This issue brief examines the domestic impacts of the war with Iran across six dimensions to assess whether the U.S. can sustain a large-scale foreign conflict when the fiscal capacity and public trust required to support it are under severe strain, namely: (I) partisan political polarization, (II) media dynamics and narrative construction, (III) shifts in public opinion, (IV) economic pressures, (V) the escalating cost of defense and national security, and finally (VI) the psychological–strategic dimension and its implications for the future of America’s role in the world.

Executive Summary This report presents key takeaways from the roundtable entitled “Water Diplomacy and Governance in the MENA Region,” held on September 28-29, 2025 at the headquarters of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) in Doha, Qatar. The roundtable was co-organized with the Geneva Water Hub and the Blue Peace Middle East… Continue reading Water Diplomacy and Governance in the MENA Region

Since the U.S.–Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February 2026, Türkiye has had to manage a war within its security environment. Ankara’s response has rested on one central reading: the current turmoil was not an inevitable regional eruption, but the product of a U.S.–Israel strategic choice, with Israel widely cast in Turkish official and public discourse as the principal driver of escalation. Yet Türkiye’s room… Continue reading Iran War: Ankara Seeks to Reap Benefits of a Calibrated Response