Center for International Policy

The old DC consensus is done & neither “America First” unilateralism nor nostalgia for liberal internationalism offer a viable path forward, argue @NancyGEO & @MattDuss in @ForeignAffairs. Read their vision for a bold rethinking of US foreign policy↘️ foreignaffairs.com/united-states/…

The US-Iran MOU and US-backed Lebanon-Israel framework agreement could reshape regional security, diplomacy, and economic relations, but major questions remain unresolved. Join @ArabCenterDC and @CIPolicy with @GiorgioCafiero, @rola_husseini, @NegarMortazavi, @Dr_DaniaThafer, @NancyGEO, and @KhalilEJahshan for a discussion. 📅 July 21 | ⏰ 11 AM ET Register here 👇 arabcenterdc.org/event/iran-war…

The US-Iran MOU and US-backed Lebanon-Israel framework agreement could reshape regional security, diplomacy, and economic relations, but major questions remain unresolved. Join @ArabCenterDC and @CIPolicy with @GiorgioCafiero, @rola_husseini, @NegarMortazavi, @Dr_DaniaThafer, @NancyGEO, and @KhalilEJahshan for a discussion. 📅 July 21 | ⏰ 11 AM ET Register here 👇 arabcenterdc.org/event/iran-war…

U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, the latest escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, why Tehran says Washington is violating the agreement, and what it means for the future of war and diplomacy. Joined @BBCWorld

Washington's emerging policy on Lebanon sounds reasonable. It isn't. It is a civil war plan dressed up as a “peace plan”. A thread. 🧵1/8

We did not have to reach this point of catastrophe with Iran. Decades of misguided US policy, shaped by hubris and groupthink, brought us here. My recent report explains how, and why Washington now needs a fundamental strategic rethink on Iran.👇

@ArabCenterDC and @CIPolicy are convening a webinar to assess the geopolitical consequences of the Iran war and the contours of a shifting regional order. Join @GiorgioCafiero, @rola_husseini, @NegarMortazavi, @Dr_DaniaThafer, @NancyGEO and @KhalilEJahshan for a discussion. 📅 July 21, 2026 | ⏰ 11:00 AM–12:30 PM ET | 💻 Via Zoom Register here 👇 arabcenterdc.org/event/iran-war…

ICYMI: Another Lie, Another War - all at the expense of civilians. @mattduss joined @deanbaker13 for an important discussion around Gaza, Iran, and the Abraham Accords and the US role in all of it.  Watch: youtube.com/watch?v=4fe_S4…

This week I'm re-releasing a View From Here episode with the excellent @mattduss, which foreshadowed the issues progressive Democratic candidates would run on - and win. The question is, can the party establishment and donors catch up? Full episode: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the…

If there were ever a moment to articulate a new approach for America in the world, this is it. @mattduss & @aarondmiller2 join @CChivvis on the latest Pivotal States podcast to discuss whether the US is ready to reset its relationship with Israel. ➡️ youtube.com/watch?v=_5P0V7…

Catch the livestream here at 6pm eastern: youtube.com/watch?v=7EdD9u…

TODAY: "Towards a Democratic AI & Digital Sovereignty” Join CIP President and CEO @NancyGEO for a talk on AI and democracy hosted by @broadbent as part of the Road to the 2026 Panamerican Congress.

TOMORROW: "Towards a Democratic AI & Digital Sovereignty” Join CIP President and CEO @NancyGEO for a talk on AI and democracy hosted by @broadbent as part of the Road to the 2026 Panamerican Congress.

Read the full story here: internationalpolicy.org/publications/r…

I told Aljazeera that US and Iran have entered a volatile phase of parallel diplomacy and deterrence, following the end of immediate fighting. The MOU ended the immediate fighting, but it did not settle the core disputes. Both sides are now testing its limits on the ground, as the US and Iran seek to shape the future of the agreement. Iran’s strategy is diplomacy backed by leverage. They remain committed to negotiations but want to maintain leverage through military pressure. The negotiating channel remains open because Tehran still sees value in pursuing a broader agreement. There is deep scepticism in Tehran about Washington’s intentions, with some officials viewing the current agreement as less a pathway to peace than a pause. The coming months could see recurring flare-ups rather than either lasting peace or all-out war. aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/…

The wars in Gaza and Iran have fueled serious questions about continued U.S. support for Israel. Is it time for America to reset relations with Israel? What changes are actually possible? @mattduss and @aarondmiller2 join @CChivvis to discuss: youtube.com/watch?v=_5P0V7…

As the US and Iran slide back toward war, many are asking why the memorandum is collapsing so quickly. 👇In my latest for the @Guardian, I argue the deal is falling apart because it never resolved the central obstacle that has haunted US-Iran diplomacy for decades: credibility. Tehran does not believe Washington can offer economic normalization that will endure after Iran has surrendered its principal sources of leverage. After the 2015 nuclear deal collapsed and years of waiver-based relief proved so easily reversible, promises of future economic normalization have lost much of their credibility in Tehran. That helps explain why Iran has become determined to maximize its leverage over the Strait of Hormuz. Unlike promised sanctions relief, Hormuz is a source of economic and strategic leverage that Tehran itself can control. From Iran's perspective, that offers a far more durable foundation for security than trading away key leverage in exchange for commitments that a future US administration can simply reverse. If Washington continues to misunderstand that shift, it will keep producing agreements that neither side truly believes the other will honor. Read the full piece here: theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Washington is debating what comes after the U.S.-Iran war. But that debate should begin with a more basic question: why have decades of coercion repeatedly failed to produce the outcomes they promised? My new report for @CIPolicy explores that question.(👇) The report examines four decades of U.S.-Iran relations—from Iran-Contra to the JCPOA, maximum pressure, and the recent war—to identify recurring patterns in why diplomacy has broken down, how U.S. policies have reshaped Iranian politics, and what lessons policymakers should draw for the future. It concludes with a blueprint for moving beyond maximalism toward a strategy grounded in strategic realism, systems thinking, reciprocal diplomacy, regional integration, and long term risk reduction. The goal is not to eliminate rivalry, but to manage it in ways that reduce the risks of nuclear proliferation, more war, and further human suffering. Give it a read here: internationalpolicy.org/publications/b…

This purchase "implicates international humanitarian law, breaks with longstanding policy and international consensus, and demands an according response from Congress," argue Mina Nur Basmaci and John Ramminh Chappell in the International Policy Journal internationalpolicy.org/publications/r…

Cluster munitions haunt battlefields long after any fighting is over, with some scattered bomblets remaining active for months years or decades, until painstakingly disarmed or tragically detonated. The U.S. stopped purchasing cluster munitions in 2007, but restarted last year.

The funeral of Ayatollah Khamenei and his family is Iran’s most significant state funeral since Ayatollah Khomeini’s in 1989. It is also a show of defiance, strength, unity, and continuity for the Islamic Republic after two wars with the U.S. and Israel. VIDEO: youtu.be/rgQvTS5SA-A?t=…