He Must Make Himself Acceptable to Factions and Interested Parties, All with Distinct Values and Sometimes Conflicting Interests
Extremist Organizations Thrive in Environments Defined by State Rivalry, Political Fragmentation, and Security Vacuums
With the Rape Gang Crisis, the Social Death of Vulnerable Girls Was Tolerated to Manage Tensions in a Multicultural Democracy
The Islamic Republic of Iran Now Faces the Largest U.S. Military Deployment Since the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
Israel and India Need a Shared Vision and a Proactive Action Plan for the Day After the Ayatollahs in Iran
Europe Can No Longer Afford to Treat the Western Balkans Merely as a Stalled Enlargement Project
As the Islamic Republic Cracks, the Iran Freedom Congress in London Races to Build the Framework Tehran Prayed Would Never Exist
There Is No Longer Any Illusion About the Prospect of a Genuine Democratic Transition in Syria Under Its Islamist Leadership
Antisemitic Textbooks Assert the Bible is Distorted and Paint ‘Paul the Jew’ As the Corruptor of Christianity
Parts of the Western Hemisphere Function as a Financial Backend, Logistics Marketplace, and Operational Sphere for Criminal Networks
The Nation Finds Itself Suspended Between the Haunting Legacy of Its past and an Ambitious, If Contentious, Military Future
Claims of an Ideological Pivot Obscure More Plausible Explanations for Riyadh’s Regional Behavior.
A Sudanese Militia Leader on War Aims, Allegations of Islamism, and the Future of the State
For Decades, the Islamic Republic Has Used the MEK as a Convenient Bogeyman to Frighten the Public and Justify Repression
Khamenei Has Safeguarded the Regime So That the Hardline Qom Clergy and Security Establishment Will Remain Dominant
Spotlight on War with Iran
A ceasefire is in effect, somewhat. Negotiations are starting soon in Pakistan about a full deal. There seem to be many obstacles to fulfilling the announced goals of the United States as the Iranians are circulating an entirely different plan.
The Strait of Hormuz was opened and then closed. Israel hit Hezbollah very hard the day after the ceasefire was announced. The future is very uncertain but the bombing has stopped and the talks will begin. MEF fellows and experts weigh in on all of this.
The Strait of Hormuz was opened and then closed. Israel hit Hezbollah very hard the day after the ceasefire was announced. The future is very uncertain but the bombing has stopped and the talks will begin. MEF fellows and experts weigh in on all of this.
As unrest spreads across Iran, the regime and the opposition both face narrowing choices.
Tehran Appears to Be Moving Toward Conditional Access, While Retaining the Ability to Disrupt Maritime Traffic
The Abrupt Announcement of a Two-Week Ceasefire in the War Between the U.S., Israel, and Iran Resolves None of the Issues Which Caused the Conflict
The Tactical Triumph and Strategic Uncertainty of Operation Epic Fury
While Legal Scholars Seek to Promote and Reinforce International Humanitarian Law, Their Subjectivity and Political Agendas Now Undermine It
The Iranian News Media Have Not Fully Reported the Reverberation of the War on the Iranian Economy
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. Political change in Iraq, Corruption in Turkey, and Islamists exerting their influence online and politically.
India and the UAE are deepening ties and tough words from Israel’s Chief Rabbinate to the Pope. The war has caused many problems for security and commerce, but it has also created opportunities. These issues and more are getting the attention of Middle East Forum authors.
India and the UAE are deepening ties and tough words from Israel’s Chief Rabbinate to the Pope. The war has caused many problems for security and commerce, but it has also created opportunities. These issues and more are getting the attention of Middle East Forum authors.
Iraq’s Crisis Is a Problem of Not Only Armed Factions but Also the Political Order That Preserved and Protected Them
Group that Affirmed Hamas’s October 7 Attack Defends Terrorists in India
Experts Warn of Radicalization Persisting at ‘Precariously High Levels’
Vatican Maintains Formal Ties with Top Iranian University Despite Theocratic Regime’s Massacre of Thousands
The Emirates Remains a Stabilizing Actor with Strong Ties to Israel, the United States, and Other Key Regional Players
Explosive Claims Point to Coordinated Pressure Campaign Targeting Wealthy Individuals
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
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.
Gaza
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The Way Forward for Those Seeking Independence Is Accountability for Their Actions and Rule of Law -
Hamas Now Stands to Rebuild Its Rule over Gaza, and to Reconstitute Its Hold on the Strip -
Before and after October 7, Israeli authorities have permitted radical Hamas-aligned Western Islamist charities to enter Gaza and work openly with Hamas terror leaders, with some convoys even arriving from the Israeli side of the border. -
The World Often Rewards Those Who Shout the Loudest Rather than Those Who Anchor Their Claims on Solid Ground
