Policy Analysis

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  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The UAE-Saudi Arabia Rivalry Becomes a Rift

    Jul 6, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    Saudi Arabia and the UAE are waging a quiet struggle to determine who will emerge as the Arabian Gulf’s—and maybe the Arab world’s—preeminent power.

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy

    Saudi-US Relations in a Changing Global and Regional Landscape

    Jun 29, 2023Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

    Kristian Coates Ulrichsen discusses the current state of Saudi-US relations as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seeks to chart a new course in domestic and for…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Despite US Efforts, Iran is Ascendant

    Jun 21, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    Iran today is not nearly as isolated as Washington had hoped and it has scored some impressive successes in advancing its regional agenda.

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    Shock and Awe: Life in Iraq Twenty Years after the US-led Invasion

    Jun 16, 2023Yara M. Asi

    This year marks a significant milestone in the American-led “Global War on Terror,” especially in relation to Iraq. It has been 20 years since former Secretary…

  • Policy Analysis
    EgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    Egypt and Iran: A Quest for Normalized Ties Amid Significant Obstacles

    Jun 9, 2023Khalil Al-Anani

    Egypt and Iran appear to be moving toward a closer relationship and a mending of ties. In recent months, officials from both countries have engaged in multiple…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics

    The Jeddah Arab League Summit: MBS’s Final Crowning

    May 31, 2023Imad K. Harb

    The 32nd Arab League Summit was little more than the final crowning of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince as the leader of the current Arab political order.

  • Policy Analysis
    LevantClimate and Environment

    Water Politics in the Tigris-Euphrates Basin

    May 30, 2023Achref Chibani

    While energy security and the control of oil have long been determining factors for geopolitical conflict in the Middle East, the region’s geopolitics have als…

  • Policy Analysis
    SudanConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Sudan Crisis: How Regional Actors’ Competing Interests Fuel the Conflict

    May 11, 2023Khalil Al-Anani

    The outbreak of military clashes between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have resulted in the deaths of hundreds and t…

  • Policy Analysis
    Saudi ArabiaEnergy and Economics

    Saudi Oil Production Cuts: A Self-Interested Move

    May 10, 2023Patricia Karam

    Saudi Arabia’s announcement last month of surprise oil production cuts reverberated around the world. The cuts consisted of a voluntary reduction of 500,000 ba…

  • Policy Analysis
    IranThe War in Ukraine

    Iran’s Involvement in the Ukraine War: Compromising Declared Principles

    May 9, 2023Kourosh Ziabari

    Politicians and commentators are warning about the consequences of an emerging “Ukraine fatigue” in the second year of the Russian invasion of the country. The…

  • Policy Analysis
    YemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution

    The Thorny Relationship between Yemen’s Government and the Southern Transitional Council

    May 3, 2023Afrah Nasser

    In Yemen, the Southern Movement calling for separation between the North and South of Yemen is controversial. For those who oppose it, it is a simple secession…

  • Policy Analysis
    IraqUS Foreign Policy

    Twenty Years after “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq: A Critical Assessment

    May 2, 2023Charles W. Dunne

    The crisis had been building for months when, on March 20, 2003, this author stood with a group of military officers deep inside the Pentagon, watching a telev…