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

New Atlanticist

Feb 12, 2015

Airstrikes will Strengthen ISIS, says Fayyad

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister says root causes must be addressed The ongoing coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham will do very little to destroy the militant group and may, in fact, enhance its ability to recruit more fighters, according to Salam Fayyad, a former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. […]

Iraq National Security

New Atlanticist

Feb 6, 2015

Middle East Needed More Attention in National Security Strategy

By Bilal Y. Saab

The National Security Strategy released on February 6 is solid for a second-term president who has two more years in office. The document puts a premium on and is crystal clear on leadership. That is comforting following accusations by international partners and allies  — some legitimate, others unfair — that the United States was disengaging […]

National Security Security & Defense

New Atlanticist

Jan 23, 2015

New Saudi King Has A Lot on His Plate

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s Bilal Y. Saab Sees ‘Profound and Generational Problems’ Saudi Arabia’s new king will have his hands full dealing with multiple challenges, both at home and abroad, says Atlantic Council analyst Bilal Y. Saab. King Salman bin Abdulaziz, who ascended to the throne following the death of his half-brother Abdullah on Friday, was quick […]

Saudi Arabia

New Atlanticist

Jan 23, 2015

A New King: Salman Will Keep Saudi Arabia on Course

By Ashish Kumar Sen

‘Continuity, Cohesion, and Consolidation Will Be the Watchwords,’ Says LeBaron  Saudi Arabia’s new king, Salman bin Abdulaziz, is unlikely to depart sharply from the policies of his half-brother and predecessor, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who died on Friday, according to Atlantic Council analyst Richard LeBaron. “Continuity, cohesion, and consolidation will be the watchwords,” LeBaron, a nonresident […]

Saudi Arabia

New Atlanticist

Nov 24, 2014

An Iran Nuclear Deal: Better Than Nothing if We Get It, But Not a Resolution

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s Matthew Kroenig on the Extension of Nonproliferation Talks As Iran and six other nations announced a seven-month extension of their effort to reach a deal to limit the Iranian nuclear program, the Atlantic Council’s Matthew Kroenig said Iran will pose a nonproliferation threat even if a deal is struck. Kroenig, a nonresident senior […]

Iran

Article

Nov 17, 2014

Hezbollah in a Time of Transition

By Bilal Y. Saab and Daniel Byman

With the Middle East in flux and sectarianism on the rise, the Lebanese group finds itself overtaxed and on the defensive. Read Now (PDF) The Syrian conflict is transforming the Lebanese Hezbollah. A movement that long claimed to transcend sectarianism is now the longest pole in the Syrian regime’s tent, and has become a bogeyman […]

Middle East Syria

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2014

Silent Partner

By Bilal Y. Saab

How Oman Became the Middle East’s Indispensable Nation To many Omanis, it is offensive to openly contemplate life after Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, the widely admired albeit absolute monarch who has been receiving medical treatment in Germany since July. But policymakers elsewhere in the world have no choice but to do just that. The 73-year-old Qaboos is […]

International Organizations Iran

Event Recap

Sep 18, 2014

Peace after Gaza: A New Framework for a Changing Landscape

By The Atlantic Council

In the aftermath of seven weeks of conflict in Gaza, regional and international stakeholders are grappling with the day after. Efforts to address short-term issues such as relief and recovery that require immediate attention should not detract from broader issues including lasting stability, development, security, and political pluralism. Does the recent conflict allow for a […]

MENASource

Sep 11, 2014

Expert Reactions to President Obama’s Speech on ISIS

President Barack Obama has faced tremendous pressure to respond to the stunning growth of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS, ISIL, or Islamic State). The group’s videos, showing the beheading of two American journalists, brought the conflict to bear directly on the United States in a way that captured domestic attention as never […]

Iraq Syria

MENASource

Aug 27, 2014

Podcast: Experts React to Airstrikes in Libya

In the wake of conflicting messages from the United States on reports that the United Arab Emirates and Egypt struck Islamist positions in Libya, MENASource spoke with three Atlantic Council experts to get their reactions to this news.

Libya North Africa
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