The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a panel on Oct 18, 2023, to discuss how political settlements or elite bargains have become the main means of conflict resolution in the Middle East and North Africa, and a potential way forward.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup begins on Nov. 20 in the small Arab nation of Qatar.

Tensions in the West Bank have risen again after Israeli security forces killed five Palestinian militants in the city of Nablus on Oct. 25. According to Palestinian health officials, over 20 Palestinians were also injured in subsequent clashes.

As demonstrations in Iran reach their fourth week, it is clear that this wave of unrest concerns more than just women’s rights. Protesters are not just demanding reform in Iran, but outright regime change from the current theocratic leadership.

On Oct. 5, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its partner nations announced a collective production cut to two million barrels of oil per day, spiking energy prices worldwide. OPEC, primarily led by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf State allies, controls an enormous share of the global energy market and utilizes this leverage with little resistance.

As the Biden administration leads efforts to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Israeli officials have once again expressed their concern that the deal will not be enough to halt Iran’s nuclear development.