Featured commentary & analysis


Counterterrorism Study Group

The Counterterrorism Study Group is a forum for former counterterrorism officials to review the latest threats, to understand emerging trends and future predictions, and to explore creative new proposals for improving the effectiveness of current policies and operations.


Podcast series

Listen to the latest episode of the China-MENA podcast, featuring conversations with academics, government leaders, and the policy community on China’s role in the Middle East.


Gulf Security Task Force

The Gulf Security Task Force is revisiting the question of how to best protect US interests in this sensitive, always relevant region. Our goal is to provide US decision-makers with an updated, fact-based strategy for protecting US interests in the air and maritime domain from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, and ensuring Gulf partners’ ability to assume this responsibility, with the assistance and leadership of the United States.

Content

In the News

Oct 10, 2018

Hellyer Quoted in The Guardian on Jamal Khashoggi

By H.A. Hellyer

Read the full article here.

Saudi Arabia

Event Recap

Oct 9, 2018

The Arc of Crisis in the MENA Region

By Erin A. Neale

On Tuesday, October 9th, the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East held a conference to discuss the nature of foreign involvement in ongoing conflicts in the region as well as the resilience of Jihadism in the post-2011 period. The conference coincided with the launching of a report, “The Arc of Crisis in […]

Iraq
Libya

In the News

Oct 9, 2018

Charai in Newsmax: Trump’s Allies in Yemen

By Atlantic Council

International Norms
Middle East

In the News

Oct 8, 2018

Kempe on MSNBC to Discuss Disappearance of Saudi Journalist and Posture Toward China

By Frederick Kempe

Read the full article here.

China
Saudi Arabia

IranSource

Oct 5, 2018

How Iran and the Gulf Arab States Can Start a Dialogue Again

By Hussein Ibish

It’s hard to overstate the regional impact of the rivalry between Iran and several Gulf Arab states—most notably Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—bordering in recent years on enmity. While these countries haven’t come close to direct warfare, tensions have impacted many regional conflicts in the Middle East including in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, […]

International Organizations
Iran

MENASource

Oct 3, 2018

Yemen’s humanitarian crisis persists, despite humanitarian funding

By Afrah Nasser

When over $2 billion was pledged for the 2018 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP) earlier this year, it was considered not only a success but also the best funded response plan worldwide according to anonymous aid workers who spoke to the author during the UN General Assembly. So far, 65% of the pledged funds have been delivered. The delivery of the remaining funding is expected throughout this year.

Yemen

In the News

Oct 1, 2018

Charai for The Gatestone Institute: United States is Doing More to Fight Yemen’s Humanitarian Crisis than the Press Knows

By Atlantic Council

Middle East
Politics & Diplomacy

MENASource

Sep 11, 2018

Saudi’s Vision 2030 continues to solicit concerns

By Stephen Grand

The Saudi government shelved plans in late August for an initial public offering (IPO) of shares in Saudi Aramco, the state’s mammoth oil company. King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman had intended the proceeds from the sale of a portion of the company’s stock to underwrite their “Vision 2030” program, an ambitious roadmap […]

Saudi Arabia

IranSource

Sep 5, 2018

A Humanitarian Responsibility: End of US Support for Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen

By Masoud Mostajabi

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and ally United Arab Emirates (UAE), pledged decisive victory when they entered into war in March 2015 against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The results thus far have not been the Houthis’ defeat, but tens of thousands of deaths, a cholera epidemic and famine — what the United Nations has deemed […]

Iran
Saudi Arabia

New Atlanticist

Aug 28, 2018

The War in Yemen: Playing With Fire

By Nabeel Khoury

Officials in US President Donald J. Trump’s administration have repeatedly described the ongoing conflict in Yemen as a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, hence justifying the United States siding with a country that many US officials view as “our strong ally” against Iran. Ironically, the Yemen policy of Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, was […]

Yemen

Experts