Results for:
Middle East and North Africa

The Gulf's New NATO?

Analysis
by Rachel Bronson

The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is not just a response to Iran but the divergence between states over theories of power.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pose after signing a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026.
Saudi Press Agency via AP
Geopolitics

Trump Says the US And Iran Have Agreed on a Deal

In the News
NPR
Ariane Tabatabai

"I think President Trump had overestimated how much he could achieve militarily. And I think Iran might now be overestimating what it can achieve diplomatically based on the cycle that we're in," Council Vice President of Research for Security and Defense Ariane Tabatabai tells NPR.

A woman walks past a mural depicting a US aircraft carrier under missile attack
Vahid Salemi / AP
US Foreign Policy

The Paradox of President Trump's Peace Project

Analysis
by Leslie Vinjamuri

Trump can disrupt wars and force pauses but has yet to close one. The gap is creating space for middle powers—and an opening for China.

 President Donald Trump signs the charter of his Board of Peace initiative at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2026.
Markus Schreiber / AP
US Foreign Policy

What the US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Means for Global Nonproliferation

Analysis
by Rachel Bronson

Rachel Bronson explains how the deal's uranium enrichment terms and apparent bypass of IAEA oversight break from past US nuclear agreements—and what precedent that sets.

President Donald Trump speaks with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci / AP
US Foreign Policy

The Shortcomings of US Transactionalism

Analysis
by Leslie Vinjamuri

America’s treatment of its allies is creating a gap that others will fill.

President Donald Trump walks through blue curtains
Alex Brandon / AP
US Foreign Policy

'Iran Is Turning to Old Tactics and the US Is Taking the Bait'

In the News
CNN
Leslie Vinjamuri

Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri speaks with Christiane Amanpour about what options are on the table as the US-Iran ceasefire crumbles.

Christiane Amanpour and Leslie Vinjamuri US Foreign Policy

President Trump Says Ceasefire with Iran is Over. What Happens Next?

In the News
NPR
Ariane Tabatabai

"Ultimately, I don't think that either the United States or Iran wants to return to March, when we had large-scale operations," says Council Vice President of Research for Security and Defense Ariane Tabatabai. "And so this, in my mind, is the new steady state for the foreseeable future."

President Donald Trump speaks during a media conference at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Emrah Gurel / AP
US Foreign Policy

Trump Threatens More Iran Strikes

In the News
Bloomberg
Leslie Vinjamuri

Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri joined Bloomberg Open Interest to explain why President Trump's latest Iran threats are aimed at gaining negotiating leverage rather than launching a full-scale war.

Leslie Vinjamuri appears on Bloomberg Open Interest. US Foreign Policy

Iran Talks Resume in Qatar: What's Next?

In the News
Fox 32 Chicago
Leslie Vinjamuri

" Iran would like to see this an integrated peace process, that the ceasefire in Lebanon between Lebanon and Israel needs to be part of the overall deal," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri says. "That is going to continue to be one of the major blocks to this next phase."

Leslie Vinjamuri appears in studio at Fox 32 US Foreign Policy

Deep Dish Live: David Sanger on Trump's Phone Call, Iran Deal, and What Comes Next

Podcast
Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast

President Trump called NYT’s David Sanger directly to talk about the Iran deal. He shares with us what he learned from those conversations and what he's watching next.

David Sanger
Ana Miyares Photography
US Foreign Policy