Publication

This brief explores seven major factors or influences that are shaping the economics and geopolitics of the Middle East. They include the nature and extent of US engagement in the region; the transformative effects of economic and political reform within Middle Eastern states; the potential impact of Iran's nuclear program; the region’s changing geopolitical dynamics; the continued role and impact of terrorist groups; the evolving nature of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process; and the still-powerful influences of energy politics and external actors.