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MENASource

Jun 23, 2026

The Middle East’s greatest killer is not what you think

By Daniel E. Zoughbie

When considering the forces claiming lives across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), minds inevitably turn to warfare and terrorism. Yet the region’s most prolific killer does not carry a weapon. Its methods are salt, sugar, and sitting. The numbers are staggering. Cardiovascular disease kills approximately 1.4 million people in the region every year; […]

Economy & Business Middle East

MENASource

Jun 11, 2026

The Iran war is a game of liar’s poker

By Khalid Azim

The central question has not simply been who possesses power, but who is willing to absorb pain, tolerate risk, and continue escalating when conventional logic suggests restraint.

Conflict Iran

MENASource

Jun 4, 2026

تفتت الفصائل المسلحة العراقية بعد تحول النظام الإيراني من الثيوقراطية الى الجنتوقراطية

By Munqith Dagher

كيف يؤثر تغيير القيادة في ايران على الميليشيات العراقية؟ د. منقذ داغر يبدو اننا بتنا ، بعد 28 فبراير 2026 ،امام نظام مختلف وظيفياً، بل وحتى هيكلياً عما عرفناه طوال السنوات السبعة وأربعين من عمر النظام الايراني. فقد اتسم نظام الحكم في ايران بنسخته الخمينية الأولى 1979-1989  بأحادية قطبية لا مكان فيها سوى للمرشد الأعلى(الخميني). […]

Arabic Conflict

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.

Content

In the News

Nov 16, 2019

Slavin joins BBC World News to discuss Iran protests

By Atlantic Council

Iran Middle East

In the News

Nov 16, 2019

Dagres quoted in Washington Post to discuss the influence of the economy on current and past Iranian protests

Corruption Economy & Business

In the News

Nov 15, 2019

Cohen in Forbes: Investors Evaluating Aramco IPO As Iran Claims Discovery Of New Oil Field

By Atlantic Council

Economy & Business Geopolitics & Energy Security

New Atlanticist

Nov 15, 2019

A crisis of commitment in the Middle East. But whose?

By Kirsten Fontenrose

While US actions are causing confusion about Washington's commitment, regional actions are also calling into question the region’s commitment to its relationship with the United States and to its own stability.

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

Past events

Nov 14, 2019

What’s Next on Sanctions? An Update on Legislative & Executive Branch Activity

On November 7th, 2019 the Atlantic Council’s Global Business & Economics Program co-hosted a high-level roundtable conversation with Morrison & Foerster to discuss recent and future sanctions activity by the US legislative and executive branches.

Economy & Business Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion
Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul)

EnergySource

Nov 13, 2019

The Saudi Aramco IPO: A valuation saga

By Private: Jean-François Seznec

The Saudi stock exchange in Riyadh has approved the trading of Saudi Aramco’s shares on the local stock market, signaling a rapid start to the initial public offering (IPO). The various investment banks looking to place and sell the shares to their clients have given widely different, but generally low, value to the company and the shares.

Energy Markets & Governance Energy Transitions

In the News

Nov 13, 2019

Cohen in Newsweek: After Syria Withdrawal, NATO Must Turn Its Attention to the Black Sea—and Georgia

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Crisis Management

IranSource

Nov 13, 2019

Iran and Europe play nuclear chicken

By Barbara Slavin

Neither Europe nor Iran wants to see the destruction of the JCPOA, which represented for each the culmination of twelve years of hard diplomatic work, initially without US participation.

Iran Middle East

In the News

Nov 12, 2019

Wechsler interviewed by Italian Formiche magazine to discuss US strategy in the Middle East

By Atlantic Council

Defense Policy Italian

MENASource

Nov 12, 2019

Revolution in Lebanon

By Frederic C. Hof

The peaceful protests sweeping Lebanon are revolutionary. Lebanese of multiple political persuasions and all sects have a powerful message for a political class whose incompetence is equaled only by its corruption: Go Away.  To date the principal defender of this abysmal political class and Lebanon’s miserable status quo (featuring a failing economy from which the […]

Corruption Middle East

Experts