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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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IranSource

Feb 14, 2019

The Warsaw summit and effective multilateralism

By Sina Toossi

The Trump administration has sought to break out of its international isolation on Iran by pressuring nations to go to Warsaw for a summit on peace and security in the Middle East. But the administration has failed to craft an effective multilateral approach towards Iran based on common concerns and a realistic understanding of what […]

Iran

In the News

Feb 14, 2019

Fried Quoted in New York Times on Trump’s Syria Withdrawal

By Daniel Fried

Read the full article here

Syria

IranSource

Feb 14, 2019

How Iran has changed in forty years and what the future portends

By Barbara Slavin

Iran forty years after its Islamic revolution is facing a grave economic crisis and growing popular discontent. It continues to commit acts that deepen its isolation even as it benefits from the mistakes of its adversaries. US sanctions are more punishing than anticipated but will probably not cause Iran to alter policies of greatest concern […]

Iran

IranSource

Feb 13, 2019

Trump’s Iran Policy: Much Ado About Nothing

By Pooya Dayanim

The Trump administration’s policy of containing and weakening the Islamic Republic of Iran may appear to be going well to causal observers of Iranian affairs, and there is some evidence to support such a view. The United States has withdrawn from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action […]

Iran

In the News

Feb 13, 2019

Wechsler Quoted in Associated Press on Iran Problem at Mideast Talks in Poland

By William F. Wechsler

Read the full article here

Iran

SyriaSource

Feb 13, 2019

Forced conscription continues despite amnesty by Syrian Government

By Hosam al-Jablawi

Since 2011, the Syrian regime has kept thousands of Syrian men in its military service as emergency forces—serving for an unspecified period—and refusing to discharge successive batches of army conscripts; some of whom have served for eight years in compulsory service. If they do not comply, they can be charged with a criminal offense and imprisoned for up to three years. In order to avoid fighting in the regime’s forces, Syrian youth have resorted to fleeing their country and the compulsory military service. Those who flee are considered military deserters according to Syrian law, and arrested if they return.

Syria

In the News

Feb 13, 2019

Slavin Quoted in Washington Examiner on Warsaw Middle East Summit

By Barbara Slavin

Read the full article here

Middle East

MENASource

Feb 13, 2019

Concerning Iran, the United States should go back to ‘speaking softly and carrying a big stick’

By Borzou Daragahi

Top officials of the administration of Donald J. Trump love to talk tough on Iran. Last year Trump warned in an all-capitals tweet that Iran “would suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before” if it threatened the US.  

Iran

IranSource

Feb 13, 2019

Moral Courage Needed for US to Engage Iran

By Thomas Buonomo

In his January 10 speech in Cairo, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described America as a “force for good in the Middle East.” “We need to acknowledge that truth, because if we don’t, we make bad choices [that will] have consequences for nations, for millions of people,” he said. “In falsely seeing ourselves as a force […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Feb 12, 2019

What to expect from the US-Polish summit on the Middle East

By David A. Wemer

"The Trump administration waffled about the aims of the conference. But the truth is this conference is very much about Iran and a symbolic act to show that the world is united again Tehran—particularly Arab countries and Israel.

Economic Sanctions Iran
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Experts

Staff

Alexander Young

Project Assistant

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Rza Aliyev

Nonresident Senior Fellow, N7 Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Azerbaijani Central Asia

Expert

Jon Wilks

Distinguished Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Crisis Management

Fellow

Yerevan Saeed

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Iraq Initiative Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Energy & Environment

Fellow

Amina Mohamed

Nonresident Senior Fellow, N7 Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Africa Economy & Business

Fellow

Reem Goussous

Nonresident senior fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East

Americas Arabic
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