Research & Commentary

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

Trump’s South Caucasus Peacemaking Is His Most Successful, but It Remains Unfinished
  • Commentary

    • Trump’s South Caucasus Peacemaking Is His Most Successful, but It Remains Unfinished

    Of all the fronts in President Trump’s peacemaking agenda, the South Caucasus has delivered the most concrete results. The August 2025 Washington Declaration, signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan and witnessed by Trump, marked an important step toward peace in the region. The two sides initialed a peace agreement and advanced plans to unblock regional connectivity, including through the establishment of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhijevan exclave through southern Armenia. Implementation of TRIPP has since made notable progress, but construction has yet to start. A breakthrough on those two tracks would, in turn, unlock Armenia–Türkiye normalization, transforming a long-fractured region into an area of trade and interdependence.

    The Iran War Was Always About Regime Change
  • Commentary

    • The Iran War Was Always About Regime Change

    Wars don’t just end. They get interpreted, reinterpreted, and turned into strategic doctrine. That is what happened after the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, a conflict that saw the United States back Tehran’s Iraqi adversaries. The war taught Tehran three lessons it never unlearned: that Washington wants the Islamic Republic gone, that Iran stands essentially alone in the world, and that it cannot survive a direct, overt fight with the U.S. and Israel.

    Iran’s New War Cabinet Is Really an Old One
  • Analysis

    • Iran’s New War Cabinet Is Really an Old One

    Within 48 hours this week, Iran filled six of the most important posts in its battered military and security establishment. Read together with the biographies and mandates behind them, the appointments show how Tehran is drawing lessons from successive wars and preparing for a prolonged period of insecurity, without proving it has abandoned negotiation.

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    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

    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

    The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
  • Backgrounder

    • The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

    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.

    June 3, 2026

    Turkish Foreign Policy
  • Backgrounder

    • Turkish Foreign Policy

    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.

    April 23, 2026

    Podcasts

    Middle East Focus

    MEI’s flagship weekly podcast on US foreign policy and contemporary political and social issues in the Middle East.

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    Taking the Edge Off the Middle East

    MEI Senior Fellow Brian Katulis engages friends, colleagues, and policy experts in casual conversations on the most important happenings in the Middle East. 

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    Rethinking Democracy

    MEI Senior Fellow Gonul Tol hosts leading scholars and thought leaders on global democracy trends and the state of the liberal international order. 

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    Showcasing Middle Eastern Art in Southeast Asia
  • Analysis

    • Showcasing Middle Eastern Art in Southeast Asia

    Razzouk discusses the notable lack of cultural exports from the Middle East towards Southeast Asia, and the role of the Sana Gallery in promoting art from the region in Singapore.

    December 4, 2012

    Assaad W. Razzouk

    China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil

    China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil Featuring:Dr. Yitzhak Shichor, Professor of political science and Asian studies, University of Haifa Dr. Dawn Murphy, Princeton-Harvard China and the World Postdoctoral Fellow Moderated by: Sam Chester, Masters candidate in China and the Middle East studies, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies Tuesday, December 4, 201212:00-1:30pm Middle East InstituteBoardman Room1761 N Street, NWWashington D.C., 20036 This program features three experts on China’s relations with the Middle East.

    December 4, 2012

    China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil

    China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil Featuring:Dr. Yitzhak Shichor, Professor of political science and Asian studies, University of Haifa Dr. Dawn Murphy, Princeton-Harvard China and the World Postdoctoral Fellow Moderated by: Sam Chester, Masters candidate in China and the Middle East studies, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies Tuesday, December 4, 201212:00-1:30pm Middle East InstituteBoardman Room1761 N Street, NWWashington D.C., 20036 This program features three experts on China’s relations with the Middle East.

    December 4, 2012

    China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil

    China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil Featuring:Dr. Yitzhak Shichor, Professor of political science and Asian studies, University of Haifa Dr. Dawn Murphy, Princeton-Harvard China and the World Postdoctoral Fellow Moderated by: Sam Chester, Masters candidate in China and the Middle East studies, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies Tuesday, December 4, 201212:00-1:30pm Middle East InstituteBoardman Room1761 N Street, NWWashington D.C., 20036 This program features three experts on China’s relations with the Middle East.

    December 4, 2012

    China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil

    China and the Middle East: Rising Power and a Region in Turmoil Featuring:Dr. Yitzhak Shichor, Professor of political science and Asian studies, University of Haifa Dr. Dawn Murphy, Princeton-Harvard China and the World Postdoctoral Fellow Moderated by: Sam Chester, Masters candidate in China and the Middle East studies, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies Tuesday, December 4, 201212:00-1:30pm Middle East InstituteBoardman Room1761 N Street, NWWashington D.C., 20036 This program features three experts on China’s relations with the Middle East.

    December 4, 2012

    Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response

    The Middle East Institute and IRD Present:Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response Featuring: Robert Ford, U.S. Ambassador to SyriaMark Bartolini, Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, USAIDAlbert Cevallos, Acting Director of Democracy, Governance, & Community Development, IRDOpening Remarks by: Arthur B. Keyes, President and CEO, IRDModerated by: Amb. Deborah Jones Thursday, November 29, 20129:00am-10:30am St.

    November 29, 2012

    Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response

    The Middle East Institute and IRD Present:Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response Featuring: Robert Ford, U.S. Ambassador to SyriaMark Bartolini, Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, USAIDAlbert Cevallos, Acting Director of Democracy, Governance, & Community Development, IRDOpening Remarks by: Arthur B. Keyes, President and CEO, IRDModerated by: Amb. Deborah Jones Thursday, November 29, 20129:00am-10:30am St.

    November 29, 2012

    Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response

    The Middle East Institute and IRD Present:Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response Featuring: Robert Ford, U.S. Ambassador to SyriaMark Bartolini, Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, USAIDAlbert Cevallos, Acting Director of Democracy, Governance, & Community Development, IRDOpening Remarks by: Arthur B. Keyes, President and CEO, IRDModerated by: Amb. Deborah Jones Thursday, November 29, 20129:00am-10:30am St.

    November 29, 2012

    Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response

    The Middle East Institute and IRD Present:Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response Featuring: Robert Ford, U.S. Ambassador to SyriaMark Bartolini, Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, USAIDAlbert Cevallos, Acting Director of Democracy, Governance, & Community Development, IRDOpening Remarks by: Arthur B. Keyes, President and CEO, IRDModerated by: Amb. Deborah Jones Thursday, November 29, 20129:00am-10:30am St.

    November 29, 2012

    Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response

    The Middle East Institute and IRD Present:Syria: Humanitarian Impact and the U.S. Response Featuring: Robert Ford, U.S. Ambassador to SyriaMark Bartolini, Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, USAIDAlbert Cevallos, Acting Director of Democracy, Governance, & Community Development, IRDOpening Remarks by: Arthur B. Keyes, President and CEO, IRDModerated by: Amb. Deborah Jones Thursday, November 29, 20129:00am-10:30am St.

    November 29, 2012

    The Middle East Institute’s 66th Annual Conference
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • The Middle East Institute’s 66th Annual Conference

    The Middle East Institute’s 66th Annual Conference
    November 13-14, 2012
    The Grand Hyatt Hotel
    1000 H Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20001
    Banquet:
    Tuesday November 13

    Keynote Speaker: Ambassador (Ret.) Ryan C. Crocker
    Ryan C. Crocker recently left his post as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.
    He has also served as U.S. ambassador in Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and Lebanon.

    November 20, 2012

    The Middle East Institute’s 66th Annual Conference
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast

    • The Middle East Institute’s 66th Annual Conference

    The Middle East Institute’s 66th Annual Conference
    November 13-14, 2012
    The Grand Hyatt Hotel
    1000 H Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20001
    Banquet:
    Tuesday November 13

    Keynote Speaker: Ambassador (Ret.) Ryan C. Crocker
    Ryan C. Crocker recently left his post as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.
    He has also served as U.S. ambassador in Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and Lebanon.

    November 20, 2012

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