On October 9, the White House persuaded Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire based on a 20-point peace plan initially unveiled on September 29. The plan specifically called for the formation of two multinational entities. A “Board of Peace,” chaired …
Since Israel’s 12-day war against Iran in June 2025, Tehran and its network of regional proxies and non-state allies, the so-called Axis of Resistance, have entered a phase of strategic dormancy — an outward calm concealing rearmament, financial adaptation …
Join us for the closing celebration of MEI’s Arab Pop Art exhibition, featuring a live performance by Syrian-American rapper, spoken word poet, and storyteller Omar Offendum. This special evening of poetry and music draws inspiration from the hakawati …
In the final episode of 2025, MEI Senior Fellow Paul Salem joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to unpack the major developments that shaped the Middle East over the past year and to look ahead to 2026. Salem reviews the key events that redefined …
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver a prime-time address to the nation this evening at a moment when public support for his second term has hit new lows. Speculation about the focus of the president’s speech ranged from efforts to shore up …
Brian sits down with Robert Malley, a former US official best known for his role as the lead negotiator of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Malley discusses the motivations behind his new book, Tomorrow Is Yesterday: Life, Death, and the …
The Trump administration has released its new National Security Strategy—and analysts say it signals a decisive break from America’s role as the leader of the free world. Instead, the document advances an openly illiberal, strongman-centered vision of …
Executive Summary The six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — are all, to various degrees, pursuing the development and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) …
In this episode, MEI Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow Ambassador David Hale joins host Alistair Taylor to unpack the Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy (NSS). Released on December 4, the document outlines the administration’s foreign …
Read in PDF Last updated on December 3, 2025 Introduction The Axis of Resistance is a loosely aligned network of armed groups and state actors led and supported by Iran to project its influence and military strength across the Middle East. Tehran has …
MEI Senior Fellow Fadi Nicholas Nassar joins host Matthew Czekaj to share expert insights and personal reflections on Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Lebanon from November 30 to December 2. Nassar unpacks the significance of the visit, part of the pontiff’s first …
Thousands of Tunisians marched in the capital last week against what they called ‘injustice and repression,’ accusing President Kais Saied of cementing one-man rule through the police and judiciary. The protest is part of a wider wave of unrest—journalists …
Brian welcomes Ambassador (ret.) Theodore “Ted” Kattouf, who previously served as US Ambassador to Syria and the United Arab Emirates, as well as President and CEO of the leading nonprofit organization Amideast. Kattouf reflects on how his Palestinian- …
Read in PDF Last updated on November 24, 2025 Introduction A key player in the oil industry and central to producer-consumer relations, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was formed by major oil exporters to stabilize prices and …
In this episode, Brian sits down with Faisal Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News. Abbas, who reported on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's November 18 visit to the White House, unpacks his impressions from the visit and the opportunities it …
Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince, prime minister, and main decision-maker in Saudi Arabia — who is colloquially also known as MBS — left Washington, DC, and his summit with President Donald Trump with a number of promises made and commitments received …
In this episode of Middle East Focus, hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj sit down with MEI Visiting Scholar F. Gregory Gause, III, to analyze the policy implications of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s (MBS) first visit to …
The MENA Energy Recap is a quarterly review of key energy developments that took place in the region from July through September of 2025 and what they signal in the months ahead. The Recap views these developments through the lens of policy and strategy, …
Read in PDF Last updated on November 18, 2025 Introduction and History Hamas (Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, Islamic Resistance Movement) is a prominent Palestinian militant Islamist group with roots in Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood that has ruled the Gaza …
Washington is once again leaning hard on Baghdad to narrow the space for Iran’s proxy networks, pairing new terrorist designations and sanctions with a sharper diplomatic line that demands the disarmament of non-state militant groups operating outside the …
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