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Report

Oct 8, 2024

A bipartisan Iran strategy for the next US administration—and the next two decades

As tensions spike in the Middle East, how should the next US president approach Iran and its network of proxies including Hezbollah and Hamas? With a strategy that can be maintained for decades, by administrations of either party. A bipartisan, expert working group lays out the details.

Iran Middle East

Programs

Middle East Programs

Working 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.

Content

MENASource

Sep 8, 2025

Can Iraq’s partial crackdown on a powerful militia weaken Iran’s proxies?

By Akeel Abbas

The prime minister's willingness to face down Kataib Hezbollah is a rare and daring move.

Iran Iraq

MENASource

Aug 29, 2025

Is the cautious China-Iran military cooperation at a turning point?

By Jean-Loup Samaan

With a new war between Iran and Israel still an immediate threat, China might need to ask itself: Is cooperation with Iran worth risking its diplomacy model in the Gulf?

China Iran

Fast Thinking

Aug 28, 2025

Will European pressure bring Iran back to the table for nuclear talks?

By Atlantic Council

Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are threatening economic measures against Iran to pressure it into rejoining talks aimed at placing limits on its nuclear program.

France Iran

In the News

Aug 25, 2025

Charai in National Interest: Iran Doesn’t Cease Fire. It Reloads.

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Aug 12, 2025

Sacrificing Ukraine will only increase the cost of stopping Putin’s Russia

By Pavlo Zhovnirenko

Pressuring Ukraine to accept a Kremlin-friendly settlement may succeed in pausing the current war, but it will not bring peace. On the contrary, it will set the stage for international instability on a far larger scale, writes Pavlo Zhovnirenko.

China Conflict

MENASource

Aug 5, 2025

Did the Israel-Iran war expose China’s Middle East policy?

By Andrea Ghiselli

The region’s importance in Beijing’s foreign policy is limited and, thus, not much energy and resources are invested in long-term planning.

China Iran

New Atlanticist

Jul 30, 2025

What the Israel-Iran conflict revealed about wartime cyber operations

By Nikita Shah

The cyber operations on display during the recent twelve-day conflict appear to have offered an incremental edge in warfare, rather than a revolutionary one.

Conflict Cybersecurity

MENASource

Jul 23, 2025

Iran, China, Russia, and the collapse of deterrence in the Red Sea

By Fatima Abo Alasrar

Multiple powers now patrol with different mandates, different rules, and increasingly different interpretations of acceptable behavior.

China Iran

New Atlanticist

Jul 17, 2025

What Ancient Greece can teach the United States about defending against cyber attacks

By Carole House

Applying lessons from the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC to present-day cyber warfare is surprisingly instructive.

Cybersecurity Iran

MENASource

Jul 12, 2025

Netanyahu’s trip to Washington ends with conflicting signals

By Daniel B. Shapiro

The moment of truth may yet come when Trump’s leverage on Netanyahu, which is considerable, may not be expressed only in private settings.

Iran Israel

Experts