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DiplomacyIran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States

Confidence Building Measures Needed Before the U.S. and Saudi Arabia Start a Dialogue With Iran

Tanmay Kadam

After about a year of escalating tensions and heated rhetorical exchanges, the Persian Gulf region experiencing a rare turn of events. Regional and extra-regional powers, after a long time, appear…

EnergyEnergy, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, United States

Rethinking U.S. Energy Security to Hedge Against Heightened Instability in the Middle East

Connor Sutherland

As U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran for the September 2019 attack on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil fields in Saudi Arabia, he defined the incident as “an…

Defense & SecurityIran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States

Yemen is a Battleground in Iran’s Proxy War Against the U.S. and Saudi Arabia

Alan Lis

As the world’s attention is increasingly focused on Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf, it’s essential to look at the civil war in Yemen, a battlefield in the proxy fight…

Defense & SecurityFrance, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates

Haftar Ante Portas Tripoli

Nico Lamminparras

After a relatively easy advance through the southern and central parts of Libya, the country's renegade general now has the capital in his sights.Up until the Libyan National Army (LNA)…

Economics & TradeBahrain, Gulf Cooperation Council, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan

The Geopolitical Implications of Expanding Ties Between the Gulf and Central Asia

Dominic Pratt

Though the differences between the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and the cold steppes of Central Asia might be stark, the two regions do share some fundamental similarities. Both regions…

Defense & SecurityHezbollah, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, United States

Conflict and Competition in the Middle East Will Persist Throughout 2019

Vincent Lofaso

In previous years, interest in the Middle East was largely focused on ISIS (DAESH). This year, however, that focus will shift towards Iran. As the threat from the extremist Sunni…

Defense & SecurityAfghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States

Iran’s Interests in Afghanistan: Water, Black Market Currency, & Extremism

Ejaz Ahmad Malikzada

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently visited Kabul to discuss recent efforts towards peace in Afghanistan. Though the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs hasn’t provided any details of the…

DiplomacyGulf Cooperation Council, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States

2018 GCC Summit in Riyadh: An Uneasy Gathering

Vincent Lofaso

High-level delegations from six Gulf states met in the Saudi capital of Riyadh this December to discuss cooperation on issues ranging from economic to security matters. The summit occurred at…

DiplomacyIran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Nations, Yemen

Time for the U.S. to Act on Yemen as Negotiations Begin in Sweden

Jamie Gadowski

The humanitarian crisis in Yemen deteriorates by the day. Approximately twenty-two million civilians require immediate aid, 1.2 million cases of cholera have been reported, and 8.4 million are experiencing severe food insecurity. The…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyEgypt, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States

What does Erdoğan want from the Jamal Khashoggi Murder?

Brandon Beardsley

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is not known for soft rhetoric. Erdoğan confronted former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres and accused him to his face of murdering children on the…

DiplomacyEuropean Union, Iran, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States

Is the Saudi-U.S. Alliance at a Tipping Point?

Cyril Widdershoven

The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi is threatening the close relationship between Washington and Riyadh. The government of Saudi Arabia has denied any knowledge of or involvement in the reported killing…

Defense & SecurityDjibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, United Arab Emirates

How an Ethiopia-backed port is changing power dynamics in the Horn of Africa

Brendon J. Cannon & Ash Rossiter

When Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Ethiopia became landlocked and therefore dependent on its neighbours – especially Djibouti – for access to international markets. This dependency has…