Disruptions and Challenges in the Middle East
Significant challenges await the Trump administration’s attention.
Bahrain
‘Outside Overseers’: Gaza Ceasefire Crossing Points Crafted
Tentative Rafah Reopening: Pushing back against Arab media reports of a deal to hand over control of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border to the Palestinian Authority (PA),...
Flash Briefs
‘Hamas Finally Agreed’: Israel-Hamas Reach Second Ceasefire and Hostage Deal After 15 Months of War
Hostage Deal Finalized: President Joe Biden announced on January 15 that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a finalized ceasefire deal that would see the release of some Israeli hostages...
Flash Briefs
Trump Doctrine 2.0: What It Means for the Middle East
Countries across the Middle East are making moves and preparing for President Donald Trump’s incoming United States administration. Many of the region’s leaders were in power during the first...
Op-eds
The Shadow War
A review of Yonah Jeremy Bob and Ilan Evyatar, “Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination—and Secret Diplomacy—to Stop a Nuclear Iran and Create a New Middle East” (Simon & Schuster, 2023).
Op-eds
Is Syria’s Julani part of a rising generation of younger Middle East leaders?
If Julani is to remain in power for the coming years, he could play a transformative role in Syria and the Middle East.
Op-eds
How to Bring Back Maximum Pressure on Iran
At the end of 2020, the Islamic Republic of Iran was down to just $4 billion in accessible foreign exchange reserves. Its terrorist mastermind, Qassem Solemani, and the godfather of its nuclear weapons...
Op-eds
‘Shorten The Timeline’: Iran Touts Sending Heaviest Payload to Space as Nuclear Watchdogs Send Enrichment Warnings
Iran Launches Payload Into Space: Iran claimed that its space program successfully launched its heaviest payload yet into space on December 6, including a device capable of...
Flash Briefs
Qatari Emir Receives Royal Treatment During State Visit to United Kingdom
After rolling out the red carpet for Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Tamim Al Thani, the UK government announced plans to double joint UK-Qatar humanitarian assistance with a $100 million fund intended to...
Policy Briefs
After COP29, Israel and the Region Can Reaffirm the Abraham Accords Vision
Cooperation on climate change is both an environmental necessity and a proven means of building peace with Israel’s Arab neighbors.
Op-eds
Why did Israel’s new foreign minister embrace the Kurdish people?
Israel has long enjoyed positive relations with Kurdish people in the Middle East. It is part of a partnership between Jews and Kurds and also shared interests in the region
Op-eds
Iran’s Foreign Minister meets Saudi crown prince to strengthen regional ties
Iran's Foreign Minister met with Saudi and Qatari leaders to strengthen regional ties, signaling Iran's intent to counter Israel's influence.
Op-eds
Iran’s president heads for Qatar as Iran’s army trains with Oman
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is heading to Qatar for the 19th Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit, aiming to strengthen diplomatic ties amid Iran’s ongoing regional maneuvers.
Op-eds
Bahraini militias eulogize slain Hezbollah leader
In a statement released online, two Iranian-backed Bahraini militias eulogized killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah while also promising to take revenge against the “criminal Zionists” for his...
Op-eds
Netanyahu Slams United Nations Antisemitism in General Assembly Speech
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned what he called “moral confusion” in the United Nations (UN) on September 27, during his address on the third day of the UN...
Flash Briefs
Hamas Backer Qatar Joins U.S. Visa Waiver Program
The U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security admitted Qatar to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program on September 24, allowing the emirate’s 330,000 citizens to travel...
Flash Briefs
The Abraham Accords are not about Palestinians
Palestinians are welcome to join the Israel-Arab accords but if they’d prefer to keep fighting they’ll be on their own
Op-eds
On Abraham Accords anniversary, Iran pushes Gulf ties
The Houthis attacked Israel on September 15 on the anniversary of the Abraham Accords, and at 6:32am, symbolically almost the same time as the October 7 attack.
Op-eds
Don’t over-concentrate US forces in the Middle East
US military bases in the Persian Gulf confront two problems. The first is the growing missile and drone capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The other is that some Arab partners restrict the Pentagon’s...
Op-eds
Responding forcefully to the Axis of Resistance
Iran has defined itself in opposition to Israel, the United States, and the wider West since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Over the course of half a century of complex regional and global events, the clerical...