U.S.-Israel Strikes on Iran — Crown Center Resources
Crown Center research and analysis to help contextualize the escalating conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Featured Content Slideshow
Upcoming Seminar — Smuggling Law: Unsettled Sovereignties in Turkey’s Kurdish Borderlands
Fırat Bozçalı, in conversation with Elif Babül, will explore how Turkey’s expanded anti-smuggling laws have turned criminal courts into unexpected arenas where Kurdish smugglers and their lawyers challenge state authority.
Recording Available — Museum Politics in the Gulf: Celebrating the Publication of “Art Capital”
In this Crown Seminar celebrating the publication of “Art Capital,” Beth Derderian examined how art, museums, and money are reshaping artistic practice and cultural authority in the United Arab Emirates and beyond.
Recording Available — Tied Up in Tehran: Women, Social Change, and the Politics of Daily Life in Postrevolutionary Iran
In this Crown Seminar, Norma Claire Moruzzi joined Naghmeh Sohrabi for a Crown Seminar exploring how attention to ordinary life reveals both the contradictions and the resilient possibilities of post-revolutionary Iran.
New Crown Conversation—After the Earthquake: The Politics of Disaster Response in Turkey
Three years after the February 2023 earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria, we speak with Zeynep Kadirbeyoğlu about why the government struggled to respond — and what the disaster reveals about governance in Tu
New Crown Conversation (Video) — Iran After the Protests
Nader Habibi, Hadi Kahalzadeh, and Naghmeh Sohrabi assess Iran’s latest wave of protests, how it compares with earlier episodes, and what may come next.
The Crown Center for Middle East Studies is committed to conducting balanced and dispassionate research of the modern Middle East that meets the highest academic standards. The Center seeks to help make decision- and opinion-makers better informed about the region. The scope of the center's research includes the 22 members of the Arab League as well as Turkey, Iran and Israel. The Crown Center's approach is multidisciplinary in its study of the politics, economics, history, security, sociology and anthropology of the region's states and societies.
Upcoming Events
- Smuggling Law: Unsettled Sovereignties in Turkey’s Kurdish Borderlands
A Crown Seminar with Fırat Bozçalı, in conversation with Elif Babül
Wednesday, March 4
11 AM-12:15 PM | Online - The Revolution Within Islamic Media and the Struggle for a New Egypt
A Crown Seminar with Yasmin Moll, in conversation with Amahl Bishara
Wednesday, March 25
11 AM-12:15 PM | Online - Lessons from the Middle East for a Warming Planet
A Crown Seminar with On Barak, in conversation with Natasha Iskander
Thursday, April 16
11 AM-12:15 PM | Online - Understanding Syria: Past, Present, and Future
A Crown Seminar with Daniel Neep, in conversation with Omar Dahi, on the occasion of the publication of Syria: A Modern History
Thursday, April 30
11 AM-12:15 PM | Online
Latest Crown Publication
In late December 2025, protests erupted across Iran and were eventually met with an unprecedented level of state violence, leaving thousands dead and tens of thousands wounded or detained. On January 29, we filmed a Crown Conversation with three Iran experts—Nader Habibi, Hadi Kahalzadeh, and Naghmeh Sohrabi—to assess how this latest wave of protests unfolded, how it compares to earlier protest episodes, and what may come next. Their discussion explores the deepening rupture between the Islamic Republic and Iranian society, the political and economic constraints shaping the current moment, and what it means to go on with everyday life in Iran after the protests.
Crown Center Analyses on Hamas and Israel
The Crown Center is dedicated to sharing balanced and dispassionate research on the Middle East. Please see the Crown Center analyses which delve into the roots and evolution of the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Image credit: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo
Counter/Argument: A Middle East Podcast
Counter/Argument: A Middle East Podcast is produced by the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University. Through conversations with scholars and practitioners encompassing a variety of disciplines and perspectives, each episode will debunk key misconceptions about the contemporary Middle East. "Counter/Argument" is committed to a balanced and dispassionate approach to the region and to making scholarship more widely accessible. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
Download, subscribe, rate and review, and most importantly, please share with a friend!
Image credit: Chae Lee