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The latest pieces from MENASource:


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

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

MENASource

Feb 27, 2019

Algerian demonstrations: What they mean for the future of the elite and the country

By Karim Mezran and Erin A. Neale

Algerian elites are missing a Leopardian moment. Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa’s masterpiece, the Leopard—which has become a staple of political science—, expresses the intrinsic idea that elites must change in order to remain elites.

North Africa

SyriaSource

Feb 26, 2019

Syrian refugees’ struggle with temporary status in Germany

By Hosam al-Jablawi

Just a few months separated the arrival of Syrian refugees Ahmad al-’Awda and his friend Mahmud al-Agha to Germany. Both of them fled from the war in their country that started in 2011. Al-’Awda arrived in Germany in January 2016 and al-Agha arrived in May 2015. This short eight month difference separating their arrivals was enough to guarantee that al-’Awda would not be able to apply to bring his family, who are still in Syria, because he did not get permanent residency in Germany. Rather, due to a series of laws, the German authorities have been granting only temporary residence papers to Syrian refugees.

Germany Syria

IranSource

Feb 26, 2019

Is Saudi Arabia Pulling Pakistan Into War With Iran?

By Fatemeh Aman

For years, the Pakistani government has avoided taking sides between rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, but now it may be forced to choose. Pakistan is in dire need of financial support and the Saudis have the means to help. Will Pakistan accept the strings attached to Saudi generosity? Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) […]

Iran Pakistan

MENASource

Feb 25, 2019

Expert analysis on Jared Kushner’s trip to the Middle East

By MENASource

Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the US President Donald Trump, is on his way to six countries in the Gulf states to discuss and present part of his long awaited Israel-Palestine peace process plan in private meetings with foreign diplomats. He is expected to visit Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey over the next few days. While the plan is still held tightly secret, experts are speculating on the selection of countries Kushner is to visit and what that implies for the plan.

Middle East

In the News

Feb 25, 2019

Slavin quoted in Middle East Eye on Iran Foreign Minister submitting resignation

By Barbara Slavin

Read the full article here.

Iran

In the News

Feb 25, 2019

Slavin quoted in ThinkProgress on Iran’s supreme leader rejecting resignation of Foreign Minister Zarif

By Barbara Slavin

Read the full article here.

Iran

In the News

Feb 25, 2019

Lipner in Politico: Kushner’s Peace Plan Looks Dead on Arrival
Israel Politics & Diplomacy

IranSource

Feb 25, 2019

Try taming rather than laming Iran’s missile program

By Greg Thielmann

From its early days, the Trump administration has sought to isolate and weaken the Islamic Republic of Iran, using Iran’s missile and space launch programs as a key justification. In addition to withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018, expanding extensive trade sanctions, and severely restricting travel to the US […]

Iran

MENASource

Feb 22, 2019

General Haftar’s offensive in the Fezzan region and the Italian-French competition

By Karim Mezran

The military forces under the command of General Khalifa Haftar launched a large-scale attack on the Fezzan region in January, with the aim of taking control of the main areas of local oil production.

Libya

Event Recap

Feb 22, 2019

A Conversation with Former Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew

By Global Business & Economics

On Tuesday, February 19, the Atlantic Council’s Global Business and Economics program’s Economic Sanction Initiative hosted a public discussion featuring former US Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business
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Experts

Executive Leadership Intensive participant

Ilker Baburoglu

CEO, MedTrade Energy & Commodities

Millennium Leadership Program

Africa Economy & Business

Staff

Elise Baker

Senior Staff Lawyer, Strategic Litigation Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Civil Society Extremism

Staff

Nibras Basitkey

Associate Director, MENA Futures Lab

Iraq Initiative Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Economy & Business

Millennium fellow

Hussein Al Baya

Partner, Wildcard

Millennium Leadership Program

Climate Change & Climate Action Economy & Business

Fellow

Nicholas Blanford

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Conflict

Fellow

Alia Brahimi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society
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