Regions

Policy Analysis
OmanConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Oman and the Iran War: Neutrality Under Strain
May 28, 2026Gregory Aftandilian
Oman has been thrust back into the diplomatic spotlight. On May 27, 2026, US President Donald Trump told reporters that Oman, a Gulf state that has maintained …
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaEnergy and Economics
Vision 2030 and the Iran War: Saudi Arabia’s Resilience Under Strain
May 28, 2026Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Three months after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, 2026, the conflict is at stalemate: The ceasefire that began on April 8, 2026, ha…
Policy Analysis
IranEnergy and Economics
Why Devastating Iran’s Economy Will Not Break the Regime
May 28, 2026Hadi Kahalzadeh
Since President Donald Trump launched the US-Israel assault on Iran in late February 2026, the Trump administration has offered several objectives for the war.…
Viewpoint
IranUS Foreign Policy
After the Iran War, No One Can Guarantee the Gulf’s Security
May 26, 2026Charles W. Dunne
The US-Israeli war on Iran has severely weakened if not destroyed the Pax Americana, the US-led political, economic, and security structure that, despite numer…
Policy Analysis
IranEnergy and Economics
Hormuz as Deterrent: How Iran’s Leverage Could Reshape Gulf Infrastructure
May 21, 2026Jim Krane
Iran has managed to convert its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz into a strategic deterrent. By blocking maritime trade, Iran has demonstrated that it can imp…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Dilemma in the Iran War
May 21, 2026The Unit for Political Studies
Saudi Arabia finds itself in the center of a storm not of its choosing and its choices in confronting that storm are narrow and costly.
Intern Corner
IraqViolent Extremism
Shia Militias in Iraq: A Backgrounder
May 14, 2026Zainab Abdi
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran. In response, a coalition of Iran-aligned armed groups in I…
From our Affiliates
IranUS Foreign Policy
The Ceasefire Pause: Likely Outcomes of the Islamabad Negotiations
May 13, 2026Mahsa Safi
Sometimes, wars persist not because of military strength or the will of the parties involved, but because the very notion of an “end” remains undefined. Now, a…
Viewpoint
IranDiplomacy and Negotiations
Trump, Not Tehran, Is Blocking Diplomacy with Iran
May 13, 2026Daniel Brumberg
On April 26, 2026, Tehran offered the United States a proposal to lift the US and Iranian blockades of the Strait of Hormuz but to postpone talks on the nuclea…
Policy Analysis
IranProtests and Activism
Why Protest Has Not Produced Political Change in Iran
May 12, 2026Sina Toossi
Iran has not lacked moments of mass defiance against the regime. Over the past two decades, repeated waves of protest have challenged the authority, legitimacy…
Viewpoint
UAEEnergy and Economics
Why the UAE’s OPEC Withdrawal Matters Beyond Oil
May 1, 2026Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
The UAE's withdrawal from OPEC is the most significant departure yet from the organization because it marks the first time that one of the major oil producing …
Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and Governance
Politics in a Parallel Universe: Iraq’s Leadership Crisis and the Iran War
Apr 29, 2026Harith Hasan
The Iraqi government and the leaders of the country’s ruling political factions have every reason for alarm. The US–Israeli war on Iran—and its profound conseq…