For Years, Al Qaeda Has Benefited from Its Mutual Arrangement with the Islamic Republic and Its Protection
If Washington and Jerusalem Are Serious in Their Stated Ambition of Destroying the Islamic Regime in Tehran, They Need of Allies on the Ground
Perhaps a Portion of the Huge Facility Can Become a Repository for Documents and Personnel Records Related to the Regime
The Polisario’s Collapse Is Now Accelerating in Real Time. Its Traditional Patrons Are Vanishing
Elevating a Dead Man Would Be Far-Fetched, so Mojtaba Khamenei May Be Injured and in Hiding
Two Large Gas Fields off the Northern Coast Form a Critical Pillar of Israel’s Energy Security and Economic Stability
The Islamic Republic May Be Portraying Certain Leaders as Pragmatists as Part of a Deliberate Campaign
Iran Intended Its Strikes to Pressure the U.S.-Israeli Operation to Stop. For Now, That Narrative Has Collapsed
Ideologues Do Not Shed Their Ideology Easily and Will See Compromise as a Weakness to Exploit
Pakistan’s Strategic-Depth Doctrine Assumed Taliban Compliance, Yet Taliban Authorities Resisted Pakistani Pressure
Victory Comes Not Only with Bombs and Missiles, but by Winning Hearts and Minds
If the Strait of Hormuz Remains Blocked for Several More Weeks, Global Oil Prices Could Rise to $120–$150 per Barrel
Damascus’s Plan for Sweida Could Reshape Israel’s Northern Frontier
The Islamic Republic Has Spent Decades and Billions of Dollars on Proxy Groups in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen to Engage Enemies
That Indian Shi’a Hold Extraterritorial Loyalties Towards a Murderous Regime Defies Logic and Reason
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 “Woke Right” Threatens America First with Isolationist Policies and Antisemitic Rhetoric That Undermine Its Patriotic Foundations -
In Early November Spain Refused to Allow a U.S.-Flagged Ship to Dock at Its Ports, Alleging It Was Carrying Military Supplies to Israel -
From Medieval Scapegoating to Modern “Social Justice” Narratives, Antisemitism Evolves but Endures, Targeting Jews as Universal Villains in Shifting Ideological Frameworks
Gaza
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Biblical Scholars and Israel Experts Blast Catholic Priest for Distorting History -
U.S.-Backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: Cyprus Could Be a ‘Humanitarian Transit Area’ in a $2B Scheme to ‘Temporarily’ House Palestinian Refugees -
The Netanyahu Govt.’s Spectacular Reversal Points to a Lack of a Coherent Strategy and Raises Serious Questions About Israel’s Ability to Win the War -
Contrary to What Some Academics and Journalists Claim, the Root of the Conflict Is Explained by Long-Standing Israeli Concerns
