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

Corporate Roundtable on the Geopolitical Implications of US Strikes on Iran

PAST EVENT

Corporate Leadership Conversations

Former US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks on the strategic risks and potential consequences of the United States’ recent strikes on Iran.

Mar 17

The sun sets behind a plume of smoke rising after a US–Israeli military strike in Tehran, Iran.

Vahid Salemi / AP

After US-Israel Strikes: What Comes Next for Iran and the Region?

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Rapid Response

A live stream with Lisa Anderson, Daniel Byman, and Leslie Vinjamuri on the emerging developments following the joint US-Israel coordinated strikes on Iran.

Mar 2

US Central Command / AP

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Commentary

May 11, 2026

US-Iran Tensions Flare Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting

In the News

Bloomberg

Leslie Vinjamuri

"The sort of immediate and urgent crisis is Iran, and it's not the nuclear program, it's the strait," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri tells Bloomberg. "He will be seeking to see whether China will do anything to help unlock that."

US Foreign Policy

May 11, 2026

Bloomberg Surveillance: US and Iran Wrangle Over Terms

In the News

Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast

Leslie Vinjamuri

"I think for the US president, the number one thing is really the Strait [of Hormuz], not the nuclear issue," said Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri while discussing the stalled peace talks between the US and Iran on the Bloomberg Surveillance Podcast.

President Trump points at reporters during a news conference at the White House on April 6, 2026.

Mark Schiefelbein / AP

US Foreign Policy

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Research

May 12, 2026

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

March 3, 2026

Majority of Americans Say Congress' Approval Needed for US Strikes in Iran

RESEARCH

Public Opinion Survey by Coauthors

While few Americans want to see Iran develop a nuclear weapon, just half expressed support for US airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities—and most believe direct military action would spark a broader regional war.