Middle East

Middle East

Stretching from the Western Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, the Middle East continues to be a region struggling with violent conflict, political repression, and poor development. Numerous pro-democracy protest movements, a burgeoning youth population, and efforts to reform governments and lessen economic dependence on oil, however, are causes for optimism. The United States and the international community must remain engaged with the region to provide support for these positive moves and to address the many remaining challenges.

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MENASource

Aug 4, 2026

Ł‡Ł„ ŁŠŲŖŁ…ŁƒŁ† Ų§Ł„Ų²ŁŠŲÆŁŠ Ł…Ł† ŁŲµŁ„ Ų§Ł„ŲÆŁˆŁ„Ų© Ų¹Ł† Ų§Ł„Ų·Ų§Ų¦ŁŲ©ŲŸ

By Munqith Dagher

Ł…Ł†Ł‚Ų° ŲÆŲ§ŲŗŲ± Ł„ŁŠŲ³ Ų®Ų§ŁŁŠŲ§Ł‹ ŲŖŲ£Ų«ŁŠŲ± Ł…Ų§ ŁŠŲ¬Ų±ŁŠ ŁŁŠ Ų§Ł„Ų¬ŁˆŲ§Ų± Ų§Ł„Ų¹Ų±Ų§Ł‚ŁŠ Ų¹Ł„Ł‰ Ų§Ł„Ų³ŁŠŲ§Ų³Ų© ŁˆŲ§Ł„Ł…Ų¬ŲŖŁ…Ų¹ ŁˆŲ§Ł„Ų§Ł‚ŲŖŲµŲ§ŲÆ ŁŁŠŁ‡. ŁˆŲ¹Ł„Ł‰ Ų§Ł„Ų±ŲŗŁ… Ł…Ł† Ų§Ł† Ų§Ł„ŲŖŲŗŁŠŲ±Ų§ŲŖ Ų§Ł„ŲŖŁŠ Ų­ŲµŁ„ŲŖ ŁŁŠ Ų§Ł„Ł…Ł†Ų·Ł‚Ų© ŲØŲ¹ŲÆ Ų£ŁƒŲŖŁˆŲØŲ± 2023 Ų§Ł†Ų¹ŁƒŲ³ŲŖ Ų¹Ł„Ł‰ Ų§Ł„Ų¹Ų±Ų§Ł‚ ŲØŲ·Ų±ŁŠŁ‚Ų© Ų§Łˆ ŲØŲ£Ų®Ų±Ł‰ŲŒ Ų§Ł„Ų§ Ų§Ł† Ų§Ł„ŲŖŲ£Ų«ŁŠŲ± Ų§Ł„Ų£ŁƒŲØŲ± Ų¹Ł„Ł‰ Ų³ŁŠŲ§Ų³ŲŖŁ‡ Ų³ŁŠŲøŁ‡Ų± Ł†ŲŖŁŠŲ¬Ų© ŲŖŲÆŲ§Ų¹ŁŠŲ§ŲŖ Ł…Ų§ ŲØŲ¹ŲÆ 28 ŁŲØŲ±Ų§ŁŠŲ±(Ų“ŲØŲ§Ų·)2026 ŁˆŲ§Ł„ŲŖŁŠ ŲŖŲŖŁƒŲ“Ł ŁŠŁˆŁ…Ų§Ł‹ ŲØŲ¹ŲÆ Ų§Ł„Ų¢Ų®Ų±. Ł„Ł‚ŲÆ Ų£ŲÆŁ‰ Ų§ŲŗŲŖŁŠŲ§Ł„ Ų§Ł„Ų³ŁŠŲÆ […]

Arabic Conflict

MENASource

Aug 3, 2026

Can al-Zaidi separate the sects from the state in Iraq?

By Munqith Dagher

The biggest challenge facing Iraq's prime minister is how to curb the role of sectarian institutions in shaping Iraq's state decisions.

Conflict Iran

MENASource

Jul 31, 2026

US dollar shipments to Iraq are a molehill, not a mountain

By Ahmed Tabaqchali

The impact of the recent pause in US dollar shipments to Iraq is far less severe than many assume, because Iraq's economy has modernized.

Dollar Dominance Economy & Business
READ More from MENASOURCE

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

Insights & Impact

Sep 3, 2020

Alami in Al Monitor: Lebanon-IMF talks make little progress despite bank collapse
Lebanon Middle East

In the News

Sep 2, 2020

Hudson quoted in L’Orient-Le Jour on the political risks to Sudan normalizing relations with Israel

By Atlantic Council

Africa Democratic Transitions

Insights & Impact

Sep 2, 2020

Alami in Al Monitor: Lebanon-IMF talks make little progress despite bank collapse
Lebanon Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Sep 2, 2020

Caesar Act: The Syrian people are sapped while Assad grows stronger

By Qussai Jukhadar & Elizabeth Tsurkov

The Bashar al-Assad regime is unconcerned about Syrian lives and, thus, worsening economic misery is unlikely to shift its calculations.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Sep 1, 2020

Hudson quoted in the Sudan Tribune on the United States’ push for Sudan to normalize relations with Israel

By Atlantic Council

Africa Democratic Transitions

MENASource

Sep 1, 2020

Energy cooperation in the Middle East is a necessary step toward regional security

By Ariel Ezrahi

Mutual energy dependencies can help mitigate political tensions, creating incentives to cooperate and possibly facilitating a positive momentum towards solving some of the MENA regionā€™s thornier outstanding political conflicts

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Aug 31, 2020

Shaffer in National Interest: Iran’s multiethnic society explains why Tehran fears democracy

Iran faces the democracy conundrum: in multi-ethnic states where one non-majority group prevails over others, democratization entails risk of loss of empire.

Iran Middle East

In the News

Aug 29, 2020

Charai in the Jerusalem Post: Can Arabs and Israelis prosper together?

By Atlantic Council

The Arab world was strangely quiet in the wake of the United Arab Emiratesā€™ announcement of peace with Israel. But the announcement is a strategic victory for both Israel and the UAE, with the potential to impact Arab-Israeli relations as far afield as Morocco. Read Atlantic Council Board Director Ahmed Charai's latest in the Jerusalem Post on the prospects for Arabs and Israelis to prosper together.

Israel Morocco

MENASource

Aug 28, 2020

How attacks on US forces in Iraq became a new normal

By Seth Frantzman

The resulting posture of the US in Iraq looks to be a presence concentrated more in the autonomous Kurdistan regionā€”where US forces have never been targeted by rocket attacksā€”with a very limited presence in Al-Assad base and Baghdad.

Iraq Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Aug 28, 2020

Kroenig and Ashford discuss convention speeches, America’s foreign engagement, and how the West should respond to Belarus

By Atlantic Council

On August 28, Foreign Policy published a biweekly column featuring Scowcroft Center Deputy Director Matthew Kroenig and the Cato Instituteā€™s Emma Ashford discussing the latest news in international affairs. In this column, they discuss the DNC and RNC speeches, what a potential President Biden’s foreign policy might look like, and what role the US should play in response […]

Belarus Elections
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Experts

Active affiliation

Reem Salahi

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Democratic Transitions

Fellow

Nathan Sales

Distinguished fellow, Middle East Programs

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Extremism Human Rights

Fellow

Jean-Loup Samaan

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Arabic Defense Policy

Staff

Nushin Sarkarati

Deputy Director, Strategic Litigation Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Corruption Human Rights

Fellow

Joumana Seif

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic English

Staff

Kayra SenerĀ 

Program Assistant, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Middle East Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding
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