Middle East

Ask CFR Experts

How does Russia challenge U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Middle East?

Asked by Elias El Mrabet, from Universite Libre de Bruxelles

Russia today may have less influence in the Middle East than previously, but it continues to have a stake in the region's stability and sees it as an area in which it has important national interests, often at variance with U.S. goals and objectives.

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See more in United States, Russian Fed., Middle East, Syria, U.S. Strategy and Politics, Foreign Policy History

Audio

Women's Empowerment and the Path to Democracy in the New Middle East

Speaker: Nadereh Chamlou
Presider: Reza Aslan

Reza Aslan discusses the connection between women's empowerment and economics, as part of the Council on Foreign Relations' roundtable series on religion and the Middle East.

This meeting was cosponsored by the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initative.

See more in Middle East, Democracy and Human Rights, Democracy Promotion, Democratization, Human Rights, Minorities, Diversity and Foreign Policy, Civil Society, Women, Gender Issues

Op-Ed

A Turkey-Israel Opening

Authors: Charles A. Kupchan and Soli Ozel
International Herald Tribune

In the wake of President Obama's brokered telephone apology between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, Charles Kupchan argues for new foundations to an Israeli-Turkish partnership.

See more in United States, Turkey, Israel

Interview

Iran's New Year Challenges

Karim Sadjadpour interviewed by Bernard Gwertzman

At the start of the Persian New Year, leaders in Iran are faced with a host of difficult political challenges, both foreign and domestic, says expert Karim Sadjadpour.

See more in Iran

Article

Egypt’s Financial High Noon

Author: Isobel Coleman
Foreign Policy

Isobel Coleman writes that while it is widely recognized that food and fuel subsidies in Egypt are expensive and inefficient, Egyptian leaders do not want to touch the political third rail of subsidy reform. But they also realize that the country's fiscal situation is untenable without it. Sooner or later, serious subsidy reform is inevitable, and a well-planned process is preferable to the alternative.

See more in Egypt, Economic Development, Energy/Environment