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 Student in Rare Video Blasts Regime for Repression at Home and Foreign Wars
A rare video circulating on Iranian social media shows a university student strongly denouncing the Iranian regime’s acts of oppression at home as well as costly military engagements abroad at the expense of domestic priorities. “Mr. Hassan Abbasi: Your theory is the theory of terror and horror and exporting arms and war.
I.R.G.C. Navy Receives New Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) Navy received the first consignment of the new Nasir anti-ship cruise missile on April 22, the Iranian media reports.
Iran-Backed Iraqi Mobilization Forces Urge Baghdad to Expel Turkish Ambassador
The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) – an alliance of largely Shiite militia groups dominated by Iran – has called on the Baghdad government to expel the Turkish ambassador from Iraq, Fars News Agency reported. The call came after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the P.M.F.
Tillerson’s Remarks Draw Angry Reaction from Iran’s Foreign Minister
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Thursday issued a strongly-worded statement in reaction to the latest allegations by the Trump administration about Iran’s destabilizing role in the Middle East and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. “The Islamic Republic of Iran entered the JCPOA (Jointed Comprehensive Plan of Action, or Iran nuclear deal) with the view that it would be prudent way to address shared concerns and achieve shared objectives specifically related to the nuclear issue, without entering into other contentious issues, including the nefarious activities of the U.S.
Iranian Cleric Admits I.R.G.C. Provides Weapons to Houthis in Yemen
A senior Iranian cleric, who reportedly advises Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has in a rare video admitted that Iran provides weapons to the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Iran Unveils New Domestically-Built Military Equipment
Iran unveiled a series of domestically-made military equipment on Thursday, during a ceremony on Thursday which was attended by President Hassan Rouhani and Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan.
An Evolution of Rohingya Persecution in Myanmar: From Strategic Embrace to Genocide
This essay discusses the persecution of, and violence committed against, Rohingya. The authors argue that recent waves of state-directed violence communal destruction, far from being a new phenomenon, have been occurring since 1978 and are part of a process of “slow-burning genocide.”
Since its inception in 1993, the Sharjah Biennial has become the biggest art event in the Arab world. It is an enormous cultural podium whose breadth, scope, and ambition is unrivaled in the region. Encompassing new commissioned pieces, film screenings, video and audio installations, and copious talks throughout its lengthy duration, the Sharjah Biennial has transcended its fine arts origins to evolve into a global endeavor.
Iran-Supported Iraqi Militia Leaders Ramps up Anti-American Propaganda
A prominent Iran-backed Iraqi militia commander has accused the United States of providing weapons and food to Islamic State fighters trapped in western Mosul, according to Fars News Agency, an Iranian outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.).
I.R.G.C. Hailed as “Strategic Asset” for Iran and “Regional Islamic Resistance” on Its 38th Anniversary
Marking the 38th anniversary of the creation of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.), the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff said Wednesday that the country’s elite force has turned into a “strategic asset” and a “defense shield” not only for Iran but also for the “Islamic Resistance in the region
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.
