Analysis

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Commentary
Designating the Houthis as Terrorists Would Be a Mistake
November 30, 2020 | Jon B. Alterman CSIS’s Jon Alterman discusses the Trump administration’s possible designation of the Houthis as terrorists and the potential impact of such a move on U.S. and Iranian interests.

Commentary
Iraqi Stability and Its Free-Falling Middle Class
October 21, 2020 | Munqith Dagher The erosion of Iraq's middle class is a contributing factor to the country's instability, writes an Affiliate of CSIS’s Burke Chair in Strategy.

Commentary
Actions in Anticipation of Iranian Elections
October 5, 2020 | Jon B. Alterman Iran’s presidential elections are scheduled for June 18, 2021, five months after the U.S. presidential inauguration. CSIS’s Jon Alterman lays out how the next administration can influence the climate in which these elections take place.

Commentary
Judging the Impact of U.S. Force Reductions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria
September 16, 2020 | Anthony H. Cordesman The current U.S. force cuts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria will have a lasting impact on the future U.S. defense posture in the region, writes CSIS’s Burke Chair in Strategy.

Commentary
The Real World Capabilities of ISIS: The Threat Continues
September 9, 2020 | Anthony H. Cordesman Without addressing the fundamental causes of extremist and terrorist movements, ISIS will remain a potential threat, writes CSIS's Burke Chair in Strategy.

Commentary
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from an Iraqi View – a Lost Role or a Bright Future?
July 30, 2020 | Munqith Dagher The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is integral to the power structure in Iran and will play a critical role in the future of Iraq, writes an Affiliate of CSIS’s Burke Chair in Strategy.

Commentary
Learning the Lessons of War: Keeping SIGAR Alive
July 23, 2020 | Anthony H. Cordesman The United States should use the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) to learn essential lessons from its longest war, writes CSIS's Burke Chair in Strategy.

Commentary
China in the Gulf: A New Partnership with Iran?
July 15, 2020 | Anthony H. Cordesman The July 6 announcement that Iran was negotiating an agreement with China could radically intensify U.S.-China competition.

Commentary
Understanding the Iran-Venezuela Relationship
June 4, 2020 | Moises Rendon, Antonio De La Cruz, Claudia Fernandez Recent fuel shipments from Iran to Venezuela represent a small part of a decades-long relationship.
 

Commentary
The New Three-Dimensional Political Situation in Iraq: An Iraqi Point of View
May 19, 2020 | Munqith Dagher

Iran's decline in soft power may lead Iraq to pursue a policy of dual containment of American and Iranian influence in Iraq, writes an Affiliate of CSIS’s Burke Chair in Strategy.

Commentary
Gulf States: Managing the Oil Crash
May 7, 2020 | Ben Cahill The prospect of a "lost decade" of lower oil prices is dredging up unpleasant memories in the Gulf states.

Commentary
The Middle East’s Challenges Aren’t Just Combatting the Virus
April 28, 2020 | Jon B. Alterman CSIS's Jon Alterman argues that although Covid-19 has not swept the Middle East as feared, the economic impacts of the pandemic will pose severe challenges.

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