Research Library

This working paper discusses the regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

President Vladimir Putin's decision to withdraw the "main part" of Russia's forces from Syria blindsided most foreign policy experts and set off wide speculation about the reasons behind his move, writes Bonner Means Baker Fellow Joe Barnes.

Middle East fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen analyzes recent government shuffles in the United Arab Emirates.

Mexico’s Senate is currently deliberating an amendment to the constitution that aims to eliminate corruption — an endemic problem in Mexico. However, the National Anti-Corruption System Act is not as the government and its allies would have the public believe. Instead, it is full of contradictions.

This report sheds light on the challenges facing women in Kuwait to play a more substantive role in the decision-making process.

The range of responses in the six Gulf states to the Iran nuclear deal illustrates both the diversity of regional approaches to Iran and the absence of any monolithic “Gulf position” on the issue.

Although the hemisphere is keen to insulate itself from Venezuela’s political and economic problems, the country constantly challenges regional capabilities in crisis management. The latest victim of the turmoil in Venezuela is the Brazilian government.

The Iran nuclear deal marks a significant victory for both the Obama administration and the government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. On balance, the agreement is a good one. But make no mistake: it might yet fail.

What strategy should the U.S. pursue in confronting ISIL and addressing the broader challenges of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Yemen, stability in the Persian Gulf, and the ever-present Israeli-Palestinian dispute? Leadership and engagement play a part, of course, but they must be subservient to a U.S. strategy whose objective is to protect and, if possible, advance our core interests in the region.

Kenneth Medlock, senior director at the Center for Energy Studies, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Small Business on June 17. Medlock testified for the committee’s hearing, “Crude Intentions: The Untold Story of the Ban, the Oil Industry and America’s Small Businesses.” He discussed the latest CES study, “To Lift or Not to Lift? The U.S. Crude Oil Export Ban: Implications for Price and Energy Security,” which analyzes the economic and energy security impacts of the 40-year-old ban on oil exports.