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...
Riyadh
Lebanon’s Aoun could move toward peace – if Hezbollah lets him
The Iran-backed militia is bowed but not broken – and it could still find a way to hijack Saudi funds for its own rehabilitation
Op-eds
Critical and opportune: Time to take out the Houthis
Addressing the threat may provide a critical opportunity to secure strategic alliances that could dramatically alter the future of the region.
Op-eds
Why are the Houthis attacking Israel – and can they be deterred?
The Houthis may think they can get away with anything without paying a price. The question is, what price is enough to make them stop?
Op-eds
Assad’s Downfall Sets Back China’s Middle East Strategy
Bashar al-Assad’s stunning fall from power has deprived China of a valued partner in the Middle East, exposing the limits of its broader strategy to damage the United States’ regional standing via...
Policy Briefs
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
As Assad falls and Iran weakens, Qatar gains influence across Middle East
While Israel is pleased to see the weakness of the Iranian-backed axis, it’s worth pausing and noting that celebrations should be tempered by reality.
Op-eds
As UN ramps up pressure on Israel, lame-duck Biden is letting history repeat
It’s back to the future at the UN Security Council this week as an outgoing Democratic administration eyes multilateral opportunities to support its Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against...
Op-eds
Iran’s President claims he’s ‘too busy’ to attend summit in Saudi
The meeting comes while the region prepares for incoming US President Donald Trump to take office.
Op-eds
Qatar’s bait and switch game as mediator and host
Qatar is arguing that it won’t act as a mediator any longer, threatening the fate of the hostages because a deal would be harder without Doha in the middle.
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
MBS Bets on Egypt’s Fragile Economy
For the first time since 2022, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) visited Cairo last week to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Their meeting, coupled with Saudi Arabia’s recently...
Policy Briefs
Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo to discuss Gaza, Lebanon, Red Sea
Historically, Saudi Arabia and Egypt were the two pillars of stability for the region, and both are friends of the United States.
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 Great Ballistic Missile Attack Gamble
The October 1 attack by Iran is its largest gamble yet. It knows Israel is primed to respond. It knows that Israel has backing from the West. It also knows Israel significantly weakened Hamas and Hezbollah, removing two of the Iranian-backed fronts against Israel. Nevertheless, Iran’s regime believes it is stronger than it was in the past and ready to confront Israel.
Op-eds
Iran on the March: Restoring Deterrence and Stability in the Middle East
A Response By Richard Goldberg
Op-eds
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
The Houthi missile attack is Iran’s latest move
It’s worth thinking of the attack in light of Iran’s overall war against Israel in the region using its proxies rather than seeing it in a purely Houthi-centric context.
Op-eds
Five key challenges for Israel after latest Houthi missile attack
In the wake of Sunday's Houthi missile attack on central Israel, here are five challenges Israel faces as it continues to confront Iran and its regional proxies.