Middle East Forum

The Islamabad agreement is not peace. It is surrender—executed by the victor, on the terms of the vanquished.

After 39 days of American and Israeli pressure brought Iran’s war machine and economy to their knees, Washington is preparing to lift the blockade, erase sanctions, preserve enrichment, unfreeze regime assets, and help finance the regime’s reconstruction.

MEF Executive Director Gregg Roman argues that America was winning—and this deal would sign that victory away.

Do not sign this. Do not rebuild Carthage.

Read more:
https://www.meforum.org/mef-online/the-islamabad-surrender

The Islamabad Surrender We Fought the Islamic Republic for Thirty-Nine Days and We Were Winning. The Memorandum in Islamabad Hands That Victory Back. And It Sells the Iranian People to Do It.

Palestinian statehood dominates Western and regional diplomacy. But it is far from the only unresolved question of recognition, borders, and self-determination.

At MEF’s 2026 Policy Conference, Panel 3 — “The Players You’re Not Watching” — examined Somaliland, South Arabia, Artsakh, and Kurdistan, and the inconsistent ways Washington and Europe approach statehood claims.

Moderator Michael Rubin framed the discussion around diplomatic double standards. Ambassador Bashir Goth discussed Somaliland’s long path to recognition. Summer Ahmed addressed southern Yemenis’ quest for South Arabia. Robert Avetisyan spoke about Artsakh after ethnic cleansing. Diliman Abdulkader compared these cases with the Kurdish plight.

The takeaway: there are no magic formulas, and not every case is the same. But many overlooked aspirants are democratic, Western-leaning, and less dependent on foreign aid. Washington and Europe still lack a consistent approach to recognition.