On Lebanese-Israeli Border, US and Iran Are Negotiating

by Joe Macaron On May 13, while The New York Times reported that the White House was reviewing military plans to attack Iran, a plane carrying the State Department’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield quietly landed… Continue Reading

Renewing Waivers for Nuclear Projects with Iran Serves U.S. Interests

by Kelsey Davenport A critical decision in the long-running effort to block Iran’s potential path to nuclear weapons is just days away. The Trump administration must decide by May 2 to renew sanctions waivers allowing required nuclear cooperation projects with… Continue Reading

Beyond the Deal: Turkish-Iranian Energy Relations in the Post-Sanctions Era

by Omid Shokri Kalehsar Because of the EU/U.S. sanctions regime against Iran’s energy sector, the country’s oil and gas production capacities have been decimated. Following the signing of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—Iran hoped… Continue Reading

Kuwait and Kurdish Separatism

by Giorgio Cafiero and Jesse Schatz The unresolved Kurdish question remains a highly influential dynamic in the Middle East’s geopolitical order. Recent developments in Iraqi and Syrian Kurdistan are significantly contributing to regional realignments involving Iran and Turkey—both heavily invested… Continue Reading