Middle Orient

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 …

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 …

Key Takeaway: Turkey. Turkey has recently advanced economic and security ties with Niger and Somalia, viewing both countries as its African anchor states through which it can further its strategic interests in Africa. These partnerships aim to address several domestic concerns, such as patronage and energy security, and bolster Turkey’s …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

As war rages in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, Western intelligence agencies are fighting to cut off the Iran-backed militia, whose military wing is designated a terrorist organisation by the EU while several member states have banned the organisation entirely. A recent Western intelligence report seen by Euractiv details Hezbollah’s …

The U.S. State Department released a statement after the meeting saying the two sides had “productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades on ​Tuesday and both sides said they held positive discussions …