Amid major diplomatic milestones and major international security threats, three experts explore what it will take to achieve success on multiple negotiating tracks at once. On April 15, The Washington Institute held a virtual Policy Forum with Ambassador Michael Herzog, Robert Satloff, and Hanin Ghaddar. Herzog is the Institute’s Tisch …
Read More »Egypt’s Discrete Role in the Ceasefire with Iran
Cairo’s efforts send a message to the United States and the region that it still has a place at the diplomatic table. Egypt has been on the sidelines as a mediator in Middle Eastern negotiations for much of the past decade, but its quiet role in facilitating the current ceasefire …
Read More »Three Scenarios for the Gulf States After the Iran War
Amid a tenuous U.S.-Iran ceasefire, Arab Gulf monarchies are aiming to project strength. “We prevailed through an epic national defense . . . in the face of treacherous aggression,” Emirati diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash wrote on X. Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat emphasized the kingdom’s “intensive political consultations” with regional countries …
Read More »Iran Update Special Report, April 16, 2026
Key Takeaways The main sticking point in current US-Iran negotiations is reportedly Iran’s enrichment of uranium and its highly enriched uranium stockpile. The IRGC appears to be playing an outsized role in Iranian decision-making in these negotiations, traditionally meant for civilian leadership. Iran appears to have not compromised on its …
Read More »Iran war and the new world order
Trump’s war on Iran hasn’t just redrawn battle lines; it has fractured the very architecture of the post-Second World War global order: a transatlantic alliance pushed beyond limits and internally too fractured to be repaired, a rapidly remade Middle East, shifting rules of global oil transit, and a stark exposure …
Read More »How much will US Hormuz blockade hurt Iran, and does Tehran have an escape?
Iran earned nearly $5bn in oil exports in the past month while it shut the strait for most other ships. That revenue is at risk. The United States naval blockade of Iran has come into effect as President Donald Trump’s administration tries to pressure Tehran into accepting its terms for …
Read More »Iran Update Special Report, April 15, 2026
Key Takeaways US naval forces continued to enforce the blockade on Iranian ports. US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on April 15 that no vessels had breached the blockade on Iranian ports during the first 48 hours of enforcement. The United States has reportedly set two preconditions for another round of …
Read More »What the US naval blockade would mean for Iran’s economy
The US naval blockade of Iran, which started on Monday, could rapidly cripple the country’s economy, cutting off most of its trade, halting oil exports and triggering inflation and currency pressure within days. The blockade, targeting Iranian ports and imposing partial restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, took effect at …
Read More »L’Empire de la piraterie tente surtout d’imposer un blocus à la Chine
Dans son délire suprémaciste légendaire, le secrétaire au Trésor américain Scott Bessent a déclaré que la Chine ne sera plus en mesure de s’approvisionner en pétrole auprès de l’Iran. Saluons tous le retour triomphal des Pirates des Caraïbes, désormais Pirates du golfe Persique. L’effondrement spectaculaire du diktat d’Islamabad – la …
Read More »Iran Update Special Report, April 13, 2026
Key Takeaways Iranian-backed Iraqi militias are likely responsible for at least some of the recent drone attacks against Gulf states. It is very unlikely that Iranian-backed Iraqi militias would conduct drone attacks against regional states if the Iranian regime opposed such attacks, which suggests that Iran has not ordered its …
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