Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (known to all as “Bibi”) has been widely acclaimed as a political wizard. But his alleged wizardry faces a potentially disastrous showdown within the next month, unless he manages to deter the (in most cases) …
Introduction and Strategic Context The Islamic Republic of Iran is currently in its weakest and most isolated position since the founding of the regime in 1979, and it is struggling to preserve its regional network of proxies and non-state allies, whose …
For the first time in decades, the question of how Syria will be governed is wide open. The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime at the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an armed Islamist group with former ties to al-Qaeda, has left Syria in uncharted territory. …
The election of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is a political breakthrough in Lebanon and a harbinger of what could happen in a country long dismissed as unsalvageable. Beirut’s new leadership reflects the aspiration of a majority of …
It is becoming apparent that negotiations between the new leadership in Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) face significant obstacles due to disagreements over military structure and administrative demands. These issues reflect the difficulty …
The opening act of US President Donald Trump’s second administration had very little to do with Middle East policy issues. In its first days, Trump issued a bevy of executive orders focused on priorities like immigration, social policy shifts, and changes …
Taliban control over Afghanistan stands today virtually unchallenged. No political or military force appears likely to remove Taliban rule for the foreseeable future. Reacting to the regime’s policies, the United States and the international community have …
Farah Ossouli. David and I (2), 2014. Gouache on cardboard. 75 x 110 cm Maximal Miniatures features the work of 13 leading contemporary Iranian artists who reimagine the rich visual tradition of the Persian miniature genre through inventive formal …
Syria’s first post-Assad protests broke out on Dec. 25 after a video claiming to show the destruction of an Alawite shrine spread rapidly across Facebook. The video was quickly debunked as several weeks old, the shrine only partially damaged, and the …
The cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas announced on Jan. 15 took more than a year to reach and almost certainly will take much longer to fully realize than the four-plus months outlined in the framework. Like many things in life, this agreement was …
With a nearly unanimous 99 out of 128 votes, the Lebanese parliament elected the head of the army, Gen. Joseph Aoun, as Lebanon’s 14th president on Jan. 9. In a strong inaugural speech Aoun laid out an ambitious agenda premised on regaining the Lebanese …
A very different Middle East will greet President-elect Donald J. Trump this month compared to the region he experienced during his first term. Syria is profoundly changed and presents both new problems and new opportunities. Iran is weakened, which is a …
Under former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the Syrian security sector kept meticulous records of its crimes. However, in the wake of the regime’s rapid fall, many files and server rooms at Syria’s security branches, prisons, and hospitals were burned …
More than a year has passed since the horrific attacks that took the lives of 1,200 innocent Israeli citizens on Oct. 7, 2023, a devastating day that led to many more devastating days in Gaza, where tens of thousands of innocent people have died and …
Middle East Focus Presents: ‘Taking the Edge Off the Middle East’ with Brian Katulis. A series of casual conversations with leading policy professionals on the most important happenings in the Middle East today - hosted by MEI’s Senior Fellow for US …
On Dec. 8, 2024, Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell. This is a fact, but it woefully understates the enormity, speed, and consequences of what has transpired. The brutal dictatorship that ruled Syria for more than 50 years disintegrated in fewer than 10 days. …
The war in Gaza continues as the Biden administration nears its end, leaving President-elect Donald Trump with a vastly different Middle East from the one he inherited in his first term. Khaled Elgindy, Director of the Palestine & Palestinian-Israeli …
When Benjamin Netanyahu returned as Israel’s prime minister in December 2022, leading a coalition that included far-right nationalist parties, the administration of American President Joe Biden took an unprecedented diplomatic stance: it kept the Israeli …
Introduction The Middle East and North Africa has the potential to become the world’s largest renewable energy-producing region. Solar energy is MENA’s most abundant renewable energy resource. The Sahara Desert, which covers the majority of North Africa, …
This in-depth report explores North Africa's complex renewable energy journey, highlighting the divergent paths taken in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya and the thematic realities and challenges each faces. Through detailed analysis of …
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