Emirati leaders apparently understood that this move would preserve the two-state option and preempt Iran from exploiting the annexation issue—while also opening access to previously off-limits U.S. weaponry.
Although state officials and media have expressed somewhat nuanced views on the Beirut disaster and subsequent protests, most of their comments boil down to preventing deeper U.S. involvement and safeguarding Moscow’s interests in the current power structure.
Saleh Machnouk, Hanin Ghaddar, Matthew Levitt, and Charles Thépaut
Watch an urgent live webcast as veteran diplomats, scholars, and journalists discuss the long-term meaning of this month's deadly explosion in Beirut.
Access a groundbreaking, comprehensive interactive map and timeline of Hezbollah's global terrorist activity from the group's founding through 2020.
The current flare-up centers on differing interpretations of international law—a situation that should be employing lawyers but is instead deploying navies.
If the United States lets France take the lead, the Lebanese people will get more political paralysis, cosmetic reforms, and Hezbollah control of state institutions.
Policy Notes
Whether the young Saudi crown prince ultimately ascends to the throne will entail plenty of plot twists, but it also holds serious implications for the kingdom, the region, and U.S. interests.
Policy Notes 69
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen and Simon Henderson
In a Gulf region experiencing sharp tensions, how might a leadership transition in Kuwait affect a much-needed node of stability?
PolicyWatch 1073
At a time when attention is focused on the problems democracy has brought in one part of the Middle East, such as the Palestinian territories, it has been easy to overlook how democratic processes were key to resolving a crisis in another Middle Eastern country: Kuwait. The January 15 death of...
Articles & Op-Eds
King Salman may not be on his deathbed, but his son is renowned for not wanting to waste an opportunity.
