Through our Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East and Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, 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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Meet our blogs

MENASource

MENASource follows movements across the region and provides news and analysis on current events, including a platform for Middle Eastern perspectives, among others, on major issues—economic, political, security, cultural—that are at stake in the post-Arab Spring era.  

IranSource

IranSource provides a holistic look at Iran’s internal dynamics, global and regional policies, and posture through unique analysis of current events and long-term, strategic issues related to Iran.

All commentary & analysis

MENASource

Jul 25, 2024

Syrian elections are decided before election day

By Vladimir Pran and Maroun Sfeir

While the polls were held on July 15, the elections were effectively over at the end of the primaries.

Corruption Elections

New Atlanticist

Jul 24, 2024

Experts react: What Netanyahu’s address to Congress reveals about the state of US-Israel relations

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts break down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech and what it says about his approach to relations with the United States and to Israel’s war in Gaza.

Conflict Iran

MENASource

Jul 24, 2024

Ten years on, Yezidi cases expose a lack of corporate accountability in US genocide law

By Charles Johnson

The Genocide Accountability Act remains poorly equipped to handle cases of genocide in general, let alone to prosecute corporations specifically.

Conflict Human Rights

IranSource

Jul 18, 2024

Pezeshkian’s election could become a burden for Israel

By Raz Zimmt

President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian’s views on Israel mirror the current consensus among Iranian decision-makers.

Conflict Iran

MENASource

Jul 17, 2024

How Tunisia’s upcoming presidential elections will erode its democracy

By Alissa Pavia

These elections will likely enable further consolidation of power and undo more than a decade of progress in building democratic institutions.

Elections Human Rights

MENASource

Jul 16, 2024

What’s behind the Middle East’s doomsday fever?

By Sarah Zaaimi

Doomsday sects should be understood as a social phenomenon in the context of a collectively traumatized society.

Arabic English

New Atlanticist

Jul 16, 2024

Israeli officials are accused of weaponizing starvation in Gaza. Here’s what you need to know.

By Alana Mitias, Yousuf Syed Khan

In May, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan requested arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including for the crime of starvation, which has never before been prosecuted at the international level.

Conflict Human Rights

MENASource

Jul 15, 2024

An increasingly thin blue line between Israel and Lebanon

By Daniel Elkins

The specter of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah looms large.

Conflict Israel

IranSource

Jul 12, 2024

A JCPOA 2.0 will secure Iran as a threshold state but move it away from a bomb

By Danny Citrinowicz  

Through painful compromises on both sides, the desire to avoid a broad escalation can increase the likelihood of reaching a JCPOA 2.0.

Conflict Iran

MENASource

Jul 11, 2024

Investing in Iraq’s education will contribute to its revival

By Honar Issa

Investing in Iraq’s education system offers a unique opportunity for the United States to not only support a key ally but also address the root causes of instability in the region.

Civil Society Conflict
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