• Policy Analysis
    LebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Hezbollah-Israel War Is Becoming Inevitable, and the United States May Not Prevent It

    Apr 10, 2024Patricia Karam

    Patricia Karam evaluates the possibility of a war between Hezbollah and Israel that would be a major escalation in the Middle East as the United States tries t…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Gaza, Biden, and an American Intifada

    Mar 27, 2024Charles W. Dunne

    As Israel’s devastating Gaza invasion wears on, tensions between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are spiking, endangering the…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Saudi Arabia May Be Taking Center Stage in Post-Gaza Peace

    With Israel’s war on Gaza in its fifth month amid ongoing international pressure for a ceasefire, Saudi Arabia has become the focus of much attention over what…

  • Policy Analysis
    YemenUS Foreign Policy

    Instead of Houthi Designation, the United States Should Embrace a Comprehensive Approach

    Feb 28, 2024Afrah Nasser

    On January 17, the United States designated the Houthis in Yemen, also known as Ansar Allah, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in response to t…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Foreign Policy

    US Troops to Stay in Syria and Iraq but Perhaps Not for Long

    In recent weeks, there have been meetings in Washington and in Baghdad about the presence in Iraq and Syria of US troops, whose official mandate is to aid loca…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Congress Works to Give More Aid to Israel, None for UNRWA

    Feb 16, 2024Ethan Mayer-Rich

    On February 13, the Senate voted 70-29 to pass a $95.3 billion national security supplemental package (H.R.815) to provide additional security assistance to Uk…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Biden Administration’s Confused Response to Israel’s Rafah Operation

    Feb 15, 2024Hanna Alshaikh

    At the center of US coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza in recent days is the rift between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding …

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    How the Gaza War Is Upending US Middle East Policy

    Feb 2, 2024Patricia Karam

    As the Israel-Hamas war threatens to pull the United States into a broader conflict that would potentially upend US standing and policy, peace and stability in…

  • Policy Analysis
    YemenUS Foreign Policy

    From Gaza to Yemen and Back: The Biden Administration’s Confused Strategy

    Feb 1, 2024Nabeel A. Khoury

    On January 17, the Biden administration announced it was adding Yemen’s Houthis (also called Ansar Allah) to the US terrorist list. The move returned the rebel…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Sunday Talk Shows on Gaza: A Study in Media Bias

    Jan 31, 2024William L. Youmans

    That the American public is not regarded as especially well-informed when it comes to international affairs is conventional wisdom among the US political and n…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    Iran Between Managing Allies and Modulating Its Deterrence

    Jan 25, 2024Daniel Brumberg

    This is a bad time for Iran to become embroiled in an expanding regional war that pits the Islamic Republic and its allies in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen against …

  • Policy Analysis
    YemenUS Foreign Policy

    The Biden Administration Is Strong in the Red Sea but Weak in Gaza

    After enduring weeks of regional tension, including Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and on American commercial vessels, the Biden administratio…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Deciphering Blinken’s Unguarded Optimism

    Jan 18, 2024Khalil E. Jahshan

    The Biden administration announced its first Middle East initiative of the new year on January 4, 2024, by dispatching Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the…

  • Policy Analysis
    OmanRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Oman, Gaza, and Relations with the United States

    Jan 5, 2024Giorgio Cafiero

    The Sultanate of Oman traditionally has maintained a low profile on the international stage while conducting a friends-of-all foreign policy based on moderatio…

  • Intern Corner
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Young Americans and the War on Gaza: President Biden Should Worry

    Jan 5, 2024Suravi Kumar

    For decades, Israel enjoyed strong bipartisan backing from Americans. But in recent years, there has been a measurable shift in public opinion away from this t…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Russia and China on Gaza: Sidelined, Lurking—or Winning?

    Dec 22, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    It wasn’t that long ago that Russia and China seemed to dominate the Middle East, and the United States was on the brink of relegation to the sidelines.Russia …

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Israel-Hamas War in American Politics

    Any rational discourse in the United States about the Israel-Hamas war increasingly has been subject to political litmus tests, as Israel supporters and Republ…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Are Israel and the United States on a Collision Course?

    Dec 13, 2023Daniel Brumberg

    In a December 8 story that seems to have received little attention in western press coverage of Israel’s expanding military campaign in Gaza was this nugget of…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Gaza, the Ruin of US Policy, and a Transformed Middle East

    Nov 16, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    The Biden administration must act quickly and offer specific plans and timelines to shape post-conflict expectations and establish its priorities with the part…

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantUS Foreign Policy

    US Military Presence in the Middle East: Deterrence and Retaliation

    The United States has recently bolstered its military presence in the Middle East as the Israeli war on Gaza escalated. Bolstering this presence is meant to de…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The War on Gaza: Deterrence or Inching toward Direct US Involvement?

    Oct 17, 2023Khalil E. Jahshan

    The official American position has passed through three phases in less than ten days. First, like Israel itself, Washington and its western allies suffered fro…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    A New Diplomatic Path Is Urgent after Gaza, But Without the Previous Mistakes

    Oct 16, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    The horrifying October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants has left the world aghast. The murder of Israelis (and Americans, French, Russians, Ukrainians, an…

  • Viewpoint
    EgyptUS Foreign Policy

    The Menendez Fiasco: Implications for US-Egyptian Relations

    Washington has been abuzz lately over the shocking political intrigue involving the Egyptian government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the powerful former chairma…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Awkward Biden-Netanyahu Encounter Was a Dud

    Sep 22, 2023Khalil E. Jahshan

    Although the United States and Israel have enjoyed a uniquely close alliance since the latter’s declaration of statehood on May 14, 1948, the bilateral relatio…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Assessing the Abraham Accords, Three Years On

    Aug 31, 2023Dana El Kurd

    Arab-Israeli normalization is one of those curious policy areas where the Biden administration has enthusiastically pursued its predecessor’s positions, even i…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    The Saudi-Israeli Normalization Gambit: Deal or No Deal?

    Aug 30, 2023Khalil E. Jahshan

    After weeks of conflicting accounts from columnists and journalists about the outcome of the Biden administration’s intensive shuttle diplomacy aimed at convin…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    Joe Biden’s Imaginary Middle East Policy

    Aug 24, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    Over his more than four decades of service as a US senator, vice president, and now as president, Joe Biden has cultivated an image of the consummate foreign p…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Israel Is Unlikely to Respect US Visa Waiver Program Rules

    Aug 22, 2023Zaha Hassan

    The United States recently announced that starting July 20, 2023, Israel would enter a trial period to determine whether it qualifies for admission into the US…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Ending Military Aid to Israel: The Death of a Taboo?

    Aug 21, 2023Yousef Munayyer

    If there is one thing that characterizes American-Israeli relations more than any other it is US military aid to Israel, which currently amounts to nearly $4 b…

  • Intern Corner
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    The US Position on Saudi Arabia’s Civilian Nuclear Program

    Aug 16, 2023 Seerat Sohal

    In June 2023, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud affirmed the kingdom’s intent to enrich uranium, part of its desire to develop a civi…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    US Troop Buildup in the Gulf Reemphasizes Military Power

    The US military has recently significantly increased its presence in the Arabian Gulf, a show of force aimed primarily at deterring Iran from attacking or hara…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    US Negotiations for a Tripartite Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Israel: Context and Calculations

    Aug 14, 2023Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies

    Saudi Arabia and the United States are conducting complex negotiations in order to achieve a tripartite agreement that would include normalization between the …

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqDemocracy and Governance

    Iran’s Hardliners on the March: The Quiet Before the Storm?

    Aug 3, 2023Daniel Brumberg

    The recent redeployment of Iran’s dreaded “morality police” signals much more than a victory for the country’s hardliners. Instead, it seems to be part and par…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Americans Opt for a Democratic Israel, Not a Jewish State

    Jul 20, 2023Imad K. Harb

    The University of Maryland and Ipsos conducted a “Critical Issues Poll” from June 21 to 27 to probe Americans’ views on Israel, Zionism, and anti-Semitism. The…

  • Policy Analysis
    North AfricaSecurity and Defense

    The Fate of the Wagner Group in Syria, Libya, and Sudan

    The failed mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin has put the fate of his Wagner Group doubt, not only in Ukraine but in several Arab states as well.

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    Are the United States and Iran Moving Closer to a New Nuclear Deal?

    Jul 14, 2023Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies

    The last few weeks have witnessed an active diplomatic movement between Tehran and Western countries, especially the United States, regarding resolving the cri…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    US Visa Waiver Program: Israel Will Not Reciprocate

    Jul 10, 2023Jonathan Kuttab

    The United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP) permits, on a reciprocal basis, the entry of citizens of about 40 countries for 90 days for business or tourism wit…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The UAE-Saudi Arabia Rivalry Becomes a Rift

    Jul 6, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    Saudi Arabia and the UAE are waging a quiet struggle to determine who will emerge as the Arabian Gulf’s—and maybe the Arab world’s—preeminent power.

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Israel’s Attack on Jenin Refugee Camp: The Next Stage of Apartheid

    Jul 5, 2023Yousef Munayyer

    The Jenin refugee camp sits adjacent to the Palestinian city of Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank. The camp’s registered population numbers around 2…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    Saudi-US Relations in a Changing Global and Regional Landscape

    Kristian Coates Ulrichsen discusses the current state of Saudi-US relations as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seeks to chart a new course in domestic and for…

  • Policy Analysis
    SudanUS Foreign Policy

    The US and the Sudan Conflict: Motives and Ability to Influence Events

    Jun 27, 2023Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies

    The United States and Saudi Arabia announced on June 17, 2023 that both sides to the conflict in Sudan—the Sudanese Army Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support For…

  • Policy Analysis
    TurkeyDemocracy and Governance

    The Erdoğan Doctrine in the Wake of Turkey’s Elections

    Jun 22, 2023Mustafa Gurbuz

    When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his new cabinet following his victory in the May 2023 presidential election, a positive mood ensued. Turk…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Despite US Efforts, Iran is Ascendant

    Jun 21, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    Iran today is not nearly as isolated as Washington had hoped and it has scored some impressive successes in advancing its regional agenda.

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    Shock and Awe: Life in Iraq Twenty Years after the US-led Invasion

    Jun 16, 2023Yara M. Asi

    This year marks a significant milestone in the American-led “Global War on Terror,” especially in relation to Iraq. It has been 20 years since former Secretary…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    Congress Is Not Ready to Leave the Middle East

    On March 29, 2023 the Senate voted to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) for Iraq, attempting to end the two-decade-l…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    Democrats and Republicans’ Positions on Israel Ahead of the 2024 Election

    Although relations with Israel are usually foreign policy talking points for American politicians ahead of national elections, it seems that the issue has come…

  • Viewpoint
    US Foreign Policy

    Millions Dead from Post-9/11 US Wars: An Unconscionable Cost

    May 23, 2023David Kanbergs

    Last week, researchers working with Brown University’s Costs of War project released a substantial report detailing the number of indirect deaths caused by the…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    Twenty Years after “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq: A Critical Assessment

    May 2, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    The crisis had been building for months when, on March 20, 2003, this author stood with a group of military officers deep inside the Pentagon, watching a telev…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Israel’s Normalization with Arab States Slows as Repression of Palestinians Rises

    Israel’s extreme right-wing government and its draconian policies toward the Palestinians have slowed down efforts to expand the so-called Abraham Accords, a p…

  • Viewpoint
    EgyptThe War in Ukraine

    The Fallout of Sisi’s Gambit with Russia

    Apr 14, 2023Khalil Al-Anani

    A leaked US intelligence document has revealed that Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi allegedly instructed officials to secretly produce and ship rockets,…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The United States’ Weak Response to the Netanyahu Government

    In December of last year, Benjamin Netanyahu once again returned to the position of prime minister in Israel, leading a new far-right governing coalition that …

  • Policy Analysis
    IranSecurity and Defense

    Iran’s Nuclear Program Poses Challenges for China and the United States

    Mar 29, 2023Daniel Brumberg

    Now that China has brokered a renewal of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, it must translate that achievement into real tangible benefits. After all, fo…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    Iraq 20 Years since the 2003 US Invasion

    On March 20, 2003, the United States led an invasion of Iraq supposedly meant to halt its development of weapons of mass destruction. Lacking the support of th…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arab WorldUS Foreign Policy

    US Middle East Policy: The Trump-Biden Doctrine in Action

    Mar 22, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    All US presidents, it seems, need their own foreign policy “doctrine.” President James Monroe famously started the trend in 1823, and many others—Truman, Eisen…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqDemocracy and Governance

    Unfinished Business: Nation-Building in Iraq Since 2003

    Mar 21, 2023Rend Al-Rahim

    Nothing so perfectly expresses the failure of nation-building in Iraq as the cry of protesters in 2019, when they chanted, nureed watan, “we want a country.” T…

  • Viewpoint
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Aqaba Joint Communique Dies in Huwwara

    Feb 28, 2023Khalil E. Jahshan

    On Sunday, February 26, 2023, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan hosted Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian, and US officials in Aqaba, Jordan to try to stem the worri…

  • Policy Analysis
    SyriaSecurity and Defense

    Syrian Kurds Are Hoping for, but Not Banking On, Continued US Partnership

    The massive earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria has given the Syrian Kurds a reprieve from a possible Turkish military invasion of ar…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arab WorldUS Foreign Policy

    Washington Doubles Down on Middle East Ties

    Feb 15, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    Reducing US commitments in the Middle East and pivoting to Asia has been a hot topic among foreign policy analysts and Middle East experts since the idea was p…

  • Policy Analysis
    AlgeriaUS Foreign Policy

    US-Algeria Relations Remain Troubled, but Neither Side Wants a Break

    Relations between Washington and Algiers have remained at a low point ever since the Trump administration, in its last month in office, recognized Moroccan sov…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arab WorldUS Foreign Policy

    The Biden Administration and the Middle East in 2023

    The first two years of the Biden administration, although short, have offered insight into the ways in which the reality of governing can clash with declared h…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Gordian Knot: A Bird’s Eye View of US-Israel Relations

    Dec 20, 2022Nabeel A. Khoury

    Nabeel Khoury takes a broad view of American-Israeli relations, highlighting the issue of robust US military aid to Israel and intelligence sharing between the…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    What Lies Ahead for Saudi Arabia in the 118th US Congress

    Dec 7, 2022Charles W. Dunne

    New challenges abound for President Joe Biden in 2023. The loss of a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives for the 118th Congress promises to lea…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Domestic Politics and Elections

    The US Midterm Elections Spell Further Trouble for the JCPOA

    In November, Americans went to the polls to cast their votes in the congressional midterm elections. In the end, voters dealt a major blow to Republican party …

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and Economics

    US-Gulf Relations After OPEC+ Production Cuts

    Nov 2, 2022Jim Krane

    American presidents have long relied on Saudi Arabia and its leadership of OPEC to ease price pressure on oil markets, particularly in the lead-up to US electi…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Congress Versus Biden on Foreign Assistance to Egypt

    Nov 1, 2022Charles W. Dunne

    The Egypt Human Rights Caucus would like a word with President Joe Biden. The group, which was formed in January 2021 on the 10th anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 u…

  • Policy Analysis
    SyriaUS Foreign Policy

    Biden’s Syria Policy: Steady Non-commitment and Persistent Failure

    Sep 20, 2022Nabeel A. Khoury

    The Biden administration’s Syria policy, as well as its policy for the Middle East in general, stems from priorities and practices set in place during the eigh…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    No Plan B for the US as Geostrategic Shifts Threaten to Scuttle Iran Nuclear Deal

    Sep 20, 2022Daniel Brumberg

    What a difference a few days can make in the Middle East. On August 28 National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby addressed the diplomatic maneuvering t…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    Gauging Gulf Responses to President Biden’s Middle East Diplomacy

    Aug 31, 2022Jon Hoffman

    When examining how the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) perceived and reacted to US President Joe Biden’s July visit to the Middle East, the Gulf …

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelReligion and Politics

    American Evangelicals, the Gulf States, and Israel: A Cynical Covenant

    Aug 24, 2022Mimi Kirk

    Each July, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States, holds a multi-day conference that culminates in a day…

  • Policy Analysis
    Palestine/IsraelJustice, Equality, and Human Rights

    Comparing the Palestinian and Irish-Catholic Struggles

    Aug 18, 2022Daoud Kuttab

    Daoud Kuttab compares Irish and Palestinian experiences with occupation and settlement, building on a remark made by President Biden during his July 2022 trip …

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    Biden Fails to Counter Russia and China in the Middle East

    Aug 17, 2022Charles W. Dunne

    Charles W. Dunne writes that President Biden’s July 2022 trip to the Middle East to reassert American supremacy in the region and among US allies ran into the …

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    Biden’s Embrace of Arab Autocrats Ends Hopes for Democracy in the Middle East

    Aug 10, 2022Khalil Al-Anani

    Khalil al-Anani writes that President Biden’s recent meetings with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE sent a clear message to the world’s authorit…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    US Diplomacy with Iran Is Needed to Achieve Security in the Middle East

    Jul 28, 2022Daniel Brumberg

    Now that President Joe Biden has completed his trip to the Middle East, his administration will likely make one last bid to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, …

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    Mohammed bin Salman’s Political Precarity Persists, Despite Perceived Successes

    The paths of US President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) crossed briefly on July 15 and 16 when Biden stopped in Jeddah, Saudi Arab…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    Biden’s Trip to the Middle East Failed to Serve US Interests

    Jul 22, 2022Jon Hoffman

    With President Joe Biden concluding his Middle East visit, many in the United States are left wondering what tangible benefits the American people gained as a …

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    Reflections on President Biden’s Predictably Disappointing Middle East Trip

    Jul 21, 2022Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Laurie King Rend Al-Rahim

    US President Joe Biden visited Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia from July 13 to 16 to meet with various regional leaders. This was Biden’s first visit as pr…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Domestic Politics and Elections

    Democratic Congressional Primaries Will Impact US Middle East Policy

    President Joe Biden is only months away from his first midterm election as commander in chief, and with many analysts projecting potentially historic losses fo…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    Biden’s Trip to the Middle East: What Is in Store?

    Jun 23, 2022Charles W. Dunne

    President Joe Biden has finally scheduled his first trip to the Middle East as chief executive. The visit, which was postponed from June to July 13-16 because …

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy

    The Biden Administration Is Struggling to Develop a Middle East Strategy

    Jun 10, 2022Daniel Brumberg

    Despite the declining capacity of the United States to shape the Middle East’s strategic architecture, it is unlikely that effective regional solutions to secu…

  • Policy Analysis
    US Foreign Policy

    The Middle East’s Well-Documented Human Rights Abuses Have Little Impact on US Policy

    Jun 7, 2022Charles W. Dunne

    On April 12, the US Department of State released its annual country reports on human rights. The reports are a key resource for human rights scholars and gover…