Coming the same week as Secretary Pompeo’s Middle East tour, the incident is a powerful example of the regional threat posed by Iran. Other than a photograph of a badly damaged building, details have been slow to emerge about the January 7 clash in the Qatif area of Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Authorities waited two… Keep reading →
Ministerial changes seemed likely in the wake of the Khashoggi crisis, but some of the specifics came as a surprise. On December 27, Saudi Arabia announced new appointments in the name of King Salman that substantially alter the makeup of the Political and Security Affairs Council, the key decisionmaking body chaired by defense minister and… Keep reading →
Riyadh’s allies need to adjust more to the kingdom’s dynamic decisionmaking, once noted for being slow and cautious. In the almost four years since King Salman ascended to the throne, Saudi policy initiatives attributable to his son Muhammad bin Salman (MbS) have been rapid, surprising to outsiders, and considerably significant. They can almost be described… Keep reading →
The imminent polls will not alter the power structure of the strategically positioned Gulf state, but they could affect its simmering Shia unrest and wider regional politics. On November 24, Bahraini men and women will go to the polls to choose who will represent them in the forty-seat National Assembly for the next four years.… Keep reading →
Gen. Ali Mohsen could wind up as interim president despite his unpalatability to various parties, so Washington should prepare accordingly to avoid derailing peace talks. Washington’s recent push for Yemen talks is likely a product of pressure on several fronts: the rising sense of urgencyabout ending the destructive war; diplomatic troubles with Saudi Arabia; mounting congressional calls to halt military support for… Keep reading →
Washington’s abrupt change in tone could bolster the UN envoy’s efforts to end the fighting and convene negotiations sooner rather than later. On October 30, the U.S. government’s public position on Yemen appeared to shift as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis called for the parties to cease hostilities and begin… Keep reading →
Khamenei’s latest guidelines for Iranian culture and governance focus on resisting any efforts to reform the regime’s decisionmaking tendencies. On October 14, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei released a draft of the “Islamic-Iranian Blueprint for Progress,” a document that outlines his vision for the next half century. The final version of this blueprint is not expected… Keep reading →
Riyadh’s continuing closeness to Pakistan could prevent Washington from allowing the export of nuclear technology to the kingdom. Sometime in March, Saudi Arabia is expected to announce favored bidders for multibillion-dollar contracts for two nuclear power projects. The need for nuclear power in the kingdom, which has the world’s largest easily recoverable oil reserves, is… Keep reading →
Riyadh and its allies are finally moving to reduce the humanitarian impact of their blockade, so U.S. officials and other actors should take corresponding steps to assist aid flows, secure ceasefires, and promote a diplomatic solution to the crisis. On January 22, the Saudi-led Gulf coalition announced the launch of the Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operation… Keep reading →
Two experts discuss how Washington can use its warming relations with Cairo and Riyadh to foster soft-power reform campaigns. On January 18, Joseph Braude and Samuel Tadros addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Braude is an advisor to Al-Mesbar Studies and Research Center and a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Tadros… Keep reading →
