Key Takeaways The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which is the Iranian entity that has disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the war, outlined specific conditions on April 17 for vessels to transit the strait that amount to Iran retaining control over maritime traffic through the strait. These …
Read More »The Iran war’s lasting impact on the Middle East
The future of the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran remains deeply uncertain. Whether it marks a fleeting pause in what may prove to be a protracted conflict, or the first fragile step toward a durable peace, is a question that only time will answer. Yet the …
Read More »The Art of the Iran Deal: Former negotiators discuss tactics for Trump’s team
Talks between the US and Iran are expected to resume soon as a fragile ceasefire holds, but American officials involved in previous nuclear deal negotiations with Tehran have some advice for President Donald Trump’s administration. The first is that US officials need to understand how to deal with Iran, before …
Read More »Four scenarios for geopolitics after the Iran war
After more than a month of war and amid an uneasy cease-fire, Iran announced Friday that it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz for ships traveling a pre-approved route, while President Donald Trump vowed to continue a US blockade on Iranian ships. Both sides are still negotiating a deal to …
Read More »The Strait of Hormuz is ‘open,’ but the US blockade remains in place. Here’s what that means.
On Friday morning, Iran announced that it had agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for supplying the world with oil, liquefied natural gas, and other commodities from the Gulf, resulting in an immediate drop in the price of oil. US President Donald Trump declared his support …
Read More »Moving from War to Diplomacy: What’s Next for Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza?
Amid major diplomatic milestones and major international security threats, three experts explore what it will take to achieve success on multiple negotiating tracks at once. On April 15, The Washington Institute held a virtual Policy Forum with Ambassador Michael Herzog, Robert Satloff, and Hanin Ghaddar. Herzog is the Institute’s Tisch …
Read More »Egypt’s Discrete Role in the Ceasefire with Iran
Cairo’s efforts send a message to the United States and the region that it still has a place at the diplomatic table. Egypt has been on the sidelines as a mediator in Middle Eastern negotiations for much of the past decade, but its quiet role in facilitating the current ceasefire …
Read More »Three Scenarios for the Gulf States After the Iran War
Amid a tenuous U.S.-Iran ceasefire, Arab Gulf monarchies are aiming to project strength. “We prevailed through an epic national defense . . . in the face of treacherous aggression,” Emirati diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash wrote on X. Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat emphasized the kingdom’s “intensive political consultations” with regional countries …
Read More »Iran Update Special Report, April 16, 2026
Key Takeaways The main sticking point in current US-Iran negotiations is reportedly Iran’s enrichment of uranium and its highly enriched uranium stockpile. The IRGC appears to be playing an outsized role in Iranian decision-making in these negotiations, traditionally meant for civilian leadership. Iran appears to have not compromised on its …
Read More »Iran war and the new world order
Trump’s war on Iran hasn’t just redrawn battle lines; it has fractured the very architecture of the post-Second World War global order: a transatlantic alliance pushed beyond limits and internally too fractured to be repaired, a rapidly remade Middle East, shifting rules of global oil transit, and a stark exposure …
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