The Iraqi government’s close ties to Iran are becoming a growing vulnerability at a time of significant geopolitical transformation in the region.

Ranj Alaaldin

An unprecedented close to decades of insurgency challenges Türkiye to navigate a delicate transition, balancing security, political reform and social reconciliation.  

Özge Genç

In this Council Views, experts from the ME Council reflect on the past 100 days of the new Trump administration's disruptive foreign policy, unpacking what recent changes mean for MENA and how states are responding—from USAID and State Department cuts, to the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, to Gulf states’ posturing ahead of the president’s expected visit

Hamidreza Azizi, Mouin Rabbani, Rory Miller, Frédéric Schneider, Haid Haid, Paul Dyer, Dalia Ghanem, Özge Genç, Rashid Al-Mohanadi, Adel Abdel Ghafar, Yahia H. Zoubir, Faozi Al-Goidi, Nader S. Kabbani, Mahjoob Zweiri

Beijing’s role in regional security remains limited by its own non-interventionist policy, continued U.S. dominance and regional states’ push for strategic autonomy. 

Ocalan’s call comes as the value of armed struggle diminishes and Kurdish political participation grows—will this continue?

Özge Genç

Iran-backed militias in Iraq have long-wielded outsized influence over the government. Yet with Iran and its allies now on the backfoot, what does it mean for Baghdad?

Ranj Alaaldin