With Bashar al-Assad’s government thumbing its nose at global anger as it continues a violent crackdown on protesters, the international community should step up pressure and invoke tough sanctions a…

Afghanistan expert Thomas H. Johnson says Western efforts to force a runoff election will not produce a legitimate leader in the eyes of Afghan voters, and could further destabilize the country.

Ahmed Rashid, a leading expert on Afghanistan, says the August 20 presidential election in Afghanistan is "critically important" to achieving political stability, but he worries the vote will trigger…

The battle for Kunduz highlights the military and political challenges facing Afghanistan and the narrowly defined U.S. mission there, says CFR’s Stephen Biddle.

Sustained diplomacy led to the Iran nuclear deal, but it’s too soon to expect broader discussions between Tehran and Washington, says expert James Dobbins.