How Arab autocrats benefit from newfound friendship with Israel
Well ahead of ‘normalization,’ Middle East elites were tapping into Tel Aviv’s influence in Washington, much to both’s advantage.
Well ahead of ‘normalization,’ Middle East elites were tapping into Tel Aviv’s influence in Washington, much to both’s advantage.
Nine months into the Biden administration and its Yemen peace initiative, the momentum toward peace seems to have stalled.
With English Premier League teams regularly losing money, this deal is likely more about ‘sports washing’ than making a profit.
In just a few years, Doha has emerged from isolation and asserted its place in the region — and in Afghanistan.
All signals point to no real arm twisting during the first high level meeting with MBS, who has been linked to the journalist’s murder.
But Saudi Arabia and its helpmates can help speed up the inevitable and finally end this war.
Biden’s top advisor should use the 3rd anniversary of Khashoggi’s murder to say the US is shutting off the spigot.
President Raisi’s need to alleviate his people’s economic suffering will serve as impetus for both a JCPOA return and regional diplomacy.
Welcome to the era of soft power rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which is better than the usual proxy confrontation.
Rep. Ro Khanna has again pushed through this important amendment, but will other forces collude to kill it?
With Biden continuing Trump-era policies, it’s up to Congress now to yank the purse strings and end the brutality.
As the US steps back militarily, regional states forever at each other’s throats are now quietly stepping forward diplomatically.
They need not worry, as the Biden administration is still selling arms to the biggest violators in the Gulf.
This means even those who support them, including the US, are responsible for war crimes.
Gulf states are likely to discover that they are stuck with a less committed United States. That reality will push them toward greater self-reliance.
While it’s still unclear how Saudi Arabia and the UAE will respond, Qatar may take on a mediator role.
Some analysts have noted that Saudi Arabia was absent among the Gulf states that helped the United States with evacuations from Afghanistan.
The Tunisian president will probably look to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for support, and other Arab states such as Egypt.
Afghanistan could emerge as a venue for Middle Eastern rivalries involving not only Saudi Arabia and Iran, but also Turkey and Qatar.
Regional stability, friction between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and a mutual need for economic development all contribute to Saudi-Oman rapprochement.
The administration has been sluggish in its pledge to withdraw material support to the Kingdom and help end the blockade in Yemen.