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IranSecurity and DefenseGulf Arab States Still Worried about a US-Iran War
Jan 23, 2020Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian argues that Gulf Arab states increasingly view the United States as an unreliable and erratic ally and are urging restraint by Washington a…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyWashington’s Strategy in the Post-Soleimani Middle East
Jan 15, 2020Joe MacaronJoe Macaron writes that the post-Soleimani Middle East offers both challenges and opportunities but the Trump Administration does not seem to have a strategy t…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicySoleimani’s Assassination Backfires Big Time
Jan 7, 2020Daniel BrumbergWashington’s killing of Qassem Soleimani violates the red lines that the United States and Iran had previously respected in order to avoid escalation, and make…
- Viewpoint
IranUS Foreign PolicyA Middle East Calamity Is about to Unfold
Jan 3, 2020Imad K. HarbKilling Soleimani has put the Middle East at the edge of a dangerous abyss and hastened an inevitable confrontation between the United States and Iran.
- Viewpoint
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyThe Khashoggi Verdict: Whitewashing a Murder
Dec 26, 2019Imad K. HarbSaudi Arabia's reputation remains on the line despite the whitewashing and the convoluted twists of Khashoggi’s killing. For now, at least, in Jamal’s case “ju…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsThe United States and Iran Readjust to New Realities in Iraq and Lebanon
Dec 18, 2019Joe MacaronAfter 15 years of rivalry in Iraq and Lebanon, the United States and Iran are adjusting their policies based on a new reality of popular uprisings that challen…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionBurgeoning Arab-Israeli Normalization? Not Quite What You Think
Dec 11, 2019Yousef MunayyerEfforts to normalize relations between Arab leaders and Israel will continue to collide with the overwhelming rejection of normalization by the peoples of the …
- Washington Policy Weekly
LevantUS Foreign PolicyWashington Grapples with How to Respond to Turbulent Middle East
Dec 11, 2019Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery examines the administration’s reassessment of its posture in the Middle East as officials grappled this week with how best to use military as…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCCGCC Reconciliation Is Coming, but Pesky Issues Remain
Dec 8, 2019Imad K. HarbA limited reconciliation between parties to the GCC crisis is likely to take place during the upcoming summit in Riyadh. However, certain thorny and serious po…
- Viewpoint
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfThe GCCChallenges to Resolving the GCC Crisis
Dec 4, 2019Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan discusses the challenges inherent in a reconciliation between Qatar and the neighboring countries that embargoed it and precipitated the unse…
- Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceIs Iran on the Edge of a Precipice?
Nov 27, 2019Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg questions whether the latest protests in Iran will produce a wider political movement, one that has the support of an urban professional and bu…
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceWith Iraq’s Mounting Chaos Spreading, Time for a US Policy Reboot
Nov 27, 2019Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne argues that in light of Iraq’s current crisis, the United States must take bold steps to help stabilize the country, enhance anti-corruption a…
- From our Affiliates
YemenRegional Relations and GeopoliticsThe Riyadh Agreement on Yemen: Arrangements and Chances of Success
Nov 18, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)The Riyadh Agreement’s success will depend in large part on the local parties’ conviction that it serves their purposes at this time more than continued war do…
- Viewpoint
IraqUS Foreign PolicyPutting al-Baghdadi’s Demise in Perspective
Oct 30, 2019Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan looks at the deeper meaning of the United States’ killing of IS leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi and doubts if his demise will portend the end of …
- Viewpoint
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIraq’s Cruel Killings Will Not Stop Mass Protests
Oct 8, 2019Imad K. HarbProtests have again rocked Iraq’s streets as thousands of young people voiced their opposition to rampant corruption and sectarian politics. While the demonstr…
- Viewpoint
IraqRegional Relations and GeopoliticsDisturbing Developments in Iraq’s Security Establishments
Oct 1, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabInterference by Iran and Iraqi political groups in the functioning of the Iraqi armed forces and security services has resulted in deteriorating discipline amo…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionLearning to Say “No” To Saudi Arabia on Iran and Yemen
Sep 25, 2019Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg writes that against the background of the White House’s escalating conflict with Tehran, Washington seems unwilling or unable to break its habi…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Attacks on Saudi Oil Installations are a Game Changer
Sep 17, 2019Khalil E. Jahshan Kristian Coates Ulrichsen Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Joe Macaron Imad K. HarbThe latest attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations are a game changer in Saudi domestic politics and in regional and international affairs.
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIraq’s Dilemma: The Uncertain Future of the Popular Mobilization Forces
Sep 13, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Although Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces were instrumental in defeating the Islamic State, their political influence has had a profound impact on the future…
- Policy Analysis
IranSecurity and DefenseIs an American-Iranian Dialogue Coming?
Sep 4, 2019Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg writes that with increasing tensions in the Middle East and the strengthening position of Iranian hard-liners, Rouhani and Zarif might have mor…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Crumbling Saudi-Emirati Alliance in Yemen May Change US Gulf Policy
Sep 4, 2019Charles W. DunneThe UAE's backing of Yemen’s southern separatists has angered Saudi Arabia and helped lead to a reevaluation of American policy toward the conflict. More volat…
- Policy Analysis
SomaliaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWill Somalia Share Yemen’s Fate?
Aug 28, 2019Imad K. HarbThe UAE’s support of the secessionist leaders of Somaliland and Puntland in realizing their costly dream of independence is likely to throw Somalia and the sur…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionConflict in Aden: Implications of the Pro-Hadi Forces’ Defeat
Aug 26, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)There remain serious obstacles on the road to secession by Yemen's Southern Transitional Council, especially the contrary aims and programs in the various sout…
- Policy Analysis
LevantSecurity and DefenseShould the United States Include Israel in the Gulf Maritime Coalition?
Aug 21, 2019Joe MacaronWashington’s decision to include Israel in the US-led maritime Gulf coalition might expand the theater of conflict between Israel and Iran, weaken Gulf allies,…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionChanges in UAE Policy: Reasons and Motivations
Aug 20, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)he UAE considers this as the right moment to distance itself from confrontation, anticipating US-Iranian negotiations that might leave it to harvest the fruits…
- Viewpoint
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIraq Enters the Israel-Iran Proxy War
Aug 20, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabIsraeli strikes against the Popular Mobilization Units in Iraq may have created another battleground in the proxy war between Israel and the Islamic Republic o…
- Policy Analysis
BahrainConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Drama since Manama: Kushner’s Failed Initiative
Aug 15, 2019Yousef MunayyerJared Kushner’s latest trip to the Middle East appears to have failed in charting a way forward for the Trump Administration’s illusive peace deal between Pale…
- Policy Analysis
QatarJustice, Equality, and Human RightsIn Saudi Arabia, Covering the Khashoggi Murder Is a State Affair
Aug 13, 2019Connor EcholsOver the last decade, stories about the potential for freedom of the press in the Arab world have alternated between hopeful and hopeless. The 2011 Arab uprisi…
- Policy Analysis
QatarConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Arabian Gulf Must Not Sleepwalk toward War
Aug 7, 2019Imad K. HarbThe volatile situation in the Arabian Gulf has put the region on edge and increased anxiety about intra-Gulf peace, safety of navigation in the strategic Strai…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsHamas Plans a Comeback to Damascus: US and Regional Implications
Jul 31, 2019Joe MacaronHamas is looking to realign itself with Syria as the Trump Administration floats ideas about Palestinian-Israeli peace; however, it appears that the Syrian reg…
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationTrump’s Sanctions on Hezbollah Threaten Lebanon’s Stability
Jul 30, 2019Nabeel A. KhouryCurrent conditions in the Middle East and American sanctions against Hezbollah could upset the delicate balance of power in Lebanon and potentially lead to an …
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationThe Symbolism behind the Latest US Sanctions against Hezbollah
Jul 17, 2019Joe MacaronThe latest US sanctions against Hezbollah--and their impact on domestic Lebanese politics--are largely symbolic. In reality, the Trump Administration may have …
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSaudi Arabia May Be on Its Own in Yemen
Jul 15, 2019Imad K. HarbThe UAE’s withdrawal from Yemen highlights the serious problems facing the war effort there. This situation puts Saudi Arabia in a difficult position and force…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Relations and GeopoliticsHard Choices Facing Tehran and Washington
Jul 10, 2019Daniel BrumbergIf the Trump Administration decides to adhere to a strategy of pushing for regime change in Tehran, Iran’s leaders might eventually embrace a fraught nucleariz…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionChild Soldiers in Yemen: One Element of a Humanitarian Disaster
Jul 8, 2019Annelise AdrianACW intern Annelise Adrian reports on the use of child soldiers in the Yemen war by both the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebel group. This is one of the…
- Policy Analysis
EgyptRegional Relations and GeopoliticsSaudi-Emirati-Egyptian Alliance Steering US Middle East Policy
Jun 26, 2019Charles W. DunneWith the American retreat from the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt are presenting themselves as reliable allies. However, they are pursuing an ag…
- Policy Analysis
IranSecurity and DefenseIran: How Trump is Emboldening the Hawks and Hardliners
Jun 25, 2019Imad K. HarbUS hawks, their Gulf allies and Israel will see Trump's preference for avoiding military confrontation as capitulation.
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Mecca Summits: Spinning the Wheels on Iran
Jun 11, 2019Imad K. HarbBy devoting its three Mecca summit meetings to vilifying and criticizing Iran, Saudi Arabia missed a good opportunity to address the many problems facing the G…
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIraq’s Militias and the US-Iran Impasse
Jun 6, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Iraqi government has a difficult time managing its mutual relations with Iran and the United States because of the influence of Iran-supported militias in …
- Policy Analysis
IranInternational LawOn the Lebanese-Israeli Border, US and Iran Are Negotiating
Jun 5, 2019Joe MacaronA breakthrough in Beirut is helping American mediation in the land and maritime border dispute between Lebanon and Israel, but many obstacles still prevent a q…
- Policy Analysis
Identity Politics 2.0: Cyber Geopolitics and the Weaponization of Social Media
Jun 1, 2019Tamara KharroubThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.In the months leading up to the attacks against the Rohingya Muslim minority in …
- Policy Analysis
Middle East Sectarianism: A Symptom to a Cause
Jun 1, 2019Marwan J. KabalanThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Sectarianism and sectarian conflict in the Middle East are often presented as ce…
- Policy Analysis
The Dilemma of “Normalization”: Can Islamists Participate without Polarizing Politics?
Jun 1, 2019Shadi HamidThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.The dislike, or even hatred, of mainstream Islamist parties1 is assumed to lead …
- Policy Analysis
Identity and Inclusion: Rethinking Citizenship in Arab Societies
Jun 1, 2019Linda Bishai Elly RostoumLinda Bishai and Elly Rostoum decry exclusivist identity politics in the Arab world and propose this remedy: a transition to democratic practices that respect …
- Policy Analysis
A Collaborative Regional Reconstruction Strategy in the Arab World
Jun 1, 2019Sultan BarakatArab states can no longer pretend that poor economic, social, and environmental conditions and other consequential challenges affect only some of them and not …
- Policy Analysis
Time, Transition, and Justice in Arab States
Jun 1, 2019Noha AboueldahabThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.What does it mean to pursue criminal accountability in the context of resurgent …
- Policy Analysis
Chronic Insecurity in the Middle East: Causes and Consequences
Jun 1, 2019Mehran KamravaThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Even before the discovery of oil in southwestern Iran at the start of the 20th c…
- Policy Analysis
Government Survival Strategies in the Middle East
Jun 1, 2019Sarah Leah WhitsonThis paper is part of ACW's fourth book, titled The Arab World Beyond Conflict.Regional and global geopolitics, intrigues, and rivalries often attract the most…
- Policy Analysis
BahrainMigrants, Refugees, and IDPsThe Kushner Bahrain Ordeal: Why Are the Palestinians Boycotting?
May 31, 2019Khalil E. JahshanThe proposed US “Peace to Prosperity” workshop in Bahrain is destined to fail because it ignores Palestinian participation and avoids linking economic prosperi…
- Policy Analysis
IranThe GCCArab Leaders Trying to Decipher US Iran Policy
May 30, 2019Daniel BrumbergThe Trump Administration’s contradictory statements and signals about its approach to Iran are increasing the confusion for GCC states and Iraq as tensions mou…
- Policy Analysis
IranThe GCC“Maximum Pressure” on Iran Stresses US-Iraq Ties
May 29, 2019Charles W. DunneThe US policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran intensifies pressure on the US-Iraq relationship, too. Baghdad is eager to step out of the fray, and Washington nee…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaSecurity and DefenseHow a Legal Loophole is Helping Trump Sell Arms to Saudi Arabia
May 28, 2019Marcus MontgomeryPresident Trump is using tensions with Iran to bypass Congress and push through weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfJustice, Equality, and Human RightsIs Partition Becoming a Reality in Yemen?
May 22, 2019Imad K. HarbIf Yemen’s southern secessionists succeed in establishing a UAE-controlled rump state, Saudi Arabia will have to contend with either continuing the conflict in…
- Policy Analysis
IranUS Domestic Politics and ElectionsA US-Iranian Clash Presents Dangers and Opportunities for Russia
May 10, 2019Daniel BrumbergRussia stands to benefit from the current standoff between the United States and Iran because President Putin has built good relations with all parties, which …
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaMigrants, Refugees, and IDPsAs Congress Scrutinizes Yemen, Spotlight Shines on Saudi Arabia and Its Partners
Apr 9, 2019Charles W. DunneCongress's vote to end US support for the war in Yemen reflects growing anger at Saudi Arabia. That anger is also extending to two of the kingdom’s closest all…
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIraq Torn between Iran, the United States, and the Islamic State
Apr 3, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabSince the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Iran has implemented policies to ensure its regional influence and control of Iraqi affairs. Recent American isolationi…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Mutually Connected Fronts between Israel and Iran
Mar 18, 2019Joe MacaronAlthough a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran is improbable at this time, the two countries share three potential war fronts in Lebanon, Syria, and t…
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationZarif Throws Down the Gauntlet Carefully
Mar 12, 2019Daniel BrumbergBy threatening to resign, Zarif made it clear that he would continue his international engagement efforts and, in so doing, defend the place and legitimacy of …
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationThe Iranian Revolution at 40: The Politics of Supreme Leader Succession
Feb 26, 2019Daniel BrumbergAs Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei advances in age, he must be careful about how his actions domestically and internationally will affect the inevitable succession…
- Viewpoint
Saudi ArabiaInternational LawThe Khashoggi Affair: Saudi Denial 2.0
Feb 14, 2019Khalil E. JahshanSaudi Arabia continues to deny its leadership’s responsibility for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, despite all the evidence that has emerged since his assassin…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIran Should Worry about New Iraq-Jordan Relations
Feb 13, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe recent economic agreement between Iraq and Jordan sends signals to Iran that Iraq may find Arab alternatives to its relations with the Islamic Republic.
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyThe Arab World in the 115th Congress: A Review
Jan 30, 2019Marcus MontgomeryThe 115th Congress was largely deferential to President Trump on policies related to the Arab world, but the 116th is likely to challenge him on important issu…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfDemocracy and GovernanceHow the Private Sector Supports Authoritarians in the Arab World
Jan 30, 2019Charles W. DunneThe private sector in the United States and around the world has a responsibility to confront authoritarian regimes and help protect human rights and the rule …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionDeteriorating Circumstances in Syria and Yemen Overshadow US Tactical Success
Jan 16, 2019Charles W. DunneChanging circumstances in Syria and Yemen and Washington’s shifting strategies have exposed the Trump Administration’s claims of success as threadbare.
- Policy Analysis
IraqSecurity and DefenseThe United States and the Turkish-Kurdish Conundrum in Northern Syria
Jan 11, 2019Mustafa GurbuzFuture US-Turkey relations depend on Ankara’s demands in northern Syria regarding the Kurds and how its relationship with Moscow develops.
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaJustice, Equality, and Human RightsThe Khashoggi Murder and US Middle East Strategy in 2019
Jan 10, 2019Joe MacaronThe Khashoggi affair and Trump’s hasty withdrawal from Syria are expected to cast a cloud over Washington’s Middle East strategy in 2019.
