It Is Wishful Thinking to Believe the Houthis Will Simply Fade Away—They Crave Power and Money
Paris Has Seen Three Days of Demonstrations, with Pro-Islamic Republic Crowds Setting Out from Boulevard Voltaire
The Hypocrisy Is Not Accidental—It Is Part of a Broader Ideological Playbook That Mirrors the Regime’s Own Tactics
In Protests in Various Cities, the Flag of Israel and Former Flag of Iran are Present as People Stand Together for a Free Iran
The International Silence in This Case Raises Questions About the Consistency of Western Commitments to Religious Freedom
The Lack of an Official Statement by the Syrian Government So Far Does Not Mean That Syrians Are Not Following the Conflict with Interest
Before the Revolution and Before He Became President in 1981, Khamenei Was Often Described as a Spiteful, Uncharismatic, and Power-Hungry Man
Trump and Netanyahu Should Support the Iranian People in Their Potential Revolution to Overthrow the Regime
This Symbolic Act Likely Marks the Fever Breaking, Creating an Off-Ramp for De-escalation and a Return to Backchannel Diplomacy
With the U.S. Striking Its Nuclear Program Directly, Iran’s Worst Nightmare Has Come to Pass
Whether the Islamic Regime Might Collapse Is a Topic of Debate, Particularly Among Iranian Opposition Activists
Shia Imams Who Have No Influence over Trump Need to Tell Khamenei to Surrender
Pahlavi Has Not Expanded His Support Base Because His Followers Do Not Hear His Message of Unity and Liberalism
Spotlight on War with Iran
The Iranian Navy and Air Force are effectively non-existent. The new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen since the start of the war. Basij checkpoints are being attacked by drones.
But the Islamic Republic is far from finished. The Strait of Hormuz has seen tankers attacked and oil flow is critical. What is the path to an end that is worth the dangers? MEF fellows and experts weigh in on all of this.
But the Islamic Republic is far from finished. The Strait of Hormuz has seen tankers attacked and oil flow is critical. What is the path to an end that is worth the dangers? MEF fellows and experts weigh in on all of this.
As unrest spreads across Iran, the regime and the opposition both face narrowing choices.
Iran’s Kurdish Armed Groups Remain Too Fragmented, Cautious and Constrained to Shape the War’s Outcome.
Sustained Strikes and the Removal of Senior Islamic Republic Figures Raise Questions About the Regime’s Durability
An Operational Concept for Reopening the Strait of Hormuz Without a Ground Campaign
Classical Strategy and the Path from Air Campaign to Iranian Liberation
Spotlight on the Middle East
The entire region is affected by the conflict with Iran, but there are many other vital issues being covered by MEF. New alliances are growing in the Eastern Mediterranean, Syrian in-fighting cools down and let’s not forget North Africa.
The turmoil makes predictions perilous, but it also presents opportunities for change. Will the conflict with Iran create the conditions for broader peace and prosperity?
The turmoil makes predictions perilous, but it also presents opportunities for change. Will the conflict with Iran create the conditions for broader peace and prosperity?
Cairo’s Regional Security No Longer Depends on Gulf Symbolism but on Eastern Mediterranean Energy Alignment
Behind Official Merger Language, Kobani Still Operates Under Kurdish Security Control
Iran’s Proxy Strategy Has Expanded Beyond the Levant and Now Threatens North Africa’s Strategic Balance
The Sánchez Regime Has Made Hostility to Jerusalem Its Policy and Israel Should Impose Consequences
When Turkish Networks Move Money, Weapons, People and Narcotics Across Borders, They Export Not Only Violence but Also the Institutional Weaknesses and Culture of Impunity
Middle East Quarterly - Current Issue
Founded in 1994 by Daniel Pipes, MEQ is the Middle East Forum’s journal intended for both scholars and the educated public. Policymakers, opinion-makers, academics, and journalists write for and read the Quarterly, which is known for exclusive interviews, in-depth historical articles, and book reviews on subjects ranging from archaeology to politics and on countries from Morocco to Iran.
Spring 2026 Volume 33: Number 2
Spring 2026 Volume 33: Number 2
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Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi’s Field Reports on Kurdish Displacement, Minority Rights Are Already Shaping Policy Debate -
Three Policy Frameworks for the United States and Israel on Resistance, Succession, and the Strait of Hormuz -
As the Islamic Republic Cracks, the Iran Freedom Congress in London Races to Build the Framework Tehran Prayed Would Never Exist -
MEF Investigation Exposes How Nexus Project Operates as a ‘Laundromat’ for Anti-Zionist AntisemitismNew Israel Fund-Backed Initiative, Inserted into U.S. Policy, Created Systematic Loopholes to Shield Anti-Israel Actors from Accountability
Middle East Forum Observer
Founded in 2024, the Observer provides rapid analysis on leading Middle East developments, from Marrakech to Mashhad and the Bab el-Mandeb to the Black Sea.
Launched in 2006, Islamist Watch is a project of the Middle East Forum. We work to combat the ideas and institutions of lawful Islamism in the United States and throughout the West. Arguing that “radical Islam is the problem, moderate Islam is the solution,” we seek to expose the Islamist organizations that currently dominate the debate, while identifying and promoting the work of moderate Muslims.
CAMPUS WATCH, a project of the Middle East Forum, reviews and critiques Middle East studies in North America with an aim to improving them. The project mainly addresses five problems: analytical failures, the mixing of politics with scholarship, intolerance of alternative views, apologetics, and the abuse of power over students. Campus Watch fully respects the freedom of speech of those it debates while insisting on its own freedom to comment on their words and deeds.
