Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Israel-Iran Confrontation Tests Saudi Arabia’s Quest for Neutrality
Jul 2, 2025The Unit for Political Studies
Overnight on June 21-22, American military aircraft launched strikes on three nuclear facilities inside Iran, most notably the fortified Fordow plant. To reach…
Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The GCC States and the US-Iran Dance Near the Abyss
Jul 2, 2025Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Years 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 Analysis
IranUS 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 Ulrichsen
After 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…
Policy Analysis
US Foreign Policy
Trump’s Cuts Badly Affect Promoting International Democracy and Human Rights
Jun 16, 2025Charles W. Dunne
The Trump administration’s swift demolition of key governmental and government-funded institutions promoting democracy abroad is a clear attack not just on imp…
Policy Analysis
The 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. Khouri
The 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 Policy
Deals Without Guarantees: Trump’s Gulf Visit and the Future of US–Saudi Relations
May 22, 2025The Unit for Political Studies
On 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 Policy
Implications of the US-Houthi Ceasefire Deal
May 21, 2025Gregory Aftandilian
President 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…
Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
President Trump’s Gulf Trip: Post-Visit Observations
May 20, 2025Charles W. Dunne Dana El Kurd Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Assal Rad Annelle Sheline
Last week President Donald Trump ended a three-country trip to the Arabian Gulf—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—where he signed lucrative arm…
Policy Analysis
IranUS Foreign Policy
Changing GCC Outlook Toward US-Iran Talks
May 7, 2025Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Leaders 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 Policy
US Policy and Gulf Arab Interests: More Clash, Less Harmony
May 6, 2025Jim Krane
Gulf 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
US Foreign Policy
Restructuring the US Department of State: The De-prioritization of Human Rights?
May 2, 2025Annelle Sheline
On April 22, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a proposed “comprehensive reorganization plan” of the US Department of State. The information that he pos…
Policy Analysis
US Foreign Policy
One Hundred Days of Trump’s Foreign Policy: US Reputation and the World Order Take a Hit
Apr 29, 2025Charles W. Dunne
The onslaught of US President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy has surprised the world with its depth and ferocity.