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Middle East and North Africa

Bloomberg Surveillance: Democrats' Midterm Sweep

In the News
Bloomberg
Leslie Vinjamuri

"I don't see this as a huge foreign policy election," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri says, pointing to other issues like affordability and corruption. "[But] I think generally people haven't been pleased with foreign policy because it's been disruptive and it's affected them."

A volunteer sorts I Voted stickers at the Brooklyn Museum in New York on Election Day,
Yuki Iwamura / AP
US Foreign Policy

US Cuts Aid to Israel as American Attitudes Shift

In the News
Fox 32
Dina Smeltz

"In both parties, there's a generational shift away from Israel," Council Managing Director and Chair of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Dina Smeltz tells Fox 32.

Dina Smeltz appears on Fox 32 Public Opinion

Election Puts Iran Policy in Focus

In the News
Bloomberg
Leslie Vinjamuri

"The Iran war is deeply unpopular, and people see its impacts here at home," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri tells Bloomberg.

Leslie Vinjamuri appears on Bloomberg US Foreign Policy

Can a New Congress Compel Trump to End the Iran War?

Analysis
by Paul Poast

While the US midterm elections may spark congressional action on tariffs, Washington is backed into a corner in the Middle East.

Fallen autumn leaves are seen on the lawn in front of the US Capitol
Mariam Zuhaib / A{
US Foreign Policy

What's at Stake in Israel's First Election Since October 7?

Podcast
Deep Dish on Global Affairs Podcast

Israel is preparing for its first national election since the October 7 attacks. RAND's Shira Efron explains what's at stake and how the outcome could change Israel's approach to Gaza and the West Bank.

Israeli Elections
Jack Guez / AP
Geopolitics

How Could Iran Happen? An Autopsy.

In the News
Foreign Policy
Ariane Tabatabai

"The administration gutted the country’s institutions, and the United States is left trying to bargain for an outcome worse than the prewar status quo," Council Vice President of Research for Security and Defense Ariane Tabatabai and Julia Curlee write.

President Donald Trump talking with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens during Operation Epicy Fury
Daniel Torok / The White House via AP
Geopolitics

The Next Defining Moment of the Iran War

Analysis
by Ariane Tabatabai

As the midterm elections approach, the Trump administration has realized its strategy isn’t working. Will economic measures succeed where military operations failed?

A woman waves an Iranian flag during a pro-government gathering at a square in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.
Vahid Salemi / AP
US Foreign Policy

Fighting While Talking: The Iran War Enters Its Bargaining Phase

In the News
Lawfare
Ariane Tabatabai

"A bargaining war turns on two quantities: what each side can threaten, and what each side can bear," Council Vice President of Research for Security and Defense Ariane Tabatabai and Lawfare's Julia Curlee write.

A man waves an Iranian flag during a pro-government gathering at a square in Tehran
Vahid Salemi / AP
Geopolitics

Trump Rage Erupts Over Iran as Aides Leak Embarrassing Truth: He Lost

In the News
The New Republic
Ariane Tabatabai

"[President Trump is] essentially taking Oman and lashing out at them because of the fact that he is unable to close out this war," Council Vice President of Research on Security and Defense Ariane Tabatabai shares on The Daily Blast podcast.

US President Donald Trump sits inside the Oval Office on July 24, 2026.
Rod Lamkey / AP
US Foreign Policy

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