The Forum Roundtable: Failed and Failing States in the Middle East

In 2010, the Arab Spring, involving anti-government protests and armed uprisings across much of the Arab world, led to civil war, rulers being deposed, and domestic violence. Fast forward to 2025 and the world continues to see instability across the Middle East. The decade-long civil war in Syria suddenly ended with the Assad regime’s toppling; Turkey, facing its own civil unrest as millions take to the streets, has hegemonic aspirations that extend far beyond Syria; Iran’s economy is tumbling in a downward spiral while it faces pressure from both Israel and the United States to relinquish its quest for nuclear weapons lest war become imminent; Lebanon’s new president appears to wish to take advantage of Israel’s successful attacks on Hezbollah and implement true change; and Iraq remains in limbo after the U.S. withdrew forces and Iran became embroiled in post-10/7 regional turmoil. Unpacking this complex and volatile regional reality in this month’s Forum Roundtable are the esteemed Cliff May, Founder and President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Michael Doran, Senior Fellow and Director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, and the Middle East Forum’s Jonathan Spyer, moderated by Lauri Regan, host of the Forum Roundtable.

Michael Doran is a senior fellow and the director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute.

Clifford May is the founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Lauri Regan, host of the Forum Roundtable podcast series, serves as the vice president, treasurer, and board member of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East and as a board member of Polaris National Security.

Jonathan Spyer is director of research at the Middle East Forum.

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