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 ...

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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 ...

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 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, ...

In November 2025, the United States sought and obtained approval for a United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 2803) endorsing the formation of a Board of Peace (BoP) and International ...

This individual is a guest contributor. MEI is not able to assist with contact requests. Dr. James M. Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and scholar, an Honorary Fellow at the National University ...

It appears that Donald Trump’s Iran policy has shifted from “maximum pressure” to “maximum uncertainty,” with Washington sending mixed messages in the aftermath of the US president’s decision to ...

Several weeks ago, Saeed Mohammad’s name made the rounds as a possible candidate for Iran’s upcoming presidential election in June. Observers started looking into the past of the relatively unknown ...