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MENASource

Sep 19, 2025

How Israel’s strike on Doha is forcing a Gulf security reckoning

By
Giorgio Cafiero

The Gulf monarchies have displayed strong unity at a time when rethinking twenty-first-century Gulf security is no longer optional.

Israel
Middle East


MENASource

Sep 19, 2025

Snapback sanctions threaten to further derail Iran nuclear deal hopes

By
Rob Macaire

Now would be the best time for the West to negotiate a deal with Iran—but snapback sanctions threaten a derailing into further confrontation.

Economic Sanctions
Iran


MENASource

Sep 18, 2025

Libya’s stalled transition: When domestic spoilers meet foreign interests

By
Luis Aleman and Karim Mezran

Libya’s stalled transition has not happened by chance; it has been deliberately engineered into paralysis by both domestic spoilers and foreign powers.

Libya
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 17, 2019

Ambassador Michel Duclos analyzes Iran tensions in Institut Montaigne

By Michel Duclos

Several developments have considerably increased the tension surrounding the Iranian issue in recent days. On the American side, the administration has included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (8 April) on the list of terrorist organizations, has then announced the end of the “waivers” from sanctions on oil purchases from Iran (22 April), added new sanctions against the […]

Iran

SyriaSource

May 17, 2019

The risks of ignoring former ISIS women members

By Feras Hanoush

Rehabilitating former ISIS members—including women—in former ISIS territories is a necessary step to prevent the extremist organization from resurging and put an end to the violence and extremism it represented.

Extremism Syria

In the News

May 17, 2019

Faysal Itani in Syria Studies: Geo-economics – Russia and Iran in Syria

By Faysal Itani

Read the full article here

Syria

New Atlanticist

May 17, 2019

Iraq: In the crossfire of a potential US-Iran conflict?

By Abbas Kadhim

If a new conflict erupts in the region, it will complicate the situation for Iraq in some unimaginable ways, even if Iraq is not directly involved.

Iran Iraq

New Atlanticist

May 16, 2019

Europeans promise political and economic steps to salvage the Iran deal

By Barbara Slavin

The twenty-eight members of the European Union (EU) are united in support of an Iran policy that opposes a military confrontation and prioritizes the continued existence of the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

European Union Iran

In the News

May 16, 2019

Nabeel Khoury quoted in DW: Iraq walks Iran-US tightrope as tensions escalate

By Nabeel Khoury

https://www.dw.com/cda/en/iraq-walks-iran-us-tightrope-as-tensions-escalate/a-48755698

Iraq

New Atlanticist

May 15, 2019

Coherent US strategy seen key to effective sanctions

By David A. Wemer

“Sanctions can be a useful, precise, and effective tool of US foreign policy, so long as they are treated as a tool to implement a clear policy and a thought-out strategy,” David Mortlock said.

Economic Sanctions Iran

In the News

May 15, 2019

Barbara Slavin in the World Economic Forum – Geostrategy Platform: Q&A: The Iran–US crisis explained

By Barbara Slavin

Tensions are escalating in the Gulf between the US and Iran. Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani has said his country is suffering “unprecedented pressure” from international sanctions, which the US has tightened further. The landmark 2015 nuclear deal (known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA), signed between Iran and members of the United […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

May 15, 2019

On Iran, justified US fury without an endgame

By Todd Rosenblum

We’ve been here before. The Trump administration, like every US administration since Jimmy Carter was president, is dealing with a hostile Iran bent on undermining US and regional security interests across the Middle East and beyond.

Iran Nuclear Nonproliferation

IranSource

May 15, 2019

A week of looming conflict between the United States and Iran

By Nader Uskowi

May 8 was the first anniversary of US President Donald Trump’s exit from the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The Islamic Republic marked the occasion by announcing that it would defy the JCPOA’s limits on the amounts of enriched uranium and heavy water in its inventory.

Iran
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Experts

Millennium fellow

Mohamad Sakr

Head of Commercial Operations, Crescent Petroleum

Millennium Leadership Program

Energy & Environment Middle East

Staff

Melanie Robbins 

Deputy Director, Realign for Palestine

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Civil Society Extremism

Fellow

Brett McGurk

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

English Middle East

Fellow

Nathan Freier

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoStrategy Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Conflict

Millennium fellow

Saeed Al Nazari

Secretary General, Great Arab Minds

Millennium Leadership Program

Education Middle East

Fellow

Alan Pino

Nonresident Senior Fellow

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

Intelligence Iran
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