As the Conflict Between Israel and Hezbollah Continues, the Lebanese Have Made It Clear This Battle Is Not Theirs
Mahfouz Had Originally Intended to Become a Philosopher. That He Became a Novelist Instead Was, for the Arabic Language, an Extraordinary Stroke of Fortune
We Must Save Ourselves from Ourselves
The Abraham Accords Laid the Groundwork, but the Current War Has Forged the True Alliance, as Iran Attacks Gulf Cooperation Council States
Both Countries Play Roles That Protect Tehran Diplomatically and Support Aspects of Its Military Effort
Oil Storage and Fuel Infrastructure Have Sustained Damage, with No Short-Term Outlook for Restoring Exports to Pre-Conflict Levels
The Small Baltic Nation Understands the Battlefield in a Way the European Union Never Will
While Hezbollah Appears Unable to Prevent the Movement of the IDF on the Ground in Lebanon, It Is Succeeding in Launching Large Amounts of Ordnance at Israel from Further North
Reformist Politicians Criticize Militarism and Economic Decline, Yet Do Little to Alter the Trajectory Set by the Regime’s Hardliners
Hayrettin Demircan Was Formally Designated a Suspect by Public Prosecutors Investigating Clandestine Iranian Intelligence Activities on Turkish Soil as Part of a Terrorism Probe
Escalation Along the Tihama Coast Is Part of a Coordinated Political-Military Strategy, Not Merely a Local Tactical Maneuver
Iraq Needs a New Prime Minister to Guide the Country Through the Turbulence of the War with Iran
Defeatism Is the Worn-Out Garment of Decadent Western Ruling Classes. Not So the U.S. and Israel
The Displaced Syrian Shia in Homs Are Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Afraid or Unable to Return Home, and Now Facing Israeli Airstrikes in Lebanon
Washington Asks Baghdad to Control Iranian Proxies but Does Not Fully Acknowledge the Environment It Faces
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
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The U.S. State Department Has Designated Four Iran-Backed Shi’a Militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Following Years of Advocacy by the Middle East Forum -
Middle East Forum Report Exposes Terror Ties Among Faculty as University Reels from President’s Resignation and $790M Federal Funding Freeze -
DHS: ‘We Take the Results of the MEF Report Very Seriously’
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The Dispute Currently Making News Across America’s Digital Landscape Has Been Fought Before -
Over the Years, Erdoğan Hosted Hamas, Providing Diplomatic Cover for Its Leadership -
IMEC Can Also Contain China’s Ambition to Expand More Into the Mediterranean -
It Is in America’s Interest to Engage in Helping Stabilize Syria and the Greater Region
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.
Antisemitism
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If Investigation Confirms Iranian Involvement in the Bondi Massacre, Canberra Must Sever Diplomatic Relations with Tehran -
Canberra Once Aligned with the United States on Middle East Issues, Including Israel, but Prime Minister Albanese Has Hewn a Different Path -
Where Are the U.N. Officials Who Argue They Cannot Be Part of an Organization That Increasingly Fuels Blood Libel and One of the World’s Oldest Hatreds? -
Tucker Carlson Is an Antisemite Whose Racism Disqualifies Him from the Realm of Political Discourse
Gaza
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Major Restructuring Follows Exposé of Hamas Inserting Operatives into Western Charities -
Islamabad Cannot Afford to Upset Turkey or Qatar and Is Far More Likely to Help Rebuild Hamas than to Disarm It -
A Disinformation Campaign Reveals the Somali Government’s Fear of Strategic Irrelevance -
Algiers Turns Humanitarian Branding Into A Soft-Power Weapon After Defeat At The U.N.
Muslims in the US
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Bothell’s Deputy Mayor Promotes Non-Profit with Troubling History -
CAIR Encourages Illegal Immigrants to Evade Law Enforcement -
The Executive Order’s Central Thrust Is to Restore, Repair, and Expand National Security Vetting Across Every Agency That Might Touch Immigration -
Pro-Hamas, Anti-jewish College Demonstrators Here on Visas Are on Notice That Their U.S. Welcome Is Over, Even with Expected Lawsuits
