Curb Your Enthusiasm: Why the Midterms Might Not Change Much in US Middle East Policy
With less than a week before the midterm elections in the United States, the spotlight is on the economy and cultural divides. US foreign policy remains mostly on the sidelines, but this year’s inconclusive Iran war and its effect on America’s economy have shaped the broader political environment in this electoral cycle.
The Multiple Costs of the US–Iran War – From Hormuz to Europe and South Asia: The Widening Economic and Political Geography of the Conflict
Wars are decided by those who hold military power, but their costs are increasingly borne by those who have little or no voice in the decisions that start them. The US–Iran war shows this imbalance very clearly. Its economic consequences have gone far beyond the battlefield and have disrupted energy markets, trade routes, food supplies, public finances and investment in the Gulf, Europe, Africa and Asia. The most striking feature of the conflict, however, is not only the size of the damage but its very unequal distribution.
In recent weeks, the Iran-backed Houthis have fired missiles and drones deep into Saudi Arabia, striking high-profile targets, including Riyadh’s airport and Aramco’s headquarters. The attacks follow a rapid Houthi offensive in September to seize key parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, which Saudi-backed government forces are now trying to roll back. Fatima Abo Alasrar, an affiliated scholar at MEI and non-resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to unpack the latest phase of the conflict. They discuss what the Houthis want, Riyadh’s calculus and search for allies, and how this campaign ties into Iran’s confrontation with the United States.
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.
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.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a proposed multinational infrastructure initiative aimed at upgrading connectivity between the three regions through integrated trade, energy, and digital networks. Announced at the G20 summit in New Delhi in September 2023, IMEC is envisioned partially as a counterweight to China’s international infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative.
After a decade of post-Arab Spring isolation, Turkey’s leaders have recognized that their ambition to position the country as an agenda-setter on the world stage requires active engagement in all directions. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s consolidation of executive authority has centralized foreign policy decision-making and tied it to his domestic political priorities, transforming the country’s revisionist approach to one shaped primarily by personal and pragmatic interests.
MEI Senior Fellow Brian Katulis engages friends, colleagues, and policy experts in casual conversations on the most important happenings in the Middle East.
Iranian Drone Comes “Dangerously” Close to U.S. Aircraft Carrier in Persian Gulf
Iran sent another drone close to a U.S. Navy aircraft carried in the Persian Gulf on Sunday, the media reported today. Last week, an Iranian drone had an “unsafe” encounter with a U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet as it was landing aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz in the Persian Gulf. Navy Lt.
Rouhani Asks Putin for More Russian Investment in Iran’s Energy Sector
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed ways to expand bilateral relations between the two countries in a telephone call today, the Iranian and Russia
Tehran Celebrates Arsal "Victory" as Sign of Hezbollah’s Growing Power
From Tehran’s view, Hezbollah’s military operation against Nusra Front militants on the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Arsal near the Syrian border signifies Hezbollah’s growing political and military influence in Lebanon and the broader region. “There was more cooperation between Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army in the battle of Arsal than at any time in the past. And this cooperation signifies fundamental changes in Lebanon’s political sphere.
Iran Vows Revenge against Islamic State, U.S. after I.R.G.C. Soldier's Beheading
Iranian leaders have reacted angrily to the beheading of an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) officer by the Islamic State in Syria. Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, condemned the “savage act” and vowed revenge.
Iranian Clerics Say New U.S. Sanctions Violate Nuclear Deal
Senior Iranian clerics today blasted the latest U.S. sanctions against Tehran and called on the Rouhani government to take strong retaliatory measures against Washington.
I.R.G.C. Outlet: Seizure of al-Sukhnah Helps Regime Operations in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor
The recent seizure of al-Sukhnah region in Syria’s Homs Governorate has prepared the ground for the Syrian Army and its foreign allies to advance toward and capture the oil-rich Deir Ezzor Governorate, according to
One of the most revealing moments of the recently concluded Ramadan TV season occurred in the new Egyptian series, Don’t Turn Off the Sun. A newly-wedded young wife finds out that her husband is having an affair with his male friend; a liaison that ultimately leads to the dissolution of their marriage. The most telling aspect of what was potentially perceived as a provocative move from the series’ makers was the fact that it didn’t stir any controversy at all.
Iran Finalizing Plan to “Counter America’s Adventurous and Terrorist Actions”
The Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee on Wednesday approved a bill titled “Countering America’s Adventurous and Terrorist Actions” in response to the latest U.S. sanctions, the Iranian media reported.
Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Group Vows to Fight with Hezbollah against Israel
Harakat al-Nujaba, an Iranian-supported Iraqi militia group, has announced that it will support the Lebanese Hezbollah in the fight against the “occupying Zionist regime” of Israel, Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) reports.
P.M.F. Forces Reportedly Barred from Participating in Tal Afar Operation
A commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) has said that the United States, Turkey and the leadership of the Iraqi Kurdistan are pressuring the Baghdad government not to allow the paramilitary forces to participate in upcoming military operation to liberate the city of Tal Afar, Fars News Agency reported. Jawad al-Talibawi, a spokesman for the armed wing of Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq, added that P.M.F. units have received “orders” forbidding them from taking part in the operation.
Zarif to Trump: U.S. Will Pay High Price for Annulling Nuclear Deal
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has warned the Trump administration that the United States will pay a high price if it decides to walk away from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – the nuclear deal Iran signed with world powers two years ago. He reportedly made the remarks in a meeting with members of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
Gaza Three Years after the War: Ten Critical Observations
Three years ago this summer, on July 8, Israel launched the deadliest attack on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip; the third in less than six years. The war lasted 51 days on end and left in its wake an unprecedented human carnage and caused massive destruction to Gaza’s already frail economy and failing infrastructure. Three years later, Gaza has not recovered. If anything, things have gotten worse; much worse.
Tehran’s Iraqi Proxies and Looming Conflict with U.S.
On Monday, the Islamic State claimed it had killed scores of Iraqi troops and captured one soldier in an ambush near the al-Tanf border-crossing along the Iraqi-Syrian border. Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada (K.S.S.), an Iranian-backed unit of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.), however, blamed U.S. air strikes for its losses and vowed revenge.
Tajikistan Accuses Iran of Sponsoring Terrorism, Restricts Iranian Organizations’ Activities
Tajikistan has accused Iran of having played a subversive role in the country’s civil war in the 1990s by sending terrorists to the Central Asian republic, the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the two countries.
Iraqi Paramilitary Forces to Participate in Tal Afar Operation despite Concerns
The spokesperson for the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) has announced that the paramilitary forces will participate in the upcoming military operation against the Islamic State in Tal Afar despite regional concerns, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported today. “In the operation to liberate Tal Afar, all Hashd al-Shaabi forces, the Iraqi army, the federal police and also counterterrorism and rapid-reaction forces will participate,” Ahmed al-Assadi was quoted as saying.
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.
