Middle East and North Africa | Council on Foreign Relations

Panelists assess Iran’s interests in the conflict in Gaza and its ties to Hamas, and discuss its broader influence in the Middle East, as well as the future of U.S. policy towards Iran.

Event with Suzanne Maloney, Vali R. Nasr, and Robin Wright Nov 16, 2023

Who Governs the Palestinians?

As Israel seeks to destroy Hamas, it remains unclear who will administer Gaza in the future. This primer examines the current governance of the territories.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson May 28, 2024

Turkey, the United States, and the Israel-Hamas War

President Erdogan’s recent troubles with the United States have prevented Turkey from playing a potentially constructive role in the early phases of the Israel-Hamas war.

Article by Henri J. Barkey Oct 25, 2023

Palestinian Territories

Plagues, War Criminals, and Palestinian Authority Views of the United States

Palestinian Authority officials have recently called President Biden a "war criminal" and the United States a "plague." Should U.S. assistance continue to pay for such insults?

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams September 10, 2024 Pressure Points
Israel

Gaza’s Troubled Cease-Fire Efforts, Harris and Trump Debate, Toronto International Film Fest, and More

The United States, Egypt, and Qatar prepare another cease-fire proposal after Hamas killed six Israeli hostages and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu demanded control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border; Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump hold their first presidential debate; the Toronto International Film Festival showcases independent films spanning from Hungary to Georgia and more; and the United States seizes Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s plane.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins September 5, 2024 The World Next Week
Middle East and North Africa

A Wider Middle East War, With Steven Cook

Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the potential for a wider war in the Middle East as Iran vows to retaliate against Israel for the killing of a top Hamas official in Tehran.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Steven A. Cook September 3, 2024 The President’s Inbox

Experts in this Region

Elliott Abrams

Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies

Henri J. Barkey

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Robert D. Blackwill

Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy

Steven A. Cook

Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies and Director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars

Ed Husain

Senior Fellow

Martin S. Indyk

Lowy Distinguished Fellow in U.S.-Middle East Diplomacy (2018-2024)

Farah Pandith

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Linda Robinson

Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy

Gideon Rose

Adjunct Senior Fellow

Ray Takeyh

Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Military Operations

"The Houthis Have Defeated the U.S. Navy," or, What is a Navy For?

The mission of the U.S. Navy has for centuries been to keep the sea lines of communication open, but the United States is abandoning that task in the Middle East today.

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams August 31, 2024 Pressure Points
Israel

The Israel-Hezbollah Conflict: Where It Stands

Cross-border fighting has returned to a lower intensity following Israel’s preemptive strike in Lebanon, but the conflict could escalate again, and a reprisal from Iran remains likely.

Expert Brief by Steven A. Cook August 29, 2024 Middle East Program
Sexual Violence

Women This Week: Thousands Protest Murder and Rape of Female Doctor in India

Welcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post covers August 17 to August 23.

Blog Post by Noël James August 22, 2024 Women Around the World

Human Rights

Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Statelessness of Religious and Ethnic Minority Groups

Henri J. Barkey, adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Laura van Waas, cofounder and codirector of the Institute of Statelessness and Inclusion, discuss the engagement of stateless populations—specifically religious and ethnic minority groups—with international relations, the international legal dimensions of statelessness, and the policy changes necessary to expand the right to nationality and citizenship.

Webinar by Henri J. Barkey , Laura van Waas and Irina A. Faskianos August 22, 2024 Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars
Palestinian Territories

What Is Hamas?

The Palestinian militant group struggled to govern the Gaza Strip before launching a surprise attack on Israel in 2023. Now facing Israel’s military campaign to destroy it, Hamas’s future is in doubt, as is Gaza’s.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson August 19, 2024
Foreign Aid

The United States Was Just Called a "Plague" by Mahmoud Abbas. Now what?

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas just told the Turkish parliament that "America is the plague, and the plague is America." Will the United States tolerate such attacks?

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams August 16, 2024 Pressure Points
Peacekeeping

Women This Week: Sudanese Women Participate on Peace Talks

Welcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post covers August 10 to August 16.

Blog Post by Noël James August 15, 2024 Women Around the World
Norway

Norway: From Mediator to Persecutor of Israel

Norway has abandoned its longstanding neutrality and mediation efforts between Israel and the Palestinians, and instead joined Israel's harshest critics.

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams August 12, 2024 Pressure Points
Bangladesh

U.S. Presidential Campaign Picks Up, Iran Mulls Retaliation, Bangladesh’s New Government, and More

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, campaign ahead of the party’s convention; world leaders and diplomats reach out to Iran and Israel to head off a wider regional war after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran spurred retaliation threats; Bangladesh prepares an interim government after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country; and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government responds to anti-immigrant riots across the country.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins August 8, 2024 The World Next Week
Middle East and North Africa

Mapping the Growing U.S. Military Presence in the Middle East

The U.S. military has an extensive footprint in the Middle East, but it could surge forces in the region if a broader war erupts.

Article by Jonathan Masters and Will Merrow August 6, 2024
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Is the “Two-State Solution” Still Viable?

Is the longstanding proposal to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the “two-state solution,” still viable? A recent debate took on all the issues, and I argued for “no.”

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams August 6, 2024 Pressure Points
Iran

Israel-Iran Tensions Escalate, Venezuela Election Questioned, Edinburgh Fringe Shines, and More

The Middle East braces for the possibility of a full-scale war between Israel and Iran-backed forces after the assassinations of Hamas senior leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr; Venezuelans protest the results of the presidential election that grant incumbent President Nicolás Maduro a third term; the Edinburgh Festival Fringe spotlights wide-ranging, new talent; imprisoned journalists in Russia are freed in a major prisoner swap; and militant groups kill troops from Russia’s private military company Wagner Group, including a Wagner commander, in Mali.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins August 1, 2024 The World Next Week