A Circulated Iraqi Justice Ministry Document Provides New Detail on the Scope and Nationalities of Transferred Detainees
New Delhi Has Effectively Shut Down the ‘Ship-to-Ship’ Transfer Networks Used to Mask the Origin of Iranian Crude
Some Analysts Warn That If the Regime Survives, It Could Emerge Strengthened and Suppress Internal Dissent
Ordinary Iranians Have Formed a Collective Resistance That Surpasses the State’s Capacity to Crack Down on It
The Visit Underscores the Transformation of India-Israel Ties Into a High-Trust Strategic Partnership
For Decades, the International Community Remained Stubbornly Wedded to a ‘Top-Down’ Fantasy
India’s Trade with the United States and European Union Reaches Roughly $400 Billion—More than 133 Times India-Iran Trade
In a Highly Anticipated Move, the Trump Administration Designated Factions of the Global Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organizations Last Month
This Geopolitical and Economic Model Turns National Territory Into a Forward Operating Base
Iran Faces the Largest U.S. Naval and Air Deployment in the Region Since the 2003 Iraq War
Leadership Change May Disrupt Tempo, but It Does Not Dismantle Embedded Networks Built over Years
The Current Islamist Government of Turkey Has Never Taken Any Action to Curb This Illegal Funding for Hezbollah
While Saied’s Current Mandate Still Has Years to Run, the Architecture for Its Extension Is Already Being Built
Washington Has Misread the Houthis for Too Long
The Document neither Defines Borders nor Displays Any Indication to Accept Peaceful Coexistence with Israel
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.
Antisemitism
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A Colombian Immigrant’s Journey Through Cultural Identity, Zionism, and the Backlash Post-October 7 -
Events unfolding in Denver serve as a cautionary tale, illustrating a movement rooted not in a sincere quest for justice, but in a troubling mix of ignorance and radicalism. -
Attempts to Portray the Fight Against Campus Antisemitism as a Form of Political Subterfuge Are Profoundly Dangerous -
As long as elites blame Jews for problems in the societies they lead, they will remain unable to confront the source of the threats to their well-being.
Gaza
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‘Morag’ Is Intended to Drive a Wedge Between the Rafah and Khan Yunis Brigades of Hamas, and Then to Destroy These Formations -
Gaza’s Powerful but Usually Cowed Clan Leaders Called on Gazans to ‘Launch a Popular Uprising’ and for Hamas to ‘Lift Its Hand from Gaza Immediately’ -
Pressure Mounts on Both Sides—Who Will Yield First in This Endless War? -
The Plan Is a Dangerous Scheme That Threatens Israel’s Security, Strengthens Hamas, and Undermines U.S. Strategic Interests
