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Military & Security

Policy Analysis on Military & Security

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A production still from the movie Oppenheimer, featuring actor Cillian Murphy - source: Universal
Articles & Testimony
The Science Behind the Drama of ‘Oppenheimer’
Iran’s potential push for a nuclear device and the region’s broader proliferation challenges cast a shadow over the new summer blockbuster.
Jul 24, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
Risks of Maritime Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz
If the United States does not accompany its military deterrent efforts with strong diplomatic signals, the current cycle of ship seizures and Iranian retaliatory measures could spiral into something resembling the 1980s Tanker War.
Jul 21, 2023
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  • Farzin Nadimi
Abdul Fattah al Sisi
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Egypt Has Not Revealed Any Workable Plan for Sudan
Despite numerous conferences and promises, Sudan's regional neighbors have done little to defuse the current conflict.
Jul 21, 2023
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  • Mon’im Omer
The logo of the Russian mercinary force The Wagner Group on an office door in Moscow - source: Reuters
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Wagner Group in Syria: Profiting Off Failed States
Despite discord between the Wagner Group and the Russian government, the entrenched economic and military engagement of Wagner forces in Syria is unlikely to change soon.
Jul 21, 2023
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  • Emad Bouzo
Iraqi Basij logo
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Iraqi Basij
Formed by Ashab al-Kahf and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, this Persian-named violent protest movement has been used to carry out threats against the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
Jul 20, 2023
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  • Amir al-Kaabi
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
A Sudanese protester against military rule
Video
Sudan's Civil War: Mediation Challenges and the U.S. Role
Join us for an expert webcast exploring the effects of Sudan's civil war on the regional humanitarian situation and U.S. interests as well as how international actors may be able to persuade the warring parties to accept a durable ceasefire. Watch live starting at 12:00 noon EDT (1600 GMT) on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
July 26, 2023, starting at 12:00 noon EDT (1600 GMT)
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  • Reem Abbas
  • Alex Rondos
  • Yasir Zaidan
Autonomous_Administration_of_North_and_East_Syria
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The SDF’s Approach to Erdoğan’s Victory
Worried by the implications of Erdoğan's reelection, the Kurds in northeastern Syria need active support from the United States now more than ever.
Jul 19, 2023
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  • Baraa Sabri
AK protests cover
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Ashab al-Kahf's "Iraqi Basij" and the Threat Against the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
The militia entity has created a new Persian-named protest group and called on mobs to storm the embassy compound.
Jul 17, 2023
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  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Ukrainian soldier beside destroyed Russian tank in Novodarivka, Ukraine
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
How Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Is Reshaping the Global Arms Market:
Implications for the Middle East and Beyond
As Moscow grapples with battlefield losses and other challenges, traditional Russian clients are considering alternative sources, emerging exporters are amplifying their sales pitches, and governments are building up their domestic defense industrial bases.
Jul 17, 2023
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  • Grant Rumley
  • Louis Dugit-Gros
Brief Analysis
Yellow Tents Across the Blue Line: Hezbollah’s New Brinkmanship
The group has been erecting structures and sending armed personnel into Israeli territory, decreasing the margin of error for diplomatic solutions and further eroding the credibility of the post-2006 border security regime.
Jul 14, 2023
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  • Assaf Orion
Khamenei present day, underneath: as a youth, with clerics, with military
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
The Regent of Allah:
Ali Khamenei's Political Evolution in Iran
The authoritarian infrastructure honed over decades by the Supreme Leader is designed to outlast his time in office.
Jul 14, 2023
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  • Mehdi Khalaji
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Has the Pursuit of Democracy Failed in Sudan?
The current conflict in Sudan has been exacerbated by a limited democratic process after the fall of Omar al-Bashir that failed to incorporate a diversity of Sudanese civilian voices.
Jul 13, 2023
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  • Dr. Khidir Haroun Ahmed
Hakan Fidan
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Hakan Fidan and the New Turkish Diplomacy in Iraq
As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan will have to navigate urgent changes and new challenges in crafting Turkish policy towards Iraq.
Jul 13, 2023
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  • Firas Elias
Tsurkov
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militia Propagandists Comment on Tsurkov Kidnapping
The March kidnapping has been widely attributed to Kataib Hezbollah, while most militia commentators link the incident to supposed Israeli spying.
Jul 7, 2023
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  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Brg 16
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Infighting Between Northern Hashd Units Requires IRGC-QF Mediation
Iran's senior Revolutionary Guard operator in Kirkuk and religious-political leader Ammar al-Hakim were recently brought in to mediate between feuding state-paid militias.
Jul 6, 2023
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  • Michael Knights
  • Amir al-Kaabi
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
The logo of the Russian mercinary force The Wagner Group on an office door in Moscow - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Wagner vs. Russia’s Defense Ministry in the Middle East
Russia’s domestic military crisis could hold significant consequences for its regional operations, from heightening the risk of clashes with U.S. forces in Syria to putting a public face on its destabilizing activities in Libya.
Jun 29, 2023
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
  • Ben Fishman
  • Andrew J. Tabler
The logo of the Russian mercinary force The Wagner Group on an office door in Moscow - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Iranian Reactions to the Wagner Standoff in Russia
Iranian officials are keenly aware that Putin’s crisis parallels their own vulnerabilities, so they will likely step up their efforts to cement the bilateral security relationship and obtain Russian weapons and technology.
Jun 28, 2023
◆
  • Farzin Nadimi
Photo showing fighters from the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab.
Brief Analysis
More Emirati Military Involvement in Somalia Could Help Curb al-Shabab
The United Arab Emirates has much to offer if it chooses deeper military involvement in the fight against al-Shabab, but it would need to coordinate closely with other actors, especially the United States, to optimize its contribution.
Jun 27, 2023
◆
  • Ido Levy
Families of Islamic State fighters in Syria - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
The Future of Repatriation from Northeast Syria
From potential SDF trials to Assad’s steady normalization, the widening number of “known unknowns” has increased the urgency of taking action on Islamic State detainees.
Jun 26, 2023
◆
  • Devorah Margolin
Egypt Sudan Border
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Egypt’s Approach to Conflict in Sudan: A Simmering Crisis
With no end in sight, the Sudan conflict will put significant pressure on Egypt's economic, political, and security infrastructure.
Jun 23, 2023
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  • Anthony Skinner

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Supported by the

Military and Security Studies Program

The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program has established itself as an unrivaled source of reliable, incisive, and forward-looking analysis concerning several of the most critical national-security challenges facing the United States today: The U.S. military role in the Middle East, Iran's nuclear program and its proxy armies, the ongoing conflict is in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, the regional proliferation of missiles and weapons of mass destruction, the security dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and many other security issues on the frontline of the U.S. policymaking agenda.

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Featured experts

Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.
Michael Knights
Michael Knights
Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Fellow of The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, and the Persian Gulf states. He is a co-founder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.
Grant Rumley
Grant Rumley
Grant Rumley is the Goldberger Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he specializes in military and security affairs in the Middle East.
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