A great prize lies unclaimed by the United States and its allies: Lebanon. Ever since Hizballah’s deadly attack against the US Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983, which killed 241 American service ...

Once NATO's most reluctant member, Turkey hosts this week's summit in Ankara as wars in Ukraine and Iran — and Erdoğan's ties to President Trump — make it one of the alliance's most indispensable.

This past June, I had the opportunity to visit Ukraine and see a bit of a war I heretofore had only read about. The contrasts with the Middle Eastern wars I had experienced were stunning, as was, in ...

Christopher Blanchard is a Middle East Policy Analyst with the Congressional Research Service, where he provides objective, nonpartisan analysis and research support to the Members, committees, and ...

Founded in 1946, the Middle East Institute (MEI) is the leading Washington, DC-based institution focused solely on the Middle East, delivering non-partisan insights, analysis, and recommendations to ...

The generous contributions of MEI members support our research, events, and programming, and advance our mission to promote greater understanding of the Middle East. Individual membership provides ...

Trailer: Do You Love Me (2025), by Lana Daher. The Middle East Institute’s Arts & Culture Center is pleased to present a screening of the award-winning documentary Do You Love Me (75 min, 2025), by ...

ERBIL, IRAQ — FEB. 28, 2026: An Iranian air attack targeting the US military base at Erbil International Airport in northern Iraq was intercepted by air defense systems on Saturday, Feb. 28, amid ...

This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests. Anne-Linda Amira Augustin works as a political advisor in the Foreign Representation of the Southern ...

On June 14, 2026, the United States and Iran agreed on terms to end the war that started on February 28, 2026, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. MEI experts react to the deal and what it means for the ...

The global response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has focused new attention on friction between the United States and its traditional partners in the Gulf and reinforced skepticism regarding the ...

This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests.