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YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionYemen’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 Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyWill 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 Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyDeals 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 Analysis
YemenUS Foreign PolicyImplications 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…
- Viewpoint
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyPresident 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 …
- Viewpoint
IranUS Foreign PolicyAlready 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 Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyChanging 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 Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyUS 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 Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyTrump’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 Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyTrump 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 Analysis
Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and GeopoliticsSaudi 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 Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyTrump’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 Analysis
YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA 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 Analysis
IraqEnergy and EconomicsGeopolitical 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…
- Viewpoint
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionRecent 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 Analysis
LevantRegional Relations and GeopoliticsNormalization 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 Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyTrump 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 Analysis
The Arab WorldHow 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…
- Viewpoint
SyriaDemocracy and GovernanceWill 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 Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyRecalibrating 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 Analysis
IranUS Foreign PolicyTrump 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 Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and EconomicsTrump 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 Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicySaudi 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 Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfRegional Relations and GeopoliticsGCC 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 Analysis
The Arab WorldUS Foreign PolicyA 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 Analysis
Palestine/IsraelConflicts and Conflict ResolutionOne 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…
- Policy Analysis
LebanonConflicts and Conflict ResolutionGCC 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 Analysis
YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA 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 Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfRegional Implications and GeopoliticsAssessing 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 Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfClimate and EnvironmentClimate 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 Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceIran’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 Analysis
IraqViolent ExtremismThe 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…
- From our Affiliates
YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Fragile but Enduring Truce in Yemen
Aug 27, 2024Arab Center for Research and Policy StudiesOn April 1, 2022, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced a two-month truce between the country’s warring parties. This truce was extended twi…
- Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceIran’s New President Must Navigate Dangerous Waters
Aug 1, 2024Daniel BrumbergFor the third time in the young history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a political leader identified with the “Reformist” camp has won the presidency. Masoud…
- Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldUS Domestic Politics and ElectionsMiddle East Leaders Prefer Trump’s Victory
Jul 24, 2024Gregory AftandilianDonald J. Trump’s candidacy seems to draw more interest and support from the Middle East than from other areas of the world, particularly from among the ruling…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaDiplomacy and NegotiationsDifficulties Facing a US-Saudi Security Agreement
Jun 25, 2024Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe search for a US-brokered Saudi-Israeli deal to normalize relations has assumed outsized significance in the administration’s approach to the Middle East.
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and EconomicsExploring the Options: Arab Oil Exporters and the US Dollar
Jun 21, 2024Jim KraneThe pricing of oil in US dollars is one of the perks the United States enjoys due to its status as the world’s largest economy and to the dollar’s role as the …
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfClimate and EnvironmentBracing for the Sandstorm: The Gulf Energy Transition Imperative
Jun 6, 2024Karim ElgendyBefore the 2008-2009 financial crisis, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)…
- Policy Analysis
KuwaitDemocracy and GovernanceThe Supremacy of Executive Power in Kuwait
Jun 4, 2024Kristian Coates UlrichsenTwo decades of political turbulence in Kuwait came to a head on the evening of May 10 when Emir Mishal al-Ahmad Al-Sabah announced he was suspending the Nation…
- Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceWill Ebrahim Raisi’s Death Help Ultra-Hardliners ‘Make Iran Great Again’?
May 31, 2024Daniel BrumbergThe May 19 deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a fiery helicopter crash has created a challenge that Iran’s lead…
- Policy Analysis
UAERegional Relations and GeopoliticsUAE Restricts US Military Strikes from Its Territory
May 22, 2024Gregory AftandilianFearing an attack by Iran or its allied militias in the region, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has restricted US military aircraft from targeting these proxy g…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionDeterminants of Saudi Arabia’s Response to the Gaza War
May 22, 2024Arab Center for Research and Policy StudiesFollowing Hamas’s “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” on October 7, Saudi Arabia publicly criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and blamed it for escalating tensions, desp…
- Viewpoint
IranDemocracy and GovernanceRaisi Departs, But Iran Remains Khamenei’s Realm
May 20, 2024Imad K. HarbIranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s death comes at a particularly precarious time for the Islamic Republic. While important, considering the monumental news, Sup…
- Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign PolicyThe Gaza Crisis Pushes Washington and Riyadh Closer
May 15, 2024Daniel BrumbergHamas’s May 6 acceptance of a hostage deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar was surely designed to induce the White House to pressure Israel to produce a counteroff…
- Policy Analysis
YemenConflicts and Conflict ResolutionDivergent Saudi-Emirati Agendas Cripple Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council
May 15, 2024Afrah NasserTwo years into its existence, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) still has not effectively addressed critical problems facing the country: a dire ec…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign PolicyIraq’s Sudani Runs the Risks of Sustained Relations with the United States
May 7, 2024Rend Al-RahimOn his recent visit to the United States, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia` al-Sudani proposed a bold new relationship with America, basing it on the joint S…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionGulf Arab States Avoid Iran-Israel Tensions
Apr 25, 2024Kristian Coates UlrichsenYears of shadow conflict between Israel and Iran, which included targeted assassinations as well as cyberattacks, gave way in April to direct confrontation and…
- Viewpoint
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Failed Iranian Performance and Its Repercussions
Apr 15, 2024Imad K. HarbRare are the occasions when a purportedly capable country’s determined military response to attack turns out to be a mere theatrical performance. Such was the …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionSaudi Arabia May Be Taking Center Stage in Post-Gaza Peace
Feb 28, 2024Kristian Coates UlrichsenWith Israel’s war on Gaza in its fifth month amid ongoing international pressure for a ceasefire, Saudi Arabia has become the focus of much attention over what…
- Policy AnalysisYemenUS Foreign Policy
Instead of Houthi Designation, the United States Should Embrace a Comprehensive Approach
Feb 28, 2024Afrah NasserOn January 17, the United States designated the Houthis in Yemen, also known as Ansar Allah, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in response to t…
- Policy Analysis
LevantUS Foreign PolicyUS Troops to Stay in Syria and Iraq but Perhaps Not for Long
Feb 22, 2024Gregory AftandilianIn recent weeks, there have been meetings in Washington and in Baghdad about the presence in Iraq and Syria of US troops, whose official mandate is to aid loca…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyRegional Relations and GeopoliticsTurkish-Gulf Relations in the Context of Regional Reconciliation
Feb 14, 2024Salim ÇevikSince 2021, Turkey has been resetting its policies in the Middle East and has started to reconcile with its rivals in the previous decade—Egypt, Israel, Saudi …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionFrom Gaza to Yemen and Back: The Biden Administration’s Confused Strategy
Feb 1, 2024Nabeel A. KhouryOn January 17, the Biden administration announced it was adding Yemen’s Houthis (also called Ansar Allah) to the US terrorist list. The move returned the rebel…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIran Between Managing Allies and Modulating Its Deterrence
Jan 25, 2024Daniel BrumbergThis is a bad time for Iran to become embroiled in an expanding regional war that pits the Islamic Republic and its allies in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen against …
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Biden Administration Is Strong in the Red Sea but Weak in Gaza
Jan 24, 2024Gregory AftandilianAfter enduring weeks of regional tension, including Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and on American commercial vessels, the Biden administratio…
- Policy Analysis
Palestine/IsraelRegional Relations and GeopoliticsNormalization Survives Despite the Gaza War
Jan 11, 2024Imad K. HarbThe current Israeli war on Gaza, now well into its fourth deadly month, has cast a calamitous shadow over the lives of Palestinians and Israelis, as well as ov…
- Policy Analysis
The Arab WorldRegional Relations and GeopoliticsImportant Considerations for the Middle East in 2024
Jan 10, 2024Yara M. Asi Daniel Brumberg Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Tamara Kharroub Laurie King Dana El Kurd Yousef MunayyerThe October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent invasion of the Gaza Strip will play a major role in shaping what unfolds in the Middle East in 20…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionAssessing Yemen as a Second Front in the Gaza War
Nov 30, 2023Nabeel A. KhouryOn November 19, Yemen’s Houthis hijacked a cargo ship indirectly linked to Israel as it was traveling in the Red Sea. Much like their firing of missiles toward…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Implications and GeopoliticsHamas’s “Al-Aqsa Flood” Challenges Iran’s Axis of Resistance
Nov 27, 2023Daniel BrumbergWhile the Biden administration, with Qatar’s support, has succeeded in securing a deal with Israel and Hamas for a combat “pause,” it remains to be seen if thi…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionGCC States and the War on Gaza: Positions, Perceptions, and Interests
Nov 22, 2023Kristian Coates UlrichsenThe war on Gaza has for all intents and purposes reinstated the centrality of the Palestinian issue to the regional and international politics of the Middle Ea…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Implications and GeopoliticsUS Military Presence in the Middle East: Deterrence and Retaliation
Nov 14, 2023Gregory AftandilianThe United States has recently bolstered its military presence in the Middle East as the Israeli war on Gaza escalated. Bolstering this presence is meant to de…
- Policy Analysis
LevantConflicts and Conflict ResolutionWill Saudi Arabia Renew the “Arab Peace Initiative” as the Middle East Seethes?
Oct 23, 2023Daniel BrumbergWhether Hamas’s October 7 assault has ended whatever prospects existed for forging diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia remains to be seen. The…
- Policy Analysis
IranRegional Implications and GeopoliticsOn the Limits of Iran’s Policy of “Maximum Tactical Flexibility”
Oct 13, 2023Daniel BrumbergAt some point, the tactical balls Tehran has been juggling could fall to the ground with unpredictable or dangerous strategic results.
- Policy Analysis
LevantDiplomacy and NegotiationsSaudi-Israeli Normalization and the Hamas Attack
Oct 11, 2023Kristian Coates UlrichsenWhen Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) sat down on September 20 with Brett Baier of Fox News for his first English-language television inter…
- Policy Analysis
TurkeyEnergy and EconomicsTurkey’s Ambitions in Iraq Play Out in Kirkuk
Oct 3, 2023Mustafa GurbuzIn late August, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani stirred the pot of existing tensions when he ordered the evacuation of the Iraqi military’s Joint…
- Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict ResolutionYemen’s War Economy: A Key Factor in the Ongoing Conflict
Sep 20, 2023Afrah NasserAs Houthi negotiators leave Saudi Arabia after five days of talks with Saudi officials regarding the contours of a compromise solution to Yemen’s ongoing confl…
- Policy Analysis
KuwaitDemocracy and GovernanceChallenges Facing Kuwait’s Parliamentary Democracy
Sep 12, 2023Imad K. HarbWatching Kuwait’s seemingly dysfunctional political scene gives one the impression that the country is on a course toward endless instability and disorder. Las…
