Middle East Notes and Comment: On Iran, Trump Needs UN Help
October 4, 2019
New Analysis
Jon B. Alterman released a commentary, "On Iran, Trump Needs UN Help," on the critical role the international community plays in helping the United States combat Iranian aggression in the Middle East in DefenseOne.We recently released the second episode of Babel: Translating the Middle East. In this all-Iran episode, Ambassador Wendy Sherman discusses Iranian negotiations, the Middle East Program looks at Iranian soft power in the region, and in our mezze, we find religious eulogists in Iran are taking after Christian rock. You can listen wherever you find podcasts or click here.
Events
Jon Alterman spoke on a panel, "Schieffer Series: The Iran Situation," at CSIS with Seth Jones and David Sanger, moderated by Bob Schieffer. The panel discussed the heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and what may come next. You can watch a video of the panel here.We hosted a panel on "Yemen's Crisis" at CSIS's Washington Humanitarian Forum. Sheba Crocker, Dr. Aisha Jumaan, and Peter Salisbury all lent their expertise and discussed the dynamics of Yemen's conflict and its effect on the issue of aid access.
Critical Questions
Jon Alterman answers critical questions about "U.S.-Iran Negotiations" and Iran's strategy towards the United States.
In the News
"The Iranians, it seems to me have laid a trap. They've challenged a president with unilateral instincts to double down on them and isolate the United States from the world," said Jon Alterman in an interview with ABC News, as President Trump headed to the UN General Assembly. (9/22/19)On the cautious development of a U.S. response to the attacks on Saudi oil facilities, Jon Alterman said to Reuters, President Trump "has grown increasingly cautious as the reality of any military actions increased... There's a large part of his base that thinks the craziest thing we could do is committing ourselves to endless wars in the Middle East." (9/17/19)
"There has been a complete realization on the world stage that the U.S. is not playing its traditional role, and may never again play the role it's played for 75 years," Jon Alterman said in the Washington Post. (8/24/19)
