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 14, 2022

Muqtada al-Sadr just issued a mass resignation decree. Where does Iraq go from here?

By Abbas Kadhim

An early election won’t solve the Iraqi dilemma.

Elections Iraq

IranSource

Jun 14, 2022

Iran is now a transit transportation hub for neighboring countries. Here’s how it happened.

By Borzou Daragahi

Since the Iran trade route was opened in October 2021, roughly one thousand trucks have made the trip between Turkey and the UAE, mostly carrying goods from west to east.

Economy & Business Iran

IranSource

Jun 13, 2022

Israel’s policy toward Iran is failing by ‘a thousand cuts.’ Here’s why.

By Danny Citrinowicz  

There is a growing gap between the statements of senior Israeli officials and the reality on the ground.

Iran Israel

New Atlanticist

Jun 9, 2022

Proxy war or not, Ukraine shows why moral hazards matter

By C. Anthony Pfaff

Whether NATO and Ukraine are proxy partners matters less than whether they can manage the risks associated with their relationship.

Conflict Crisis Management

MENASource

Jun 9, 2022

Israel, guess who’s back? Netanyahu is back again.

By Amichai Stein

Yes, Israel might go, once again, to an early election, the fifth since 2019.

Israel Middle East

MENASource

Jun 8, 2022

Trade trumps strategic competition in the Middle East

By Jonathan Fulton

Washington would do well to understand that many outside the US have a different view of China, and very few are interested in being a theater of strategic competition. 

China Economy & Business

IranSource

Jun 8, 2022

‘From Cinema Rex to Metropol,’ Iranians have had enough

By Khosro Sayeh Isfahani

On May 23, a ten-story commercial tower came crashing down on people’s heads in Abadan. With each body recovered from the ruins, public anger crescendoed, leading to ongoing street protests in multiple areas in Khuzestan province and beyond.

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Jun 2, 2022

How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is shaping national security debates in Iran

By Sina Azodi

With the future of talks in limbo, the Ukraine war has brought the debates over the future of Iran’s national security strategy to the fore once again.  

Iran Middle East

IranSource

May 31, 2022

Canceled soccer ‘friendly’ reinforces Canada-Iran enmity

By Abbas Qaidari

The soccer match between Iran and Canada was an opportunity to repair the damage, but it is now just another missed opportunity.

Iran Middle East

MENASource

May 31, 2022

Lebanon just had an election. Its result? Curb the optimism.

By David Daoud

Lebanon desperately needs genuine economic reforms to even halt its ongoing collapse. Political reform is a necessary precondition to establishing a sustainable economy. Neither are more likely today than under the previous parliament.

Elections Lebanon
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