• External Readings
    Palestine/IsraelThe War on Gaza

    External Powers Eye Influence as Hamas and PA Vie for Control of Gaza

    Jan 27, 2025

    Regional players such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are leveraging reconstruction efforts to exert influence, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a key mediato…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arab World

    How Will 2025 Be Different in the Middle East? Perspectives on the New Year

    The monumental events that took place in the Middle East in 2024 augur radical changes in the region’s geopolitical environment. Israel’s ongoing genocidal war…

  • Podcast
    Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    A New Year and a Region in Transition

    Jan 13, 2025

    Hanna Alshaikh, Yara M. Asi, Rami G. Khouri, and Yousef Munayyer discuss how the Middle East region has changed over the past year and their expectations for 2…

  • Policy Analysis
    OmanRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Syrian Regime Change: The View from Oman

    Jan 9, 2025Giorgio Cafiero

    The abrupt end of 61 years of Baathist rule in Syria on December 8 caught the Gulf states by surprise. Both governments and citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Co…

  • Viewpoint
    SyriaDemocracy and Governance

    Will Assad’s Fall Give Iran’s Reformists a New Lease on Life?

    Dec 11, 2024Daniel Brumberg

    For Iran, the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and what was left of his regime—together with Moscow’s decision to throw its leading Middle East ally to the wind…

  • Policy Analysis
    YemenUS Foreign Policy

    Recalibrating US Engagement in Yemen Under a New Trump Administration

    Dec 11, 2024Afrah Nasser

    The military escalation between the United States and the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen has significant implications for Yemen’s future. As the Houthis …

  • Policy Analysis
    IranUS Foreign Policy

    Trump and Company Return to the Folly of “Maximum Pressure” on Iran

    Dec 5, 2024Daniel Brumberg

    When it comes to US Iran policy, simple yet profound realities merit repeating. One of these is that economic sanctions are a tactic, not a strategy. Indeed, u…

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and Economics

    Trump Is Back: What Does It Mean for Oil and US-Gulf Relations?

    Nov 27, 2024Jim Krane

    President-elect Donald Trump has made clear his fondness for fossil fuels, a fondness that was reciprocated by many in the industry. Expectations are high. But…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Security Dimensions of the Saudi-Iranian Détente

    Nov 21, 2024Giorgio Cafiero

    The Saudi-Iranian renormalization deal, signed in Beijing on March 10, 2023, has led to a significant reduction in friction between Riyadh and Tehran. Even as …

  • Fresh Take
    Palestine/IsraelUS Foreign Policy

    The Second Trump Administration and Middle East Peace

    Nov 20, 2024

    Charles W. Dunne discusses Trump's plans for the Middle East and predicts a transactional foreign policy especially when it comes to the #Gulf States.

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    Saudi Arabia and Trump: Expectations and Challenges Ahead

    Nov 14, 2024The Unit for Political Studies

    On November 5, former President Donald Trump successfully reclaimed the White House, achieving a decisive victory over his Democratic opponent, Vice President …

  • Policy Analysis
    The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    GCC States Seek Diplomacy During US Absence

    The expansion and partial regionalization of what is already the longest and deadliest conflict in the Israeli-Palestinian arena since 1948 presents the Gulf A…