Gareth Porter, a veteran journalist and historian just returned from Iran, says early optimism that President-elect Barack Obama would open a new dialogue with Iran has dissipated.

President Obama sees the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a national security issue. But badly strained U.S.-Israeli relations mean progress is unlikely unless Obama travels to Israel on a trust-build…

Scott Lasensky, a Middle East expert, says the new U.S. administration should listen carefully to voices from the Middle East and that President Barack Obama’s first speeches will be scrutinized for …

CFR President Richard N. Haass, who worked on previous presidential transitions, says that given the current world situation, he believes the first priority for President-elect Barack Obama lies in "…

With his new executive order on Guantanamo, President Obama acknowledges that the controversial detention center will remain open for some time, says CFR’s Matthew Waxman, but provides improved prote…