The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

06/11/2026

“I think both sides want to project that when necessary, they're willing to use military force regardless of the negotiations. And I think that's what's happening here,” Institute Managing Director Michael Singh told NPR about why the U.S. and Iran might use military strikes to try to strengthen their negotiating positions.

The U.S. military said it launched strikes on Iran for downing an Apache helicopter. NPR's Michel Martin speaks to Michael Singh, a former Middle East adviser in the George W. Bush White House.

06/11/2026

As Iran continues its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz, policymakers and investors “are searching for ways to reduce dependence on one of the world’s most vulnerable maritime chokepoints,” writes Institute expert Andrew Tabler. But history suggests that pipelines crossing through Syria “are not merely economic assets—they are also strategic vulnerabilities.”

Asian market realities and the ongoing risks to energy investments inside Syria may put a damper on any large-scale infrastructure plans, though Damascus can better its prospects through further stabilization and reform efforts.

06/11/2026

TODAY: The past few days have shaken the already tenuous ceasefire with Iran. What does all this mean for the prospects of reaching an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz? And how might it affect the evolving postwar order in the region, as well as specific U.S. priorities like Iran’s nuclear program Tune in at 2PM ET as Robert Satloff, Dana Stroul, and Michael Singh discuss the current U.S.-Iran state of play.

Join us for an expert conversation on the Iranian, Israeli, and U.S. military strikes of recent days and what they portend for the prospects of reaching an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz an the state of postwar order in the region. Watch live starting at 2:00 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) on Thursda...

06/11/2026

As the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon falters, here are three things that Institute expert Hanin Ghaddar is watching, including the latest round of talks between Israel and Lebanon, the IRGC’s role in Lebanon, and the prospects for Israeli-Lebanese peace.

06/10/2026

AI has been central to the Iran war, Grant Rumley told Decision Points host David Makovsky. During Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military has used AI “in the information domain and the processing of information and intelligence” to support targeting, he added.

Listen to the latest episode: https://shows.acast.com/decision-points/episodes/the-ai-race-in-the-middle-east-with-avner-golov-and-grant-ru

06/10/2026

The past few days have shaken the tenuous ceasefire with Iran. What does all this mean for the prospects of reaching an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz? And how might it affect the evolving postwar order in the region, as well as specific U.S. priorities like Iran’s nuclear program? Tune in on Thursday, June 11 at 2PM ET for a timely webcast with Robert Satloff, Dana Stroul, and Michael Singh as they assess the U.S.-Iran state of play.

Join us for an expert conversation on the Iranian, Israeli, and U.S. military strikes of recent days and what they portend for the prospects of reaching an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz an the state of postwar order in the region. Watch live starting at 2:00 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) on Thursda...

06/09/2026

AI has been central to the Iran war, with Iran targeting data centers in the Gulf even as the U.S. and Israel are using AI to speed up their targeting. A new episode of "Decision Points" explores AI and warfare in the Middle East.

This season of Decision Points tackles the toughest U.S. foreign-policy debates, from the brink of war in Iran to the painful aftermath in Gaza and the new government in Syria.

06/08/2026

In light of the administration's proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget for diplomacy, foreign aid, and military assistance, what will it take to align U.S. resources with the administration's stated security and economic priorities in the Middle East? Institute scholars Ben Fishman and Michael Jacobson join former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski to explore the implications of the administration's budget proposal.

Despite President Trump’s transformative goals in the Middle East and the ongoing need for American help in weathering multiple regional crises, the new budget request doubles down on a range of problematic funding cuts.

06/08/2026

The Trump administration won't achieve all its war goals, but it could still notch a strategic win over time, writes former top U.S. Middle East envoy Dennis Ross. Growing internal pressure on the regime in Tehran could produce what the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei feared: "the emergence of an Iranian Gorbachev—a leader who wants to prioritize domestic development, reach out to the public, and end confrontation with the outside world as organizing principles."

The Trump administration won’t achieve all of its war goals, but it could still notch a strategic win with time.

06/05/2026

“The latest [internet] blackout in Iran had economic consequences so severe that even the regime eventually could not ignore them,” writes Institute expert Holly Dagres in The Atlantic.

Flipping the kill switch is a potent exercise of authoritarian control, but expediting countermeasures like D2C can help prevent regimes from using this tactic in the future.