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The New Old Middle East
  • Commentary
  • The New Old Middle East

    In many ways, the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and the war in Gaza that preceded it seem transformative. After decades of shadow warfare, Iran and Israel have now attacked each other’s homelands directly. And Israel and the United States have joined forces in a genuinely novel way to wage war against Iran.

    US Central Command
  • Backgrounder
  • US Central Command

    United States Central Command (CENTCOM), one of the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) six geographical combatant commands, is responsible for countering threats, responding to crises, and strengthening regional stability in the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia.

    July 29, 2026

    The Strategic Cost of Palestinian Powerlessness
  • Report
  • The Strategic Cost of Palestinian Powerlessness

    This report considers the lack of Palestinian political agency as a driver of regional insecurity that must be resolved before wider conflicts can be settled. The author analyses the conditions that contributed to the destruction of Palestinian political capacity, including Israeli policies, Palestinian shortcomings, and exploitation by Iran, and makes recommendations for an Arab strategic initiative.

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    What the Hell Should We Do About Syria?
    Middle East Institute
  • Analysis
  • What the Hell Should We Do About Syria?

    This Opinion first appeared in Foreign Policy on May 30, 2012

    The massacre in al-Houla, where Syrian military forces and allied militiamen massacred more than 100 civilians in cold blood, leaves no doubt about the intentions of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime: survival at any cost and through any means. Assad does not have a Plan B.

    May 31, 2012

    Turkey Cozies Up to the KRG
    Middle East Institute
  • Analysis
  • Turkey Cozies Up to the KRG

    Turkey’s popular and outspoken Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was treated to a hero’s welcome last week when he met with Syrian refugees for the first time since Turkey opened its doors to the thousands of people fleeing Bashar Al-Assad’s crackdown.  Erdogan’s pledge to defend the rights of the Syrian people and his call for Assad’s removal, however, fell short of expectations.  Although Erdogan’s speech drew some applause, it was also interrupted by shouts of “We want arms for the Free Syrian Army and a buffer zone inside Syria!”   The Turkish PM’s reiteration of his previous positi

    The Consequences of Syria for Minorities in the Levant
    Middle East Institute

    The Consequences of Syria for Minorities in the Levant

    May 9 – January 1, 1970, May 9 - 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
    January 1 - 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM

    Middle East Institute, 1761 N Street, NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20036

    Hamas's Shifting Political Calculations
  • Video
  • Hamas's Shifting Political Calculations

    Panelists will examine how the reverberations from last year's Arab Awakening, including the resulting unrest in Syria and the rise to power in Egypt of the Muslim Brotherhood, are re-shaping Hamas' relations with its patrons Iran and Syria, its rival, Fatah, and even the dynamics inside the organization itself.

    May 4, 2012

    Read the Middle East Journal

    The oldest peer-reviewed publication dedicated to the study of the modern Middle East, MEI’s flagship journal covers politics, society, and culture in the region.