Bolivia’s Central Position and Permissive Counterintelligence Conditions Lower the Barriers for External Actors
Tehran’s Intention Will Be to Cling on to Power and Inflict Sufficient Damage to Effect an Eventual Ceasefire Which It Will Present as a Victory
His Public Commentary and Seminary Work Suggest He Believes Any Compromise Should Be Made in Strategy, Not Religious Values
If the U.S. and Israel Are Keeping Certain Iranian Leaders Alive to Fill the Vacuum, That Would Be a Significant Mistake
The Regime May Still Hold the Center, but Holding the Center Is Not the Same as Maintaining State Capacity
Even If Tehran and Washington Were to Reach a New Nuclear Agreement, Such Participation Would Remain Unrealistic
Khamenei’s Death Creates a Power Vacuum in Iran: Constitutional Succession May Stall, the IRGC Could Seize Control, and Opposition Leaders May Need Protection to Govern
The Post–9/11 AUMF for Operations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Beyond, Remains Operative
The Urge to Declare Victory, Halt Military Operations, and Wait for the Regime to Collapse Organically Will Grow Exponentially in the Coming Hours
A Father, A War, and The Moment Prediction Became Reality
The Job of a Journalist Is Not to Report the Rumor, but to Get to the Truth
Proxy Militias Whose Creation Predates the Islamic Republic Will Need a Concerted Effort to Combat
Those Who Have Endured the Regime’s Oppressive Policies Must Secure Recognition and the Right to Self-Determination
It Is Clear That the Islamic Republic’s Strategy Will Simply Be to Survive
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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The Expressed Anti-american, Anti-Israel, and Antisemitic Sentiment Is Nothing New Among Middle East Studies Professors. -
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
Gaza
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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 -
Bothell’s Deputy Mayor Promotes Non-Profit with Troubling History
