New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy

06/01/2026

🗓️ Event | Four Seas Initiative Report Launch

On Thursday, June 11, New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy will launch the Four Seas Initiative Report at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The Four Seas Initiative is a new policy framework proposing a Syria–Türkiye energy corridor linking the Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea, Mediterranean, and Black Sea. Modeled on the Three Seas Initiative, the framework examines how regional connectivity, energy security, and infrastructure investment can reshape the post-Assad strategic landscape.

The launch will feature remarks from members of the U.S. Congress and Senate, U.S. ambassadors and senior regional officials, as well as two expert panels featuring:

Dr. Azeem Ibrahim OBE, Themistoklis Asthenidis, Tim Callen, Mirette F. Mabrouk, Karam Shaar, Sultan Alamer, Wa’el Alzayat, Charles Lister, and Defne Sadiklar Arslan.

📍 National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
🗓️ Thursday, June 11, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM – 2:15 PM EST

In partnership with the Middle East Institute and the Atlantic Council Turkey Program.

Register here: https://bit.ly/NLIFourSeas

06/01/2026

🇸🇾⚖️ In a new piece from Dr. Thomas Grant for New Lines, he examines whether international law provides Syria with a viable pathway to seek reparations from Iran for its role in the Syrian conflict.

The report explores the legal challenges surrounding state responsibility, attribution of conduct, and the absence of a compulsory international forum capable of issuing binding judgments in such disputes. It also highlights the broader implications for accountability under international humanitarian law after one of the most devastating conflicts of the modern era.

Read the full report at the link in bio.

05/28/2026

In the latest episode of Crime Beat Conversations with Rafaella Lipschitz, Henry Suckow Ziemer explains why drug seizure data can sometimes be misleading when tracking the fight against organized crime, and suggests that other metrics can offer more accurate indications.

Watch the full episode at the link in bio.

05/27/2026

🚀 The new space race isn’t just about science or exploration. It’s also about gender, power, and global competition.

In the latest episode of Gender is Everywhere, we examine how gender norms have shaped space travel from the Cold War to Artemis II and today’s U.S.-China rivalry.

Who gets to go to space? What does space exploration signal about national strength? And how do ideas about masculinity and power influence foreign policy on Earth and beyond?

Watch the full episode at the link in bio.

05/22/2026

📺 [ ] Dania Arayssi joined Al Jazeera in Washington, D.C., to discuss the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States, its broader implications for GCC countries, and the future trajectory of relations between Washington and Tehran.

Watch here ⤵️

بينما تخوض إدارة الرئيس الأمريكي دونالد ترمب مواجهة عسكرية متعثرة مع إيران، يبرز تحول سوسيولوجي وسياسي عميق في الوعي المجتمعي في الداخل، فضلا عن تراجع منسوب التعاط...

05/22/2026

Monday, May 18, 2026, was Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, marking 17 years since the end of the war in Sri Lanka, and 17 years without justice for Tamil victims.

The atrocities committed during the final months of the war remain unpunished, while survivors and families continue to demand accountability.

Watch to see what Anjali Manivannan, Legal Director at has to say about the ongoing fight for justice and accountability for Tamil victims, and stay tuned for our upcoming report on the genocide.

05/22/2026

🌍 Central Asia Roundup: April 2026

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan — Oil export vulnerabilities drive closer regional cooperation.
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan — Tashkent strengthens its role as a regional hub.
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan — EU sanctions raise pressure over Russia-linked trade.
🇹🇯 Tajikistan — Iran trade disruptions expose economic vulnerabilities.
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan — China’s expanding energy role deepens dependence.

⚖️ Takeaway: Central Asia is attracting growing global investment and strategic attention, but energy dependence, sanctions exposure, and shifting trade routes continue to test the region’s sovereignty and resilience.

Read more here ⤵️

Kazakhstan On April 6, Ukrainian fixed-wing drones struck the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s (CPC) terminal at Novorossiysk, hitting a single-point mooring and loading berth and setting oil storage tanks on fire. CPC handles roughly 80% of Kazakh oil exports, and each attack highlights the strategi...

05/22/2026

📝 [ ] Writing for The National Interest, Dania Arayssi and MEPC's Faysal Itani draw on recent Arab Barometer survey results to examine the decline of U.S. credibility in the Arab world.

Their analysis explores how Washington’s contrasting responses to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have reshaped regional perceptions of American power and international law, with China increasingly viewed as a more credible actor by Arab publics.

Read the full article here ⤵️

Arab nations now view China as a more responsible upholder of international law than the United States.

05/20/2026

🌏The new report by Mark Bruno for New Lines examines how Southeast Asia‘s special economic zones have become hubs for cybercrime, human trafficking, and cryptocurrency-enabled fraud.

Read the full report at the link in bio.

05/18/2026

🎙️ [ ] Program Head and Senior Analyst Dania Arayssi joined Al Taghier TV English’s Washington Podcast to discuss the current state of the war in Iran and what to expect following President Trump’s visit to Beijing.

Watch here ⤵️

American expert confirms: Iran missed the opportunity… and war is coming ...