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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
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Commentary

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
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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
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Experts

Rachel Bronson 

Lester Crown Senior Nonresident Fellow, Energy and Geopolitics, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
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Expertise
Middle East and North Africa
Geopolitics
US Foreign Policy

Lama El Baz 

Research Associate, Public Opinion and 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
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