by Paul R. Pillar The statement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the latest incident involving tankers in the Gulf of Oman is questionable on multiple counts, beginning with his immediate, semi-automatic attribution of responsibility to Iran. The origin… Continue Reading
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
by Paul R. Pillar The selective release of classified information from U.S. intelligence agencies has long been a favorite way for administrations to make a public case amid doubt or controversy. Raw intelligence lends a cachet of seriousness and authenticity… Continue Reading
by Eldar Mamedov The situation around Iran, which only seemed to be moving inexorably toward a crisis, recently took a slightly more hopeful turn. Multiple international efforts to facilitate de-escalation between the United States and Iran, in addition to both… Continue Reading
by Emile Nakhleh The confluence of the Israeli snap elections, the Arab, Muslim, and Gulf Cooperation Council summits in Mecca this past weekend, and the upcoming “Bahrain Workshop” underscores the amateur nature of President Trump’s Middle East policy. The conundrum… Continue Reading