Helping Russia target the jihadist group will only benefit the Assad regime unless Washington ensures that such efforts are carefully targeted, strictly conditioned, and accompanied by additional reinforcement of the moderate opposition. The Obama administration is reportedly considering a deal with Russia to coordinate an expanded bombing campaign against al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (JN) in… Keep reading →
The deputy crown prince’s first solo trip to Washington confirms his preeminence in the Saudi hierarchy but could spur pushback from royal rivals. On June 13, Prince Muhammad bin Salman, known as MbS, arrived in the United States for a visit that will likely include New York and the west coast as well as Washington.… Keep reading →
Two Washington Institute experts share their findings from recent visits to Russia, where they discussed a wide range of regional issues with current and former officials, leading analysts, and other citizens. In May, the authors conducted separate trips to Russia — Ms. Borshchevskaya on an orientation visit and Ambassador Jeffrey as part of the Dartmouth-Kettering… Keep reading →
Ankara’s terrorist adversaries have expanded their destructive reach with mobile rocket launchers and other formidable weapons, so deterring the threat will require a similarly robust Turkish approach to procurement, development, and deployment of various military systems. Turkey’s civilian casualties from Islamic State (IS) rocket attacks recently hit double-digit numbers. Since January, some seventy of these… Keep reading →
Funeral notices indicate that Iran has increased its use of IRGC Ground Forces in Syria to offset mounting losses by the elite Qods Force, and this pattern could signal a wider transformation in how the IRGC operates abroad. On May 6, at least sixteen Iranian nationals and an undisclosed number of Shiite foreign fighters under… Keep reading →
Washington will be pleased to see Riyadh bolstering another key regional ally, but the potential development of Jordan’s nuclear sector could cause headaches, and the political costs for Amman remain unclear. In early April, Saudi Arabia agreed to provide Egypt with a financial aid package reportedly worth $22 billion. Less publicized, but perhaps equally significant,… Keep reading →
Few people understand that Iranian banks do not live up to the standards U.S. agencies require of all foreign financial institutions, and that this shortcoming has nothing to do with the nuclear deal. On April 25, following the first post-Implementation Day meeting of the joint P5+1/Iranian committee in Vienna, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated… Keep reading →
The success of Riyadh’s new economic policy will partly depend on changes in social and political attitudes, as well as greater transparency on legal and other issues. In 1984, a British ambassador departing Saudi Arabia at the end of his tour wrote a “valedictory telegram” defining the kingdom in terms of three “I’s” — Islam,… Keep reading →
Four eminent scholars and policy practitioners debate the president’s worldview and how it will shape American interests and options in the next administration. On March 12, Derek Chollet, Ellen Laipson, Michael Doran, and Michael Mandelbaum addressed a Washington Institute Policy Forum inspired by the controversial Atlantic cover story “The Obama Doctrine.” Chollet is the counselor… Keep reading →
Efforts to convert shipping vessels to LNG are advancing rapidly across the marine industry. There are approximately 40 marine vessels (not counting LNG dual-fuel carriers) in use today currently powered by LNG. This number is expected to grow exponentially, to 1,800 vessels by 2020. While emissions regulations are the primary catalyst for the change, the… Keep reading →
