Category: Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Israel’s communications attacks push Hezbollah into an uncomfortable corner

Hostilities between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah turned cinematic on September 17 when thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah operatives detonated simultaneously. Hezbollah announced that twelve of its operatives were killed. Thousands more were injured, with some left blinded or missing limbs. The next day, on September 18, Hezbollah suffered another humiliating blow. This time, the

Egypt is cozying up to Somalia to thwart Ethiopia

Tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia have escalated in recent days. Relations between the two African countries, already strained since 2011 due to Ethiopia’s construction and filling of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile—a project Egypt views as a major threat to its water and food security—have further deteriorated. The recent downturn

Testimony on Israel and the Middle East at a crossroads: How Tehran’s terror campaign threatens the US and our allies

Kirsten Fontenrose, nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs, testifies before the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs on how Tehran’s terror campaign threatens the US and allies. Below are her prepared remarks. Chairman Burchett, Ranking Member Phillips, and members of the Committee, thank you

Reformists on the ropes: How they are battling their own irrelevance and conservative dominance in Iran

On August 21, after days of deliberation, Iran’s parliament approved President Masoud Pezeshkian’s “national accord” cabinet. Notably, the conservative-dominated parliament did not reject any of Pezeshkian’s proposed nineteen ministers, a decision that defied expectations—making it the first cabinet to pass with flying colors since 2001. While touted by some as an attempt at an all-inclusive

In the age of great power competition, the threat of another 9/11 still looms large

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, marked a watershed moment in global security and the US approach to counterterrorism. The coordinated strikes by al-Qaeda not only resulted in the tragic loss of nearly 3,000 lives but also fundamentally altered US domestic and foreign policy—leading to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the establishment of the

Panikoff joins International Risk Podcast to discuss Iran

original source Related Experts: Jonathan Panikoff Conflict Crisis Management Iran Middle East National Security Security & Defense We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok