Middle East

Jordan’s military deterrence has collapsed 

By Aaron Magid

Jordan continues to absorb attacks from Iran without firing back.

The Iran war is no Vietnam. But it may become an economic quagmire for the Gulf.

By Kurt Davis Jr.

Five costs related to the Iran war are compounding across the Gulf and its trading partners, and none will be eliminated soon.

A revolutionary coffee: The impact of Syria’s removal from the terrorism sponsor list

The US removal of the country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism is big step for Syria toward its post-Assad future.

Satan’s Chariot: Mercenary Trouble in Mali

By Alia Brahimi

In Season 2, Episode 17 of the Guns for Hire podcast, host Alia Brahimi chats to Wassim Nasr, the veteran French journalist for France24 and Senior Fellow at the Soufan Center. Wassim talks us through the spectacular April 25th offensive across Mali by JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate that looks set to soon make a play to take over the whole country.

Could a stablecoin jumpstart postwar reconstruction?

By Avia Liberman, Melanie Robbins

A stablecoin could give the Palestinian economy a secure, fast, and cost-effective pathway toward greater financial stability and autonomy.

In an age of great-power competition, democracy is an advantage for the United States

By Markus Jaeger

The spread of democracy could give Washington an edge in great-power competition and make armed conflict less likely.

Maritime trade routes are under threat—and markets still underprice the risks

By Alex Mills

Conflict, climate change, and geopolitical tensions are putting unprecedented pressure on the world's most important waterways. The economic costs are set to ripple far beyond the shipping industry.

Threats to US global leadership are mounting: fiscally, militarily, and with allies

By Frederick Kempe

Rising national debt, the ongoing war in Iran, and the trade dispute with Canada are testing the United States’ global leadership.

Experts react: Will Trump’s Operation Economic Outcast isolate Iran?

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts weigh in on the US Treasury’s newest measures intended “to sever every remaining economic lifeline sustaining” the Iranian regime.

Four scenarios for a looming global food crisis

By Atlantic Council

In this debut edition of Fast Foresight, we explore how the future could unfold into 2027, driven by the Strait of Hormuz impasse and the "super" El Niño.