Iran at a Strategic Breaking Point

By Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy /

The war in June and recent nationwide protests could shape not only Iran’s future but also broader debates on sovereignty, intervention, nuclear proliferation, and the prospects for fundamental political change

The Banality of a Public Race for the Nobel Peace Prize

By Kourosh Ziabari /

Donald Trump’s year-long campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize was not just impractical, unrealistic, or outrageous. It showed a clear disregard for the rules of the Nobel Foundation

Gamechanger or Fantasy? Trump’s Evolving Middle East Strategy

Trump’s return to the White House has revived his ambition to reshape the Middle East, but as the recent war between Israel and Iran shows, the way forward is anything but simple and demands an unprecedented level of U.S. involvement

Tehran’s Red Lines, Trump’s Maximum Pressure, and Regime Survival

By Ali Fathollah-Nejad / Spring/Summer 2025

Progress toward a potential nuclear deal between the United States and Iran stalls, amid a high-stakes process for Tehran and others

A Pacifism for Our Times

By Antonio Patriota / Fall 2024

Growing trends of unilateralism are encouraging violence and threatening a systemic breakdown of international law and order. Change must come, and soon

The Strategic Calculus behind the Saudi-Iranian Agreement

By Abdolrasool Divsallar and Hesham Alghannam /

Reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia creates opportunities for cooperation and poses security challenges stemming from opposing objectives, and foreign and domestic spoilers.

Iran-Saudi Arabia: A Regional Transformation?

By Ana Davis and Omar Auf /

The expected resumption of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran has the potential to reshape the dynamics of the Middle East by bringing an end to proxy wars and creating opportunity for regional stability.

What Losing the Iran Deal Could Mean for the Region

By Seyed Hossein Mousavian / Fall 2022/Winter 2023

If President Joe Biden is seeking to restore sustainable peace and security in the region, he has to start with reviving the JCPOA

The Nuclear Pyramid of the Islamic Republic

By Ali Fathollah-Nejad and Rahman Bouzari /

Iran has squandered billions on a nuclear program that has impoverished its people and hastened ecological disaster.

Solving the Nuclear Stalemate between Iran and the United States

By Gawdat Bahgat / Spring 2021

To reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and provide an effective security apparatus across the region, all Middle Eastern countries need to move beyond a zero-sum mentality.

The Iran Nuclear Deal: A Springboard for a New Middle East Security Architecture

By Nabil Fahmy / February 25, 2021

The Iran nuclear deal could be the first building block in a new Middle East security architecture.

Why the Phrase “Arab Spring” Should be Retired

By Sean David Hobbs / Winter 2021

It’s time to stop using a Western-based concept ten years on from the events that began the Arab Uprisings.

In the Zone: The Long and Winding Road to Middle East Disarmament

By Karim Haggag / Winter 2021

As the international community grapples with the immediate challenge of Iran’s nuclear program, those in Washington and other capitals should consult Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Emad Kiyaei’s book and perhaps devise a more considered approach to rid the Middle East of the threat of mass destruction that continues to hang over the region.

Arab Retooling of the Iran Nuclear Agreement

By Nabil Fahmy /

Middle East peace and security must include regional involvement in any future U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement.

Re-Engineering Regional Security

By Sydney Wise / Summer 2020

In the last half-century, Egypt has had to negotiate its way through the Arab–Israeli peace process, regional nuclear proliferation, and domestic political transition. What has it taught us?

Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament in the Middle East

By Amanda Tapp / Fall 2019

Where 70 years of nuclear history have led the region…

Facing the Nuclear Storm

By Ali Ahmad and Benedetta Bonometti / Fall 2019

Countries across the Middle East are building or have already started operating their nuclear power plants. To assess how “resilient” their nuclear energy systems are, one must look at a number of important risks and factors

Security for All or for None

By Sean David Hobbs / Fall 2019

Iranian foreign policy guru Seyed Hossein Mousavian discusses nuclear weaponization and the need for a multilateral security network in the Middle East

Beyond Sanctions

By Farnaz Alimehri / Fall 2019

Understanding how North Korea circumvents sanctions offers key insights into the world of WMD finance—and ways to stop other would-be proliferators

A Nuclear Curse and a Nuclear Blessing

By Selim Sazak / Fall 2019

The decline of the United States is mirrored in the rise of Russian and Chinese nuclear energy reactors being built across the Middle East and beyond

Middle East WMD-Free Zone: Thinking the Possible

By Emad Kiyaei and Paul Ingram / Fall 2019

A core group of civil society members together with international experts and diplomats is at the forefront of an initiative to create a zone free from Weapons of Mass Destruction

Avoiding an Ominous Arms Race

By Nabil Fahmy / Fall 2019

Begin by holding negotiations for a WMD-free zone to which Israel, Iran, and all Arab states are party

A Win-Win for Iran and the Region

By Seyed Hossein Mousavian / Spring 2019

Iran’s role in the “end-state diplomatic model” of conflict resolution and crisis management in the Middle East

Saved by Europe or Killed by Trump?

By Reza Marashi / May 17, 2018

A commentary on whether Europe will be able to salvage the Iranian Nuclear Pact or if the Trump Administration can unilaterally scrap the JCPOA.

Is a Nuclearized Middle East Inevitable?

By Nabil Fahmy / Spring 2018

How to address the challenge of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

Trump’s Dangerous Gamble

By Peter Jones / May 13, 2018

The consequences of Trump’s short-sighted decision on the Iran Nuclear Pact and an analysis of the JCPOA’s pros and cons.