Erdogan Positioning Turkey as the Center of the Muslim World
Bottom Line Up Front The disappearance and likely murder of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is the latest episode in an on-again, […] More
Middle East
Iran’s Proxies in Iraq
Bottom Line Up Front Iran’s Shi’a militia allies in Iraq enable the mullahs to exert substantial influence over Baghdad, and will continue to do so […] More
Syria’s Reality: A View from Amman
With increasingly confusing statements and actions from the White House and the Pentagon on U.S. policy toward Syria, The Cipher Brief presented a live briefing […] More
The New Risks, Realities and Opportunities in the Middle East
As Iran and Israel trade accusations over Iran’s nuclear program, and the U.S. sends indicators that it may pull out of the JCPOA agreement, The […] More
Are Israel and Iran Stuck on a Collision Course?
Just last month, the long-simmering Israeli-Iranian conflict came out of the shadows when Iran sent a drone across the Jordanian border into Israel, and Israel […] More
Libya’s Revolution Seven Years On: As Good As It Gets?
February 15, 2018, will mark the seventh anniversary of the Benghazi rallies, in which Libyans took to the streets to protest the arrest of a […] More
Is America’s Balancing Act in the Gulf Sustainable?
Bottom Line: As the ongoing dispute between Qatar and Arab countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates enters its eighth month, […] More
Friction Ahead: Tehran Faces Enemies Foreign & Domestic in 2018
For this last week of 2017, we asked our experts to look ahead at key national security issues. Intelligence veteran and Iran hand Norman Roule […] More
Looking Ahead on Jerusalem, and Beyond
For this last week of 2017, we asked our experts to look back on key topics for this year, and predict what they see for […] More
Kushner Stumbles on Bumps in the Road on Mideast Junket
The whirlwind Middle East trip last week by Trump son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner and his team working to restart Israel-Palestinian talks highlighted the […] More
How Kuwait is Surviving the Gulf Crisis
Next week, on August 2, is the 27th anniversary of the day Saddam’s forces stormed across Iraq’s southern border with the goal of annexing their small […] More
Bridging the Gulf: Kuwait Mediates the Latest Dispute
The ongoing diplomatic confrontation between Qatar and four Arab nations – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt – has exacerbated regional tensions […] More
Kuwait Sees No Benefit from Gulf Sqaubbling
With the dispute between Qatar and its neighbors nearing the two-month mark with no resolution in sight, Kuwait has stepped in as a mediator in […] More
Harsh Demands from Arab States to Qatar but Room for Compromise
On Friday, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and a number of allied Arab states provided Qatar with a list of 13 steep demands that […] More
Saudi Shakeup: No Surprise, but Vast Implications for U.S.
The only surprising thing about the leadership shakeup ordered on Wednesday by King Salman of Saudi Arabia was the timing. It has long been apparent […] More
Qatar Controversy: U.S. Creates Vacuum with Mixed Messaging
Today’s diplomatic chaos pitting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Egypt, and other Sunni states against Qatar, can be partly blamed on Trump’s […] More
Cipher Brief Expert View: Qatar’s Rift with Arab States Brewing for Years
Monday morning, several Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Yemen, Libya’s eastern-based government, and the Maldives, announced their […] More
Would an Arab NATO Help Stabilize the Mideast — or Inflame Iran?
During last week’s Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, President Donald Trump and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud strongly condemned Iranian support for […] More