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MENASource

Jul 2, 2025

Why al-Sharaa’s success in Syria is good for Israel and the US

By Itai Melchior and Nir Boms

Israel will be wise to align its policy with those who seek to integrate Syria rather than with those who seek to fragment it.

Democratic Transitions Israel

MENASource

Jun 30, 2025

Balancing acts and breaking points: Iraq’s US-Iran dilemma

By C. Anthony Pfaff

The future of US–Iraq relations is neither as dim as it may first appear, nor as promising as one might hope.

Geopolitics & Energy Security Iran

MENASource

Jun 26, 2025

Dispatch from Damascus: Church attack shows transition’s fragility

By Ibrahim Al-Assil

The bombing at Mar Elias Church is more than an isolated tragedy. It is a signal that Syria’s transition remains vulnerable to sabotage.

Democratic Transitions Middle East
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Through our Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, 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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Content

In the News

May 6, 2025

Warrick joins Al-Hura TV to discuss why the Popular Mobilization Forces should be put under the control of the Iraqi government

By Atlantic Council

Iraq Middle East

In the News

May 6, 2025

Katz quoted in the Eurasia Review on the future of Iran

By Atlantic Council

Iran Middle East

In the News

May 6, 2025

Warrick joins the BBC to discuss fighting between the SDF and SNA

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Middle East

MENASource

May 5, 2025

How China turned the Red Sea into a strategic trap for the US

By Fatima Abo Alasrar

Beijing’s proxy warfare turns global trade routes into battlefields that the United States struggles to defend.

China Economy & Business

Issue Brief

May 2, 2025

Saudi-Israeli normalization is still possible—if the United States plays it smart

By Dan Rothem

Saudi-Israeli normalization remains a potential game changer in Middle East geopolitics. It could reshape alliances, enhance security, and spur economic growth. But progress hinges on US diplomacy, Palestinian inclusion, and Saudi leadership.

Israel Middle East

MENASource

Apr 30, 2025

From Tripoli to Tehran: Lessons from Libya in US-Iran nuclear talks

By Yaseen Rashed

Twenty-one years later, the nuclear disarmament of Libya serves as a model for the United States in current nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Iran Libya

MENASource

Apr 29, 2025

Why the US must not let Syria slip away

By Luke Wagner

Reconsidering the uneasy US-Syria relationship amid reports that Trump and al-Sharaa will meet during the US president's Saudi Arabia visit.

Economic Sanctions Middle East
Scenes of destruction at the UN Blue Line, Southern Lebanon.

MENASource

Apr 29, 2025

Dispatch from the UN Blue Line: Israel’s ‘systematic destruction’ in Lebanon

By Nicholas Blanford

If Hezbollah refuses to disarm, Israel would almost certainly escalate its attacks possibly to the extent of resuming the war in Lebanon.

Iran Israel

Event Recap

Apr 29, 2025

Wargaming the Middle East: How Iran might reshape its Hezbollah proxy playbook

By Maayan Dagan and Luke Wagner

In March 2025, the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council hosted a War Game to explore how Iran will shape the future of its proxy strategy, particularly its relationship with Hezbollah.

Conflict Crisis Management

MENASource

Apr 28, 2025

Why Israel will resist any US-Iran nuclear deal

By Danny Citrinowicz  

Negotiations between the United States and Iran have displayed a significant divide between Washington and it’s ally Israel.

Iran Israel
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Experts

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Gabriele Natalizia

Visiting Fellow

Europe Center

Europe & Eurasia Italian

Fellow

Linda Lourie

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Artificial Intelligence Australia

Fellow

Yousuf Syed Khan

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Africa Europe & Eurasia

Millennium fellow

Sharif Abdelrazeq

Sustainability and Innovation Engineer, Consolidated Contractors Company

Millennium Leadership Program

Economy & Business Middle East

Fellow

Nasredeen Abdulbari

Nonresident Senior Fellow, N7 Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Africa Arabic

Fellow

Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Middle East National Security
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