Lebanon

From Tunis to Baghdad: Can platform-based politics take root?

By Carrie Schenkel and James Storen

This paper is the fifth in the Freedom and Prosperity Center's "State of the Parties" series analyzing the strength of multi-party systems in different regions of the world.

Is Israel laying the groundwork to stay in Lebanon and defy a second withdrawal deadline?

By Nicholas Blanford

After missing one deadline to pull its forces out of south Lebanon following a ceasefire, there are signs that Israel is establishing a more permanent presence.

Lebanon’s prime minister-designate is unlikely to confront Hezbollah

By David Daoud

Given Lebanon’s dire postwar economic state, Nawaf Salam is highly unlikely to risk escalating internal conflict during his premiership.

The quest ahead for Lebanon’s new president: Secure a modern statehood

By Frederic C. Hof

Aoun knows what must be done to stabilize the Lebanon-Israel frontier. But the long game he wishes to contest and win centers on Lebanese statehood.

The Biden administration’s vision for postwar Gaza

By Antony J. Blinken

At an Atlantic Council Front Page event, Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered remarks on the Biden administration’s Middle East policy and the prospects for peace in the region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the Biden record in the Middle East—and what comes next

At an Atlantic Council event, the US secretary of state delivered remarks on the Middle East and the future of US leadership.

Can Lebanon’s new president stabilize a country in crisis?

By Nicholas Blanford

Amid deep uncertainty over the futures of Lebanon, Hezbollah, and the Middle East, the newest Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, was elected on January 9.

2024: A year in the Middle East

By Leila Ouhri, Kate Springs, and Yaseen Rashed

2024 was a year of consequence for the Middle East and North Africa, with metastasizing conflict, human tragedies, and major elections across the region.

The stage is set for Trump’s global leadership moment

By Frederick Kempe

The lightning-like fall of the Assad regime in Syria reveals larger weaknesses in Russia and Iran. These weaknesses present the incoming president with three historic opportunities.

Even in authoritarian countries, democracy advocates are worth investing in

By Fernanda Buril, Nate Grubman, and Patrick Quirk

Case studies in four different regions suggest that using foreign assistance to support actors and organizations advocating for democracy worldwide is an effective strategy, even if the payoff is not immediately apparent.