Mehrdad Akhlaghi was appointed defense minister in October 2026 by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He is an unusual choice, as, unlike most of his predecessors, he does not come from a uniformed ...

This collection of short essays written by the Fellows of the Middle East Institute explores various aspects of the war with Iran. The intent is to help readers see new and unexpected elements of the ...

One striking thing about US President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this past week is how isolated he was in making this call. The Israeli Prime Minister has ...

Iulia Joja is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), where she focuses on European and Black Sea security, with particular attention to defense, strategic cultures, and transatlantic ...

Karen E. Young is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), where she leads the Economics and Energy Initiative. She is also a senior research scholar at the Columbia University Center on ...

IMEC is designed to create a resilient supply chain network connecting South Asia (namely India), the Middle East, and Europe. It aims to transport goods, energy, and data, bypassing the Bab al-Mandab ...

The artificial intelligence (AI) era demands a fundamental rethinking of strategic infrastructure and international partnerships. Just as oil shaped the geopolitical landscape of the 20th century, ...

This report assesses the future sustainability of agriculture across North Africa using a multidimensional approach that considers the dynamics of water, climate, land, and economics. To enable this ...

Anwar Alam is a Senior Fellow with Policy Perspectives Foundation, New Delhi. Earlier, he served as full Professor in the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Economics and Administrative ...

This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests. Naser Alsayed is a doctoral researcher at SOAS University of London, specializing in natural resource ...

This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests. Mirjam Künkler is a Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences, ...

Interview with Dr. Yiyi Chen on Hebrew/Jewish Studies in China and Sino-Israel Relations Some might find it surprising to learn that China was never hostile or belligerent towards Israel. China never ...