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

March 27, 2026

US Reportedly Weighing New Troop Deployment to the Middle East

In the News

BBC News

Leslie Vinjamuri

"This is a very deeply unpopular war," Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri says of the widening Iran conflict. "If we see boots on the ground, if we see high-risk operations undertaken, I think that will really galvanize Congress and the American public."

US Foreign Policy

March 20, 2026

Behind China's Measured Response to the Middle East Conflict

Analysis

by Leslie Vinjamuri

The Iran war is presenting the greatest test yet of the limits of America's power in an increasingly multipolar world.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping

Mark Schiefelbein / AP

Global Politics

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Research

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.

Plumes of smoke from two simultaneous strikes rise over Tehran, Iran

Mohsen Ganji / AP

US Foreign Policy

October 7, 2025

Democrats and Republicans Grapple with Internal Divisions on Israel

RESEARCH

Public Opinion Survey by Lama El Baz

As the war in Gaza continues, rifts between progressive and moderate Democrats are deepening—and cracks within the Republican Party are also beginning to show.