America’s Standard of “Normal Nation” in the Middle East

by Pouya Alimagham On June 2, 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that the United States would be willing to engage with Iran as long as “the Iranians…behave like a normal nation.” Aside from the condescension of talking to… Continue Reading

Beware Iran’s Ideological Power

by Ali Rizk As tensions flare up between the Trump administration and Iran, many observers have been quick to point out that Iran is no Iraq and that war with Iran will have far more devastating consequences. Iran, for instance,… Continue Reading

The Real Plight of Idlib’s Civilians

by Helena Cobban In the northwest Syrian province of Idlib, three million civilians find themselves at the vortex of large-scale battles as the Syrian government and its allies seek to retake the area from the rebel forces that have controlled… Continue Reading

Lessons from the Gulf of Tonkin Incident

by Paul R. Pillar Disturbing similarities between the run-up to the Iraq War of 2003 and the Trump administration’s bellicosity toward Iran keep accumulating. They include war-selling rhetoric seemingly derived from the same script. But in some respects, the more… Continue Reading

Al-Qaeda: Still Deadly Threat in Yemen

by Jonathan Fenton-Harvey As peace talks to end Yemen’s four-year-long war stall, al-Qaeda carried out a deadly attack the Hadramawt province on May 3 that killed several civilians, showing the faction still poses a threat in Yemen. Despite being contained… Continue Reading