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Middle East Institute

The Middle East Beyond the Iran War
  • Special Report
  • The Middle East Beyond the Iran War

    September 28, 2026

    This collection of short essays written by the Fellows of the Middle East Institute explores various aspects of the war with Iran. The intent is to help readers see new and unexpected elements of the dynamics and impact of the ongoing hostilities and to think harder, deeper, and broader about the implications of the conflict.

    MINURSO’s Future: What the Security Council’s Choice May Reveal
  • Analysis
  • MINURSO’s Future: What the Security Council’s Choice May Reveal

    As the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) approaches the October 31 renewal deadline of the UN Monitoring Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the mission’s longer-term future remains uncertain. Another largely unchanged renewal remains a likely immediate outcome. But beyond that holding pattern, three possible scenarios are also on the table.

    Kim Ghattas on a Murder That Explains the Middle East
  • Podcast
  • Kim Ghattas on a Murder That Explains the Middle East

    Brian sits down with author and Emmy Award-winning journalist Kim Ghattas to talk about her new book, The Best Kind of American, which tells the story of the 1984 assassination of Malcolm Kerr, then president of the American University of Beirut. They discuss her inspiration for the project, what Kerr’s murder revealed about the Middle East at the time, and why his story still resonates four decades later.

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    The Latest on War with Iran

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    The Middle East Institute aims to enhance peace, security, and people-to-people ties between the US and the Middle East by providing actionable foreign policy recommendations, rich cultural and educational programming, and opportunities for dialogue, engagement, and exchange.

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    Policy Experts

    MEI has a deep roster of Fellows and Distinguished Fellows with extensive experience in military, diplomatic, and policy leadership.

    Research & Analysis

    Research & Analysis

    Read in-depth research, analysis, and commentary from MEI’s fellows and experts on the Middle East.

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    Arts & Culture

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    Featured Events

    El Sett – Film Screening
  • Arts & Culture
  • El Sett – Film Screening

    A special screening of the biopic of Umm Kulthum by internationally acclaimed Egyptian director Marwan Hamed.

    October 28, 2026, 5:30 PM – 8:45 PM

    The MEI Art Gallery, 1763 N St. NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20036

    New York Arabic Orchestra at Wolf Trap
  • Arts & Culture
  • New York Arabic Orchestra at Wolf Trap

    Co-produced by the Middle East Institute Arts & Culture Center and Abu Dhabi Festival

    December 4, 2026, 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

    The Barns at Wolf Trap, 1635 Trap Road Vienna, VA 22182

    Podcasts

    Backgrounders

    The Houthis
  • Backgrounder
  • The Houthis

    The Houthis are a political-military faction and Zaydi religious movement founded in northwestern Yemen in the 1980s. A key member of Iran’s Axis of Resistance with links to other militant organizations in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, the group has continued to pose a threat to Western interests on a global scale.

    May 15, 2026

    Israeli Settlements in the West Bank
  • Backgrounder
  • Israeli Settlements in the West Bank

    Since 1967, Israeli settlements in the West Bank have been a contested feature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ultimate disposition of the settlements and ongoing activity related to their growth have repeatedly defied agreement in negotiations over a resolution to the conflict.

    June 9, 2026