Enhancing peace, security, and people-to-people ties between the US and the Middle East through dialogue, engagement and exchange.
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Watch live this Wednesday: Sen. @ChrisMurphyCT on his recent trip to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and Congress's role in foreign policy after the midterms. Moderated by @missy_ryan.
piped.video/live/pa69HnMOQyc…
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Algeria may embark on its first overseas military mission in more than 50 years. The deployment to Niger is officially framed around protecting the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which would carry Nigerian gas to Algeria for export.
However, MEI’s @IntissarFakir tells the BBC that, more than protecting economic interests, it's about restoring Algeria’s influence in a Sahel where its role has weakened.
“There is a strong argument from Algeria’s perspective that they need to lay the groundwork for something much more engaged… so [they] can protect their own interests, whether they are strategic or economic.”
Watch the full interview:
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In a new piece for @Haaretz, MEI Senior Fellow Chuck Freilich argues that Israel’s upcoming election may be the last chance to revive what he describes as the liberal, humanist, and truly Zionist Israel built by the Zionist left.
Read the full piece here: haaretz.com/opinion/2026-10-…
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"[Iran’s leaders are] expecting this to be a protracted war of attrition. … The regime feels comfortable that it can pull it off. But what the regime needs to watch out for is what happens to Iranian public opinion," explains @AlexVatanka. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
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MEI marked the release of its new report, The Middle East Beyond the Iran War, with a panel featuring Senior Fellows @gonultol, @georgetownprof, and @JasonHCampbell, moderated by The Hill reporter @HelloLauraKelly.
Read the full report: mei.edu/beyond-the-iran-war/
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New policy memo: Turkey’s thinking on nuclear weapons appears to be shifting as a result of the Iran war. MEI’s @gonultol on why the US still has a window to shape Turkey's nuclear future.
mei.edu/policymemo/turkey-an…
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Despite the Iran war, Syria has experienced its most stable months in 15 years. @Charles_Lister examines how the war’s destabilizing effects across the region have opened new opportunities for Damascus.
Read the full report: mei.edu/beyond-the-iran-war/
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MEI Senior Fellow @JasonHCampbell joined @CBSNews to discuss the United Kingdom's decision to expand its military support for Saudi Arabia amid escalating Houthi attacks from Yemen.
Watch the full segment: cbsnews.com/video/why-the-uk…
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Report Launch Event: Join MEI tomorrow for an in-person, in-depth discussion with authors of "The Middle East Beyond the Iran War": @gonultol, @JasonHCampbell, and Ross Harrison (@georgetownprof). Moderated by @HelloLauraKelly of The Hill.
Register: mei.edu/events/mei-report-la…
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Western Sahara rarely makes headlines, but on October 31, the UN will decide on a longstanding mission in the disputed territory.
MEI’s @IntissarFakir presents three options before the UN Security Council: ending MINURSO, scaling it back
For more on Western Sahara, read this backgrounder by MEI's Hamad Alshamlan: also explains why the mission may survive unchanged after a year of US pressure.
Read her analysis: mei.edu/publication/minursos…
For more on Western Sahara, read this backgrounder by MEIs Hamad Alshamlan: mei.edu/backgrounder/western…
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"Hezbollah knows its real enemy isn't Israel; its real enemy is a Lebanese alternative of peace and a state."
In a new piece for @ThisIsBeirut_, Ambassador David Hale explains how Hizballah has lost its grip on power.
thisisbeirut.com.lb/opinion/…
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Iraq has found itself caught in a difficult position between the US and Iran. Kenneth Pollack examines what the war is costing Iraq, why Baghdad’s ties to Washington matter more than ever, and what the US stands to lose.
Read the full report: mei.edu/beyond-the-iran-war/
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“Decades from now, we may look back on this conflict as a watershed moment that fundamentally reshaped the bedrock principles of modern geopolitics.”
In a new piece for @ForeignPolicy, MEI Vice President for Policy Ken Pollack examines how the Iran war has already transformed the Middle East and what its far-reaching consequences could mean for the Gulf, China, Israel, and the global order.
Read the full essay: foreignpolicy.com/2026/10/19…
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“War is a function of compute.”
@TheNationalNews covered MEI’s panel on the US AI stack in the Middle East, where MEI Senior Fellow @ThisIsSoliman argued the war with Iran may push the UAE and Saudi Arabia to invest more in AI, not less. He added that reports of Chinese support for Iran could tilt Gulf buying decisions toward the US. NVIDIA’s Ruth Berry said the region’s AI ambitions remain intact and demand for infrastructure is still strong.
thenationalnews.com/future/t…
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On Taking the Edge Off the Middle East with Brian @Katulis, @Andrewtabler discusses what led him to establish the @ForumDrake and what distinguishes this conference from other energy policy convenings.
Watch the full episode here: piped.video/i0_taui6OQc
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MEI's Tim Lenderking was quoted by @FoxNews discussing the threat posed by the Houthis: "They have the capability to hit around the region, including up into the northern reaches of the Red Sea. So, this is a regional problem, and given the fact that the Houthis control the west coast of Yemen... it's an international problem now."
foxnews.com/world/houthis-em…
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Watch the full briefing on Saudi Arabia and the Houthis featuring Tim Lenderking and Ibrahim Al-Assil: mei.edu/events/riyadhs-yemen…
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