Regions

Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and Defense
How Smaller GCC States Are Navigating the Mecca Defense Agreement
Oct 1, 2026Giorgio Cafiero
The recent recommencement of the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, commonly known as the Houthis, raises important questions abou…
Collective Analysis
The Arab WorldEducation and Development
UNGA 2026: War, Diplomacy, and the Middle East’s Changing Order
Sep 28, 2026Nur Arafeh Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Negar Mortazavi Yousef Munayyer Daniel Neep
Nearly 130 world leaders attended the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held in New York from September 22 to 2…
Policy Analysis
IranUS Domestic Politics and Elections
America’s Affordability Crisis: Will Trump’s Iran War Cost Him the 2026 Midterms?
Sep 25, 2026Gregory Aftandilian
Midterm elections in the United States are usually a referendum on whichever party holds the White House. Going into this year’s midterms on November 3, 2026, …
Intern Corner
IraqClimate and Environment
Iraq’s Water Crisis is a Governance Crisis
Sep 22, 2026Moe Kassem
In 2025, Iraq experienced what its Ministry of Water Resources described as the worst drought since 1933. National water reserves fell to just eight percent of…
Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldRegional Relations and Geopolitics
What the Iran War Reveals about China’s Middle East Strategy
Sep 22, 2026Andrea Ghiselli
On September 24, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet President Donald Trump for the second time since the start of the US-Israeli war on Ira…
Book Review
QatarRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Marwan Kabalan, Qatar’s Foreign Policy: Geography, Politics and Strategy since 1971
Sep 16, 2026Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Qatar has undergone a period of deep introspection over the past few months. On July 12, 2026, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani—the visionary former leader wh…
Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Trump’s “Economic D-Day” Strengthens Iran’s Hardliners
Sep 3, 2026Daniel Brumberg
The White House’s new measures will not force Iran’s capitulation. Instead, they will reinforce the resolve of the hardline security officials to entrench thei…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaEnergy and Economics
Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear Turn: Power Beyond Electricity
Aug 27, 2026Jim Krane
The US-Saudi Arabia Nuclear Cooperation Agreement caused some observers to scratch their heads. Why would a country bother with nuclear energy when it holds a …
Policy Analysis
IraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Turkey and Iraq’s Emerging Partnership in a Changing Regional Order
Aug 26, 2026Salim Çevik
Turkey-Iraq relations have undergone a significant transformation over the past two years. For much of the post-2003 period, relations between Ankara and Baghd…
Webinar
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and Defense
A Post-US Regional Order? The Shifting Security Architecture in MENA Amid the Iran War
Sep 1, 2026 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET
Experts examine how the Iran war has altered the balance of power in the Middle East and reshaped foreign policy calculations across the region.
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaSecurity and Defense
Diversification Without Substitution: What the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement Offers Saudi Arabia
Aug 19, 2026The Unit for Political Studies
Despite the headlines, the Mecca agreement is unlikely to produce a real military response if an attack happens. Not only has the text of the accord not been m…
Policy Analysis
YemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Why UN Mediation in Yemen Needs an Overhaul
Aug 14, 2026Afrah Nasser
Although originally established to facilitate a negotiated political settlement to the Yemen conflict, for over a decade the focus of the United Nations (UN) O…