structured creates enormous disincentives for […]

Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation

Event Recap

Jun 16, 2016

Ben Rhodes: Tearing Up Iran Nuke Deal Will Precipitate a Crisis in the Middle East

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The next US president would precipitate a crisis in the Middle East and alienate America’s allies if he or she decides to tear up the nuclear deal with Iran, a senior White House official said at the Atlantic Council on June 16. “The way in which the Iran deal was structured creates enormous disincentives for […]

Iran Middle East

IranSource

May 23, 2016

How to Promote the Potential of Iran’s Makran Coast

By Fatemeh Aman

Iran is seeking new investment for the Makran coast along the Gulf of Oman to boost development in one of the country’s most deprived regions, fight drug trafficking and expand its naval presence beyond the Persian Gulf.

Iran

IranSource

May 16, 2016

Five Ways to Make the Nuclear Deal Work for Iran

By Barbara Slavin

Since a landmark nuclear deal went into effect January 16, Iranians are increasingly frustrated that while they have fulfilled their part of the bargain, they have yet to see significant economic benefits.

Iran

New Atlanticist

May 12, 2016

Give (Arab) Peace (Initiative) a Chance

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Deal would elevate Arab-Israeli cooperation to take on challenges posed by ISIS, Iran, says Atlantic Council’s Bilal Y. Saab In the absence of a credible Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, Gulf Arab states and Israel will find it hard to elevate their security cooperation to deal with the threats posed by Iran and the Islamic State of […]

Israel Saudi Arabia

IranSource

May 4, 2016

Iran’s New Parliament: Fewer Clerics, More Women

By Mehrnaz Samimi

The results of this year’s runoff elections for seats in Iran’s tenth parliament have broken two records. The new parliament — which will officially begin work on May 28 — will host the largest number of women and the least number of clerics since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran

New Atlanticist

May 4, 2016

US Middle East Policy Must Include Allies and Adversaries

By Danielle Leopold

A sustainable US Middle East policy should include closer cooperation with longstanding allies—including the United Kingdom and France—but also a strategic dialogue with adversaries such as Russia and China, according to Bilal Y. Saab, a Senior Fellow for Middle East Security at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security. In light of the […]

International Organizations Politics & Diplomacy

Event Recap

May 2, 2016

Iran’s Innovation Economy and the Impact of Sanctions Relief

On April 18, the Atlantic Council’s Future of Iran Initiative hosted a panel discussion on the current state and prospects for high tech ventures in Iran. The panel featured Lily Sarafan, Co-founder and CEO, Home Care Assistance; Nadereh Chamlou, Former Senior Advisor, World Bank; and Christopher M. Schroeder, Entrepreneur, Advisor, and Investor.  Already one of the more diverse economies in the […]

IranSource

May 2, 2016

United States and Iran Should Settle, not Escalate Mutual Claims

By Tyler Cullis

The recent decision of the US Supreme Court to uphold the turnover of $2 billion of Iranian assets to US plaintiffs has added one more complication to the nascent relationship between the United States and Iran.  Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called the decision “highway robbery” and sent a letter to the United Nations Secretary […]

Iran
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