Without a major surge in force levels, the best outcome that the United States can hope for in Afghanistan is that the Taliban will tire of fighting and pursue peace, writes CFR’s Max Boot.

The Revolutionary Guards are involved in maintaining domestic order, projecting Iranian influence in the Mideast, and presiding over major business interests. They are poised to take on a bigger role…

Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen marks a more assertive foreign policy that is less inclined to rely on the United States and could intensify the sectarian rift with Iran across the region, write…

Venezuela’s stepped-up efforts to develop nuclear power and tighten its bonds with Iran require a firm but deft diplomatic response from the Obama administration, write CFR’s Joel Hirst and Jonathan …

In this Markets and Democracy Brief, CFR’s Mark Lagon argues for a more consistent approach to human rights promotion than the United States has often pursued in the past.