Featured reading

Cohen in The National Interest: America’s Great-Power Problems Will Come Back to Haunt It in the Middle East

New Atlanticist Dec 8, 2024

Experts react: Rebels have toppled the Assad regime. What’s next for Syria, the Middle East, and the world?

By Atlantic Council experts

Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has been ousted as opposition forces quickly took the Syrian capital. Atlantic Council experts share their insights on the developments.
Conflict Corruption
Cohen in The National Interest: America’s Great-Power Problems Will Come Back to Haunt It in the Middle East

Fast Thinking Dec 8, 2024

Assad has fallen. Now what?

By Atlantic Council

The power shift in Syria will reverberate across the Middle East and the world. Our experts explain what’s next.
Conflict Iran
Cohen in The National Interest: America’s Great-Power Problems Will Come Back to Haunt It in the Middle East

New Atlanticist Dec 9, 2024

Dispatch from Doha: Assad’s fall, Iran’s weakness, and the impact of unintended consequences

By Jonathan Panikoff

In just six months, Iran has slid from a position of strength to perhaps the weakest it has been since 1979.
Conflict Iran
Cohen in The National Interest: America’s Great-Power Problems Will Come Back to Haunt It in the Middle East

MENASource Dec 10, 2024

Where Syria goes next after the fall of Assad

By Frederic C. Hof

With the Assad family agone, Syria, at long last, has a chance to achieve the kind of political transition envisioned by the 2012 Geneva Final Communique and UNSCR 2254.
Conflict Middle East
Cohen in The National Interest: America’s Great-Power Problems Will Come Back to Haunt It in the Middle East

New Atlanticist Dec 10, 2024

A blueprint for bringing about a new Syria

By Kirsten Fontenrose

For a reconstruction strategy in Syria to be effective, all parties must adopt a unified approach that is clear-eyed about the country’s new leaders.
Crisis Management International Organizations

Explore our Syria work

Syria Project

Our work on Syria sheds light on the ongoing struggle of Syrians to fulfill their desire for democratic self-governance as the United States and the international community grapple with the aftermath of a devastating civil war, millions of refugees across the Middle East and Europe, and ongoing security and political challenges spilling over Syria’s borders.

Group of world leaders sitting around table set up.

Syria Strategy Project

The Atlantic Council, Middle East Institute, and European Institute of Peace collaborate with subject matter experts and policymakers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to sustainably forge a pathway to resolving Syria’s crisis.

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Featured experts

Leadership

Fellow

Qutaiba Idlbi

Resident Senior Fellow, Syria

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Economic Sanctions Entrepreneurship

Fellows

Fellow

Michel Duclos

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Conflict Crisis Management

Fellow

Arwa Damon

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Ömer Özkizilcik

Nonresident Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic English

Fellow

Sinan Hatahet

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Economic Sanctions

Former fellow

Hind Kabawat

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Diana Rayes 

Nonresident Fellow, Syria Project

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Past events

Online Event Thu, December 19, 2024 • 12:30 pm ET

Putin loses in Syria. Is Russia in retreat?
Conflict Europe & Eurasia Middle East Russia
Online Event Tue, May 21, 2024 • 10:30 am ET

Exploring investment opportunities in northwest Syria
Conflict Economic Sanctions Economy & Business Financial Regulation

Event Recap

Mar 29, 2024

Launching the Syria Strategy Project

By JP Reppeto and Charles Johnson

On March 18, 2024, the Atlantic Council’s Syria Project, the Middle East Institute’s Syria Program, the European Institute of Peace, and Madaniya Civil Society Network launched the Syria Strategy, an intensive process of engagement with subject matter experts and policymakers in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East to develop a holistic strategy to […]

Civil Society Conflict
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Middle East Programs

Working with our 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.

EXPLORE THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL’S MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMS

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Content

In the News

Nov 8, 2019

Cohen in The National Interest: America’s Great-Power Problems Will Come Back to Haunt It in the Middle East

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Crisis Management

SyriaSource

Nov 7, 2019

Journalists in northeast Syria fear the return of state security services

By Dan Wilkofsky

US President Donald Trump’s decision in early October to withdraw American troops from the Syria-Turkey border put the US’s local partner in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS, Daesh), the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in an unenviable position. Faced with an offensive by Turkey, NATO’s second largest military, the SDF struck a deal with […]

Conflict Media

In the News

Nov 5, 2019

Katz quoted by Foreign Policy in Review on Syrians’ perceptions of Russia

By Atlantic Council

Middle East Russia

In the News

Nov 2, 2019

Wechsler quoted in CNN on Syrian oilfields

By Atlantic Council

Geopolitics & Energy Security Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Nov 1, 2019

Cohen in The Hill: After al-Baghdadi: Strategic vacuum threatens the US and allies in the Middle East

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Defense Policy

In the News

Nov 1, 2019

Daragahi joins Turkey’s TRT World to discuss how Baghdadi’s death changes the fight against terrorism

By Atlantic Council

Conflict Extremism

In the News

Oct 31, 2019

Bryza joins Pakistan’s Indus TV to discuss U.S. military operation to protect oil fields in northeast Syria

By Atlantic Council

Geopolitics & Energy Security National Security

In the News

Oct 30, 2019

Kadhim joins Albawaba News to discuss Al Baghdadi, Trump 2020 and US-Turkish relations

By Atlantic Council

Conflict National Security

In the News

Oct 29, 2019

Charai in The National Interest: Baghdadi’s Death Creates an Opportunity for Peace in the Middle East

By Atlantic Council

Iraq Middle East

In the News

Oct 28, 2019

Fontenrose quoted in The Washington Examiner on party concerns over Baghdadi raid

By Atlantic Council

Middle East National Security
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Experts

Fellow

Lesley Chavkin

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Economic Statecraft Initiative GeoEconomics Center

Africa Economy & Business

Fellow

Hagar Hajjar Chemali

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Economic Statecraft Initiative GeoEconomics Center

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

Fellow

Arwa Damon

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Civil Society

Fellow

Michel Duclos

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Conflict Crisis Management

Fellow

Sinan Hatahet

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Economic Sanctions

Fellow

Qutaiba Idlbi

Resident Senior Fellow, Syria

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Economic Sanctions Entrepreneurship
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