The West Should Stop Reassuring Its Middle Eastern Allies

by Eldar Mamedov Does a resurgent Iran, freed from international sanctions following the implementation of the nuclear agreement, pose a security threat to the Gulf states? If so, how should the West reassure its Gulf allies against this threat? These… Continue Reading →

Needed: A Balanced Approach to Saudi-Iran Escalation

by Ellie Geranmayeh Relations between Riyadh and Tehran have gone from terrible to non-existent. It is clear to the West that both sides have provoked further escalation in an already fragile region. It will be critical to avoid aligning too… Continue Reading →

The Real Reason Why Saudi Arabia Executed Sheikh Nimr

by Shireen Hunter Saudi Arabia finally executed the elderly Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, even though many Muslim and other religious leaders as well as the United Nations and a number of political leaders had urged—at least privately—Saudi Arabia… Continue Reading →

Why Deterrence Against Iran Is a Bad Idea

by Eldar Mamedov In the November-December 2015 issue of Foreign Affairs, prominent American scholar Michael Mandelbaum argues that in order to deter Iran from going nuclear, the agreement reached by P5+1 should be supplemented by an explicit threat of US… 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 →