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IranUS Foreign PolicyUS Backing for an Iranian Kurdish Armed Rebellion Likely to Backfire
Mar 25, 2026Gregory AftandilianSeveral of Iran’s Kurdish political factions are hopeful that they may be part of any effort to dismantle the Islamic Republic and achieve autonomy for their c…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionCaught in the Crossfire: Gulf Security and Strategy in the US–Israel War on Iran
Mar 19, 2026The Unit for Political StudiesThe US-Israel war on Iran, which initially appeared as a series of escalatory exchanges, has evolved into a broader war spanning multiple theaters, drawing in …
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The GCC States and the War on Iran: Rethinking Responses to Unwanted Consequences
Mar 19, 2026Kristian Coates UlrichsenFour years and four days after President Vladimir Putin committed an act of aggression by launching the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United Stat…
- Policy AnalysisLebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Crisis and Solidarity in Lebanon
Mar 12, 2026Patricia KaramThe widening of hostilities following the March 2026 US-Israeli attacks on Iran has placed Lebanon on a dangerous trajectory. Hezbollah’s decision to enter the…
- From our AffiliatesThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Gulf in the Line of Fire: The Calculations and Contradictions of Iranian Strategy
Mar 9, 2026The Unit for Political StudiesNo sooner had news broke of a US-Israeli attack on Tehran on the morning of 28 February 2026, than Iran had launched a series of its own strikes targeting the …
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
After Khamenei: Operation Epic US–Iran Stalemate?
Mar 6, 2026Daniel BrumbergThere is no doubt that the United States will continue assassinating Iranian leaders in the belief that this strategy will deliver a political silver bullet to…
- From our AffiliatesIranUS Foreign Policy
Trump and Netanyahu’s Iran Gambit: The Strategic Calculations behind Epic Fury
Mar 6, 2026The Unit for Political StudiesFollowing weeks of military mobilization and statements hinting at escalation from the White House, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale attack …
- Collective AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
The US-Israel War on Iran: Analyses and Perspectives
Mar 2, 2026Susan M. Akram Charles W. Dunne Amy Hawthorne Patricia Karam Khalil E. Jahshan Annelle Sheline Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe United States has joined Israel in an all-out war on the Islamic Republic of Iran. On February 28, 2026, a US armada of two aircraft carrier strike groups …
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Saudi Arabia Confronts the Israel–UAE Alignment in Somalia
Feb 26, 2026Giorgio CafieroIsrael’s December 2025 decision to recognize Somaliland’s unilateral declaration of independence was of grave concern to Saudi Arabia. Riyadh sees Somalia’s te…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Constraint and Competition: Saudi Arabia’s Regional Policy in a Shifting Middle East
Feb 17, 2026The Unit for Political StudiesIn a striking episode that captured the delicate intersection between domestic transformation and foreign policy, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih pub…
- Policy AnalysisQatarThe War on Gaza
Israel’s Smearing Campaign against Qatar: Latent Motives and Objectives
Feb 3, 2026The Unit for Political StudiesSince the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza, analysts, governments, and media outlets have debated Qatar’s involvement with Hamas and its wider role in Middl…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egypt: Partnering with Saudi Arabia on Security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
Jan 27, 2026Gregory AftandilianDespite its extensive economic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt appears to be hitching its wagon to Saudi Arabia in the kingdom’s dispute w…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and Economics
A US Capture of Venezuelan Oil Could Come at OPEC’s Expense
Jan 23, 2026Jim KraneThe Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has a checkered relationship with American oil companies. In the 1970s, OPEC member states pushed the …
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
The Trump Administration and the Fracturing Saudi-UAE Alliance
Jan 21, 2026Giorgio CafieroThe historically close alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is under strain because of diverging strategic priorities and competiti…
- Policy AnalysisIranProtests and Activism
Iran’s Rebellion Will Transform Iran’s Islamic Republic for Better or Worse
Jan 14, 2026Daniel BrumbergAs the popular rebellion in Iran accelerates, the country’s sclerotic autocracy is fighting for survival. The reported deaths of at least 2,000 protesters and …
- ViewpointYemenRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Saudi–Emirati Drama in Yemen
Jan 13, 2026Nabeel A. KhouryOf the three interrelated levels of conflict at play in Yemen—local, regional, and international—it was the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the Unite…
- Collective AnalysisThe Arab World
The Legacies of the Middle East in 2025 Are Likely to Repeat in 2026
Jan 6, 2026Yara M. Asi Daniel Brumberg Elobaid Elobaid Samia Errazzouki Imad K. Harb Marwan Kabalan Nabeel A. Khoury Laurie King Assal Rad Rend Al-Rahim Mtanes ShihadehIn 2025, the Middle East and North Africa saw Israel’s genocidal war on Palestinians and destabilizing military attacks across the wider region, Sudan’s unsalu…
- Policy AnalysisYemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Reality and Threats of the STC’s Takeover of Eastern Yemen
Dec 29, 2025Nabeel A. KhouryTwo superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, dominated the greater Middle East during the days of the Cold War. What happened from the Levant down …
- Policy AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
Undiplomatic Diplomacy Jeopardizes Improvements in US-Iraqi Relationship
Dec 26, 2025Gregory AftandilianUS-Iraqi ties have witnessed an improvement over the past few months, largely in the energy and defense sectors that are key components of the bilateral relati…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
MBS Returns to Washington: Re-Assessing US-Saudi Relations
Nov 18, 2025Kristian Coates UlrichsenMohammed bin Salman’s return to Washington after seven years signals a recalibration of US-Saudi ties, with Riyadh seeking security assurances as well as suppo…
- Policy AnalysisYemenRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Israel, the UAE, and Yemen’s South: The Politics of Unlikely Alliances
Nov 14, 2025 Giorgio CafieroHaving emerged in 2017 from Yemen’s Southern Movement, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) is the preeminent political and military force in southern Yemen…
- Policy AnalysisQatarUS Foreign Policy
Qatar Copes with Trump’s Middle East Vision
Nov 6, 2025Daniel BrumbergAmong Arab states, perhaps none faces a more complex challenge in managing relations with President Donald Trump than Qatar. Ironically, Doha’s deepening partn…
- Policy AnalysisYemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Yemen Caught Between Domestic Fragmentation and Regional Tensions
Nov 5, 2025Nabeel A. KhouryMore than a decade into Yemen’s civil war, no end to the conflict is in sight. The lines of control between the two main belligerents have barely changed, and …
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfSecurity and Defense
Israel’s Attack on Qatar and the Failure of GCC Defense Cooperation
Oct 14, 2025Kristian Coates UlrichsenOn September 9, 2025, Israel attacked Qatar in an act of international aggression that caused shockwaves in Doha, across the Gulf states, and around the world.…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Baghdad Between Tehran and Washington: The Struggle for a Sovereign State
Oct 9, 2025Patricia KaramIraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is walking a delicate tightrope between asserting the country’s sovereignty and maintaining relations with Iran a…
- Policy AnalysisQatarThe War on Gaza
Israel’s Attack on Qatar and the End of Diplomacy
Sep 30, 2025Nabeel A. KhouryOn September 9, 2025, Israel attacked a Hamas delegation in Doha, Qatar, as it was meeting to discuss the latest US-brokered ceasefire proposal to halt the war…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfDemocracy and Governance
Fueling Instability: Hydrocarbons, Protests, and the Limits of Yemen’s Internationally Recognized Government
Sep 12, 2025Nicholas BrumfieldIn late July 2025, large-scale protests against electricity outages, economic deterioration, and general mismanagement by Yemen’s Internationally Recognized Go…
- Policy AnalysisQatarThe War on Gaza
Striking a US Ally: Israel’s Attack on Qatar and the Erosion of Regional Stability
Sep 9, 2025Hanna Alshaikh Charles W. Dunne Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Yousef Munayyer Kristian Coates UlrichsenOn the morning of September 9, 2025, 15 Israeli jets carried out an airstrike on residential buildings in Doha, Qatar. Israel claimed that the strike was a pre…
- Policy AnalysisIranDemocracy and Governance
Political Divisions in Iran and the Uncertain Path to a New Nuclear Deal
Sep 4, 2025Daniel BrumbergSome analysts have argued that the unprecedented Israeli and American June 2025 assault on Iran has created a “new regional order” in the Middle East. But what…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and Economics
OPEC Is Pushing Down Oil Prices Despite a Cash Crunch in Saudi Arabia. Here Is Why
Aug 21, 2025Jim KraneSomething odd is happening in oil markets. Demand is weaker than it has been in many years, yet OPEC+ is unwinding cuts and increasing production at a brisk pa…
- From our AffiliatesSaudi ArabiaThe War on Gaza
Saudi Arabia’s Response to Israel’s New Security Doctrine in the Levant
Aug 14, 2025The Unit for Political StudiesIn July 2025, Saudi Arabia and France jointly convened a high-profile diplomatic conference in New York dedicated to reviving momentum for a negotiated two-sta…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Saudi Arabia and the New Syria: Constructive Pragmatism?
Aug 7, 2025Kristian Coates UlrichsenA large Saudi business delegation traveled to Syria on July 23-25, 2025, and participated in an inaugural Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum at the presidential pal…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Palestine and the Middle East After the Iran-Israel war
Jul 15, 2025Rami G. KhouriThe Middle East in recent months has witnessed multiple military and ideological confrontations. Historic changes in regional power balances signal new strateg…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Israel-Iran Confrontation Tests Saudi Arabia’s Quest for Neutrality
Jul 2, 2025The Unit for Political StudiesOvernight on June 21-22, American military aircraft launched strikes on three nuclear facilities inside Iran, most notably the fortified Fordow plant. To reach…
- Policy AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The GCC States and the US-Iran Dance Near the Abyss
Jul 2, 2025Kristian Coates UlrichsenYears of shadowboxing and increasingly direct skirmishing between Israel and Iran erupted into 12 days of conflict that began in the early hours of June 13 and…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Perspectives on the US Attack on Iran and Its Repercussions
Jun 23, 2025Charles W. Dunne Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Assal Rad Annelle Sheline Kristian Coates UlrichsenAfter waiting for a week following Israel’s June 13 attack on Iran, US President Donald Trump decided to involve the United States directly in the Israeli-Iran…
- ViewpointIranUS Foreign Policy
President Trump’s Iran War
Jun 20, 2025Yousef MunayyerAs the smoke rises above Iran and Israel after waves of Israeli airstrikes and Iranian retaliation, only one thing is immediately clear: President Donald Trump…
- ViewpointIranUS Foreign Policy
Political Divisions Over Israel’s Iran Attack Highlight Tough Choices for Trump
Jun 19, 2025Charles W. DunneIsrael’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and an ever-expanding list of targets has exposed fundamental disagreements among Americans over support for Isr…
- ViewpointIranUS Foreign Policy
Israel’s Iran Assault Has Created a Crisis for Which Trump Is Not Prepared
Jun 16, 2025Daniel BrumbergOver the last 18 months, Iran quadrupled its stock of 60 percent enriched uranium. Yet however “successful,” this effort was fraught with danger for the Islami…
- ViewpointIranUS Foreign Policy
The 2025 Israel-Iran War: The American Dimension
Jun 16, 2025Khalil E. JahshanFor the past three decades as a political figure, Benjamin Netanyahu has been obsessed with Iran’s perceived existential threat to Israel, particularly its eme…
- Policy AnalysisYemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Yemen’s Houthi Movement Reconsidered
Jun 12, 2025Nabeel A. KhouryIn January 2019, this author posed the question, “can one make peace with the Houthis of Yemen?” In the six years since, the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Will Trump’s Gulf Trip Exacerbate or Mitigate the Arab World’s Three Plagues?
May 22, 2025Rami G. KhouriThe lasting effects of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf region may only become clear in the year ahead, making any suggestions of profound changes…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Deals Without Guarantees: Trump’s Gulf Visit and the Future of US–Saudi Relations
May 22, 2025The Unit for Political StudiesOn May 13, US President Donald Trump began a four-day tour of Gulf countries, during which he traveled to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UA…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Implications of the US-Houthi Ceasefire Deal
May 21, 2025Gregory AftandilianPresident Donald Trump’s surprise announcement on May 6 of a ceasefire deal with Yemen’s Houthis—in which the militant group pledged not to target American shi…
- ViewpointSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
President Trump Does Business in Saudi Arabia
May 13, 2025Imad K. HarbIn front of a packed hall hosting an investment forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump spoke of an ironclad American-Saudi relationship that …
- ViewpointIranUS Foreign Policy
Already Focused on Iran, Congress Looks at a New Phase in US-Iran Relations
May 9, 2025Ethan Mayer-RichLawmakers returned to Washington after a short break away from the Capitol. Their two-week recess coincided with major developments in the Middle East. The Uni…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Changing GCC Outlook Toward US-Iran Talks
May 7, 2025Kristian Coates UlrichsenLeaders of the six GCC states have worked assiduously since 2021 to repair and rebuild ties with Iran as part of a ‘de-risking’ strategy designed to take the s…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
US Policy and Gulf Arab Interests: More Clash, Less Harmony
May 6, 2025Jim KraneGulf sovereign wealth funds are grappling with zig-zagging share valuations, while the falling oil price—compounded by a falling dollar—is throttling capital f…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Trump’s Upcoming Trip to Saudi Arabia Amid Regional Uncertainties
Apr 25, 2025Gregory AftandilianPresident Donald Trump plans to make Saudi Arabia the first country he will visit during his second term in office—after his visit to the Vatican to take part …
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Trump Might Go for a Nuclear Deal Without a Larger Middle East Strategy
Apr 22, 2025Daniel BrumbergOver the last week, Iran hardliners in Washington have issued dire warnings about the Trump administration’s launching of nuclear talks with Iran. Iranian lead…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Saudi Arabia’s Calculated Re-engagement in Syria and Lebanon
Apr 8, 2025Unit for Political StudiesOn March 28, the Syrian and Lebanese defense ministers signed an agreement in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, affirming the importance of demarcating borders between the…
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Trump’s Impulse-Driven Middle East Policy Creates Dangers and Opportunities
Mar 27, 2025Daniel BrumbergA recent report by a pro-Israel think tank in Washington cautions against making any deal with Iran that does not provide for the total dismantlement of Tehran…
- Policy AnalysisYemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A Decade after the Saudi Military Intervention in Yemen: An Assessment
Mar 25, 2025Afrah NasserExactly a decade ago, Saudi Arabia announced the launch of a military intervention in Yemen, promising to lead a coalition of more than 10 nations—although som…
- Policy AnalysisIraqEnergy and Economics
Geopolitical Dynamics Surrounding Iraq’s Ambitious Development Road Project
Mar 5, 2025Giorgio CafieroLeveraging its geography and resources to serve as an economic bridge between Asia and Europe is not a new concept for Iraq. In the 1980s, the country promoted…
- ViewpointPalestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Recent Arab Moves Deserve Bold Follow-Up
Feb 21, 2025Rami G. KhouriFour key political actors in the Middle East have recently made surprising moves that offered hints of how Arab states and non-state actors can collectively en…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Normalization and Displacement: Saudi Arabia and Trump’s Gaza Proposal
Feb 20, 2025The Unit for Political StudiesSaudi Arabia is deeply concerned about the risks that Trump’s Gaza project poses to Egypt and Jordan and are uneasy about repeated American and Israeli stateme…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Trump II and American-Gulf Relations
Feb 11, 2025Kristian Coates UlrichsenDonald Trump re-entered the White House on January 20 as the first president to serve a non-consecutive second term since Grover Cleveland in 1893. Any expecta…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arab World
How Will 2025 Be Different in the Middle East? Perspectives on the New Year
Jan 15, 2025Khalil E. Jahshan Daniel Brumberg Dana El Kurd Imad K. Harb Patricia Karam Nabeel A. Khoury Yousef Munayyer Annelle ShelineThe monumental events that took place in the Middle East in 2024 augur radical changes in the region’s geopolitical environment. Israel’s ongoing genocidal war…
- ViewpointSyriaDemocracy and Governance
Will Assad’s Fall Give Iran’s Reformists a New Lease on Life?
Dec 11, 2024Daniel BrumbergFor Iran, the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and what was left of his regime—together with Moscow’s decision to throw its leading Middle East ally to the wind…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Recalibrating US Engagement in Yemen Under a New Trump Administration
Dec 11, 2024Afrah NasserThe military escalation between the United States and the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen has significant implications for Yemen’s future. As the Houthis …
- Policy AnalysisIranUS Foreign Policy
Trump and Company Return to the Folly of “Maximum Pressure” on Iran
Dec 5, 2024Daniel BrumbergWhen it comes to US Iran policy, simple yet profound realities merit repeating. One of these is that economic sanctions are a tactic, not a strategy. Indeed, u…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and Economics
Trump Is Back: What Does It Mean for Oil and US-Gulf Relations?
Nov 27, 2024Jim KranePresident-elect Donald Trump has made clear his fondness for fossil fuels, a fondness that was reciprocated by many in the industry. Expectations are high. But…
- Policy AnalysisSaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Saudi Arabia and Trump: Expectations and Challenges Ahead
Nov 14, 2024The Unit for Political StudiesOn November 5, former President Donald Trump successfully reclaimed the White House, achieving a decisive victory over his Democratic opponent, Vice President …
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfRegional Relations and Geopolitics
GCC States Seek Diplomacy During US Absence
Nov 12, 2024Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe expansion and partial regionalization of what is already the longest and deadliest conflict in the Israeli-Palestinian arena since 1948 presents the Gulf A…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arab WorldUS Foreign Policy
A Second Trump Administration: Potential Policy Toward the Middle East
Nov 5, 2024Charles W. DunneThe November 5 presidential election is likely to have major implications for US foreign policy, as it pits a centrist and robust internationalist candidate (V…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict Resolution
One Year After October 7: Israel Descends into Endless War
Oct 11, 2024Daniel BrumbergAmong the many moments described in the Washington Post’s recent article on the Biden administration’s failed efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, one stands…
- From our AffiliatesLebanonConflicts and Conflict Resolution
GCC Responses to Israeli Aggression on Lebanon: Strategic Concerns and Regional Implications
Oct 9, 2024The Unit for Political StudiesThe positions of the GCC countries toward Israel's war on Lebanon are appear divided. All share a deep concern about escalation and its potential impact on the…
- Policy AnalysisYemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
A Decade On, Assessing Shared Responsibility for Yemen’s Tragedy
Oct 3, 2024Afrah NasserOn September 21, 2014, Yemen’s capital Sanaa awoke to an unexpected turn of events that would reshape the country’s destiny. The Houthi armed group, officially…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Assessing GCC Perspectives on American-British Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis
Sep 11, 2024Giorgio CafieroSince last November, Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, commonly known as the Houthis, has been attacking commercial and merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden and th…
- Policy AnalysisYemenClimate and Environment
Climate Change: A New Battlefield in Yemen’s Ongoing Conflict
Sep 6, 2024Afrah NasserLike the rest of the world, Yemen is facing the profound effects of climate change on sectors from agriculture and health to the broader economy and natural re…
- Policy AnalysisIranDemocracy and Governance
Iran’s New President and Foreign Minister Stand on the Edge of a Precipice
Aug 30, 2024Daniel BrumbergCommenting on Hezbollah’s retaliation to Israel’s August 25 pre-emptive strike on its positions, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani asserted tha…
- Policy AnalysisIraqViolent Extremism
The Islamic State Is Trying to Rebound
Aug 29, 2024Gregory AftandilianTaking advantage of the world’s attention to the Israel-Hamas and Israel-Hezbollah conflicts, the so-called Islamic State (IS) is trying to reconstitute itself…
