U.S. Syria Policy Is a Strategic Failure

by Daniel Brumberg U.S. policy toward Syria pivots around vague and potentially incompatible goals that are not linked to adequate means. The White House wants to insure the permanent destruction of the Islamic State (ISIS or IS), expel Iranian and… Continue Reading →

Iran’s Economic Populism: Antidote to U.S. Pressure

by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi Exactly 30 years ago, I wrote a dissertation of over 500 pages on state and populism in Iran that ended with a chapter on “permanent populism.” This concept draws together various strands: the pattern of post-revolutionary… Continue Reading →

A Flawed American Sanctions Policy on Iran

by Daniel Brumberg The Trump Administration’s decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran is animated by a deeply flawed grasp of Iranian politics and an incoherent strategy, one that will not be realized by dreams of regime change in the country.… Continue Reading →

Saudi Arabia Braces for Tougher Post-Election U.S. Attitude

by James M. Dorsey Saudi Arabia is bracing itself for a potentially more strained relationship with the United States in the wake of Democrats gaining control of the House of Representatives in this week’s mid-term elections and mounting Turkish efforts… Continue Reading →

Khashoggi Affair: Will US Now Put Its Interests First in Middle East?

by Robert E. Hunter Yesterday, President Donald Trump snapped back all sanctions on Iran that were removed as the U.S. part of the bargain under the July 2015 nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA). That agreement… Continue Reading →