Poll: Three Quarters of Americans Support the Iran Deal

by Derek Davison If Donald Trump succeeds in pulling the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA), he won’t just face opposition from Tehran or from America’s European allies: he’ll have to deal… Continue Reading

No Happy Ending For Devastated Yemen

by Thomas W. Lippman Somewhere there may be hopeful signs about the stalemated war in Yemen, some optimistic visions about the country’s future, but if so they were not discernible at a well-attended conference in Washington on March 31. Diplomats,… Continue Reading

New Poll Highlights Need for Reform in the Middle East

by Derek Davison A new public opinion survey undertaken in six Arab countries, Iran, and Turkey finds that people are more likely to blame “corrupt, repressive, and unrepresentative governments” and “religious figures and groups promoting extremist ideas and/or incorrect religious… Continue Reading

Syrian Peace Talks Need to Focus on Governance

by Derek Davison With a second round of international talks on finding an end to Syria’s civil war taking place in Vienna on Saturday, Secretary of State John Kerry discussed his approach to the negotiations in an address to the… Continue Reading

Decision to Delist MEK was Multi-faceted

It is probably inaccurate to take the State Department to task in isolation as having made the decision to delist the Mujahadeen-e Khalq (MEK) from the US foreign terrorist organizations (FTO) list. State is the cabinet department that must officially announce… Continue Reading