Scholars Condemn the Papacy’s Complicity with One of the World’s Most Repressive Dictatorships as Caviar Diplomacy Reaches the Vatican
Macron Fears the Restiveness of His Own Arab Population and Wishes to Appease a Domestic Islamic Bloc That Cares Little for French Laicism
How the Nature of Iran’s Networks in Syria Was Widely Misunderstood
The Choice for the Trump Administration Is Stark: Defeat the Houthis or Double Down on Failed Strategies That Enable the Houthis to Thrive
Iran’s Parliament Considers ‘Gagging Bill’ That Would Impose Prison Sentences of up to 15 Years
Despite Knowing Fugitives’ Locations in Syria, Erdoğan Government Never Requested Extradition of ISIS Operatives Behind 2015 Ankara Bombing, Foreign Minister’s Letter Confirms
How the Muslim Brotherhood’s ‘Civilization-Jihad’ Strategy is Unfolding in Canada
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
Following the Islamic Republic’s 12-Day War with Israel, There May Be a Genuine Opportunity for the Iranian People to Reclaim Their Future from the Regime’s Grasp
Despite Growing Threats and Rising Antisemitism, Germany’s Pro-Israel Institutions Remain Dependent on the State and Unwilling to Confront It
As Deprivation Grows, Iranians Realize the Regime’s Poor Stewardship and Corruption Are More to Blame than Drought
Political and Military Will, and Manpower, Are Not Lacking in Southern Yemen
Labour Accused of Conflict of Interest for Appointing ‘Islamophobia’ Advisor to Run Watchdog
The Latest Violence in Syria Confirms a Hard Truth: The Current Regime Has neither the Capacity nor the Will to Rebuild a Unified, Pluralistic State
Greek Ships Are Ideal Targets: Rarely Escorted, High in Economic Impact and Low in Political Risk
Spotlight on War with Iran
The Iranian Navy and Air Force are effectively non-existent. The new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen since the start of the war. Basij checkpoints are being attacked by drones.

But the Islamic Republic is far from finished. The Strait of Hormuz has seen tankers attacked and oil flow is critical. What is the path to an end that is worth the dangers? MEF fellows and experts weigh in on all of this.
As unrest spreads across Iran, the regime and the opposition both face narrowing choices.
Iran’s Kurdish Armed Groups Remain Too Fragmented, Cautious and Constrained to Shape the War’s Outcome.
Sustained Strikes and the Removal of Senior Islamic Republic Figures Raise Questions About the Regime’s Durability
An Operational Concept for Reopening the Strait of Hormuz Without a Ground Campaign
A Doctrine for the Iranian Resistance
Classical Strategy and the Path from Air Campaign to Iranian Liberation
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. New alliances are growing in the Eastern Mediterranean, Syrian in-fighting cools down and let’s not forget North Africa.

The turmoil makes predictions perilous, but it also presents opportunities for change. Will the conflict with Iran create the conditions for broader peace and prosperity?
Cairo’s Regional Security No Longer Depends on Gulf Symbolism but on Eastern Mediterranean Energy Alignment
Behind Official Merger Language, Kobani Still Operates Under Kurdish Security Control
Iran’s Proxy Strategy Has Expanded Beyond the Levant and Now Threatens North Africa’s Strategic Balance
The Sánchez Regime Has Made Hostility to Jerusalem Its Policy and Israel Should Impose Consequences
When Turkish Networks Move Money, Weapons, People and Narcotics Across Borders, They Export Not Only Violence but Also the Institutional Weaknesses and Culture of Impunity
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
  1. Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi’s Field Reports on Kurdish Displacement, Minority Rights Are Already Shaping Policy Debate
  2. Three Policy Frameworks for the United States and Israel on Resistance, Succession, and the Strait of Hormuz
  3. As the Islamic Republic Cracks, the Iran Freedom Congress in London Races to Build the Framework Tehran Prayed Would Never Exist
  4. New Israel Fund-Backed Initiative, Inserted into U.S. Policy, Created Systematic Loopholes to Shield Anti-Israel Actors from Accountability
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