U.S. Top Court’s Halkbank Ruling Could Spell Trouble for Turkey’s Erdoğan over Iran Sanctions Scheme
At the Heart of the Dispute Lies an Allegation That Halkbank Played a Central Role in an Elaborate Financial Network Designed to Help Iran Evade U.S. Sanctions
European, U.S. and U.N. Officials Should Signal to Tufan Erhürman, the Newly Elected President of Northern Cyprus, That He Can Make a Fresh Start
Turkish Cypriot Casinos Have Doubled in Number and Become Engines for Money Laundering with No Real Oversight
Iran Has the Largest Maritime and Tanker Fleet in the Region, but Its Vessels Are Old, and Much of Its Aviation Fleet Is Also Inactive
The Regime Often Floats an Extreme Option to Test Public Opinion, Then Retreats to a ‘Lesser Evil’ to Defuse Criticism
At Its Height, in the 15-Month Period Between April 2024 and July 2025, This Was a Region-Wide, State-to-State Conflict
Against All Odds, Two Years After October 7, 2023, Israel Has Generated a Much Higher Level of Security than It Had Before the Hamas Attack
The Conviction for ‘Hate Speech’ Has Ignited a Conversation About the Boundaries of Religious Expression and Freedom of Conscience in Europe
Mosque in Windsor Previously Hosted Pro-Iranian Events
House of Palestine Founder Named City’s “Favorite Daughter”
Erdoğan’s Endorsement of the Ceasefire Is Crucial Because It Sets a Precedent That Could Resolve Two Persistent Conflicts for Which Turkey Is at the Center
It Is Unlikely That These Arrests Are Random or Merely Aimed at Intimidating Local Populations
Real Peace Can Come Only After a Clear Victory for Israel — Or, Put Another Way, the Unmitigated Defeat of Its Enemies
Police Fail to Investigate Multiple Islamist Preachers for ‘Hate Speech’
Shadow Justice Secretary Calls for Guidance Against ‘Criminalizing Heresy’
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.
