Israel’s 12-day war with Iran achieved dramatic tactical successes—including assassinations, sabotage and U.S. military involvement—but ultimately failed to trigger Iran’s internal collapse or strategic defeat, instead galvanizing Iranian national unity, advancing its nuclear ambiguity and raising the risk of deeper regional escalation in a future.

Sajjad Safaei

Israel's September attack on Qatar, the host of mediation talks over a ceasefire in Gaza and the exchange of captives, brought home the vulnerability of mediators as they carry on an increasingly vital task in international diplomacy.

Despite years of negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and its implications on Nile water distribution, the project has been completed without an agreement in place. What happens now? 

Ahmed Morsy, Tsedenya Girmay

A crisis is brewing in the Mediterranean, as Türkiye and Greece exploit Libya’s political instability to advance rival claims over offshore gas and maritime zones.

Tarek Megerisi

In this Council Views, Middle East Council experts react to the unprecedented Israeli move and its implications for the Gulf, its relationship with the U.S., and for the region.

Dalia Ghanem, Omar H. Rahman, Rashid Al-Mohanadi, Ranj Alaaldin, Nader S. Kabbani, Adel Abdel Ghafar

Despite the genocide in Gaza and mounting regional backlash, the UAE has maintained and deepened ties with Israel, prioritizing strategic, technological and economic interests over reputational and moral costs.

Giorgio Cafiero