Middle East

Why Germany resoundingly rejected joining a US-led mission against Iran

By Gert Hilgers

On July 31, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced Germany’s refusal to join a US-led military mission to safeguard the international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian aggression and criticized what he called America’s “maximum tension” approach.

How the Trump Administration can solve its Iran problem

By Atlantic Council

For The Hill, Dr. Mathew Burrows, Director of the Atlantic Council's Foresight, Strategy and Risks Initiative, and his Research Associate Julian Mueller-Kaler argue that when circumstances change, strategies need to change, too. They advocate for an approach that would be nothing less than a complete change of U.S. foreign policy towards the Middle East.

Public Event with Iraqi MP Sarkawt Shamsulddin

On August 6, the Atlantic Council Iraq Initiative hosted Iraqi Council of Representatives Member Sarkawt Shamsulddin for a public event. In 2018, Shamsulddin became the youngest member of the Iraqi parliament, securing the top position of the New Generation Movement in Sulaymaniyah Province. He is now one of the leaders of The Future parliamentary bloc […]

The evolution of Syrian revolutionary art

By Natasha Hall

Perhaps, it is unsurprising then, that political posters and street art became so ubiquitous in the Syrian Revolution. The regimes of the Middle East knew the political potential for art. For this reason, it has always been closely monitored.

Blood money decision advances women’s rights in Iran

By Tahereh Hadian-Jazy

In early June, Iran’s Supreme Court upheld a law deciding that blood money—compensation paid to relatives for the death or injury of a family member—would be equal between men and women and no longer would a woman’s compensation be worth half of a man's.