Iran’s political deadlock — and a way out the regime is unlikely to take
On Sunday, December 28, Iran’s latest wave of unrest began not on a university campus or in a symbolic political square, but in the very heart of the country’s economic sphere: the Grand Bazaar commercial center in downtown Tehran. What distinguishes the current moment is not simply the persistence of unrest but its emotional register. Iranian commentary increasingly describes not just hardship but a collapse of expectations of a better future.
From coalition to confrontation: Saudi-UAE rivalry in Yemen and its regional implications
The final days of 2025 marked a turning point in the Middle East, as competition between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in Yemen spilled out into the open. Tensions between the two coalition partners, which jointly launched a military intervention in Yemen in 2015, have simmered for years and are now rapidly escalating, with far-reaching implications for both Yemen and regional security more broadly.
Iran’s Axis of Resistance after the 12-day war: Adaptation, restructuring, and reconstitution
Since Israel’s 12-day war against Iran, 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, and ideological renewal.
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. No matter the topic Trump chooses to frame the national conversation as America heads into the holiday season, it is worth taking a step back and reflecting on the bigger story of what has occurred in the United States in 2025 and how these dynamics affect America’s relations with the rest of the world, including the Middle East.
The Methods and Means of Greenfield Direct Investment Between China and the GCC States
This article examines the changing volume and allocations of investment flows between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states over the last two decades, roughly from 2003 to the present.
Trump-MBS summit: Good feelings, real commitments, and unresolved questions
Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince, prime minister, and main decision-maker in Saudi Arabia, left Washington and his summit with President Donald Trump with a number of promises made and commitments received. But several questions, including on shared diplomatic agenda items, the extent of civilian nuclear cooperation, and the nature of the American defense commitment to Saudi Arabia, remain unanswered.
How Iraq’s vote will shape the next phase of US-Iran competition
For Iran, Iraq is strategic depth, political sanctuary, and economic lifeline all at once. The results of the November 11 Iraqi elections will decide who in Baghdad controls the budgetary levers, internal security appointments, and committees that could codify, or constrain, Iraq’s Iran-backed militias.
The United States plans to submit a resolution on Gaza to the United Nations Security Council by the end of November. Reportedly, the latest draft endorses President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, recognizes the Board of Peace as a “transitional governance administration,” and authorizes the BoP to establish an International Stabilization Force. In a new MEI Policy Memo, Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen breaks down why it matters for the US and the relevant policy considerations.
On November 18, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is scheduled to make his first trip to Washington since 2018. In a new MEI Policy Memo, Daniel Benaim breaks down why it matters for the US and the relevant policy considerations.
Morocco-Algeria: The case for ambitious reconciliation
On October 31, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution centering Morocco’s autonomy plan as the basis for resolving the Western Sahara conflict. The UN vote and comments from United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff suggest President Donald Trump wants another headline foreign policy “peacemaking” win. But the opportunity for the Trump administration is bigger than just resolving the Western Sahara issue. It could unlock an opportunity for Morocco-Algeria reconciliation that could integrate the wider Maghreb economy, reduce migration into Europe, expand energy cooperation, and enable stronger Sahel counter-terrorism coordination.
Divisions at home hinder America’s ambitions abroad
Over the past week, US President Donald Trump made an extended trip to Asia and threatened military actions against Latin American and African countries. But despite his administration’s continuing ambitions in the Middle East region, few major breakthroughs are expected there in the immediate future due to the government shutdown and unilateral cuts to national security infrastructure.
The legitimacy trap: How international institutions sustain the Houthis’ hold on Yemen
For years, the prevailing assumption was that the Houthis’ survival depended on battlefield victories and Iranian support. Both are essential, but there is a third critical and often overlooked factor: the weaponization of international engagement. In a pattern that continues to repeat itself, engagement without accountability strengthens rather than moderates Houthi behavior.
The taboo of regret: Iranian reflections on the seizure of the US embassy in 1979
For decades, the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran has symbolized the righteousness of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s revolutionary defiance and the legitimacy of “resistance” as state ideology. To question it is to pry open the logic of the entire enterprise.
Will Syria join the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS?
The joint al-Dumayr operation in mid-October was the fifth instance of coordination between the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and the Syrian government to confront the Islamic State, amid Western calls for Damascus to officially join the international effort. What’s at stake and what are the potential scenarios moving forward?
