Regions

Middle East and North Africa

Content covering countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Yemen, and more.

Past Events

Strait Talk: Lessons from Hormuz with Samir Saran

PAST EVENT

Observer Research Foundation President Samir Saran joins the Council for a private roundtable discussion on the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Jul 8
Samir Saran speaks to group of people around a table.
Ana Miyares Photography

Inside Iran: How the War May Shape the Country's Political Future

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Richard Nephew, Dafna Rand, and Ariane Tabatabai examine what the war in Iran means for the country's people, its civil society, and its political future.

Jul 1
Speakers on Council Stage
Ana Miyares Photography
View all Past Events related to Middle East and North Africa

Commentary

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
View all Middle East and North Africa Commentary

Research

7 in 10 Americans Say Iran War Not Worth Fighting

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Coauthors

New polling finds 68 percent of Americans believe the costs of the war with Iran have outweighed the benefits, though Republicans stand apart.

Demonstrators rally outside the White House to protest US military action in Iran
Jose Luis Magana / AP
Public Opinion

Americans Say the Iran War Is Bad for the United States

RESEARCH
Public Opinion Survey by Coauthors

But Republicans stand in stark contrast, favoring the Trump administration’s actions in Iran.

A man waves an Iranian flag under a billboard with graphic showing Strait of Hormuz and sewn lips of USPresident Donald Trump
Vahid Salemi / AP
Public Opinion
View all Middle East and North Africa Research

Experts

Rachel Bronson 

Lester Crown Senior Nonresident Fellow, Energy and Geopolitics, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Photo of Rachel Bronson
Expertise
Middle East and North Africa
Defense and Security
US Foreign Policy

Lama El Baz 

Research Assistant, Public Opinion and US Foreign Policy, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
headshot of Lama El Baz
Expertise
Middle East and North Africa
Public Opinion
US Foreign Policy
Contact
Send a Message or Question
Social Media
View all Middle East and North Africa Experts