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President Donald Trump meeting with King Salman in Saudi Arabia in 2017 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
President Trump’s High-Stakes Gulf Trip Requires More Than Good Business
The president is expected to focus on big investment deals and arms sales during his Gulf tour, but he also needs to address some urgent security issues if he wants to come home with a win.
May 8, 2025
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  • Elizabeth Dent
  • Simon Henderson
Photo of an oil facility in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Articles & Testimony
Iraqi Oil and the Iran Threat Network
Terrorist organizations are exploiting Iraq’s energy sector to the tune of billions of dollars per year, raising the need for more intensive efforts to trace how revenues are routed into oil “voucher” programs and other diversion schemes.
April 2025
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  • Michael Knights
Flight deck crew issues commands to a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet prior to launch from the carrier USS Harry S. Truman - source: Department of Defense
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Is the Houthi Threat a Checkmate for U.S. Military Logistics?
The Iran-backed militia’s disruption of Red Sea shipping is threatening America’s ability to rapidly deploy and supply its forces in the Middle East and beyond, but a combination of logistical workarounds, military measures, and diplomatic efforts may be the answer.
Apr 21, 2025
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  • James E. Shepard
Brief Analysis
What a U.S.-Saudi Nuclear “Pathway” Might Mean for the Iran Talks
Rather than clearing a route to normalization with Israel, a Saudi nuclear agreement with Washington may be key to addressing Iran’s military nuclear potential and wider proliferation concerns in the region.
Apr 16, 2025
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  • Simon Henderson
Photo of the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates.
Brief Analysis
Setting Up the Next Phase of U.S.-UAE Nuclear Cooperation
With the U.S. point man on energy development touring the Gulf and Chinese and Russian nuclear initiatives on the rise, the Trump administration should consider how best to replicate the responsible Emirati model elsewhere in the region.
Apr 11, 2025
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  • Noam Raydan
Articles & Testimony
Trump’s Gulf Trip Will Test Regional Nerves and Alliances
With oil prices sliding and Iran talks ahead, the Gulf states are bracing for a high-stakes presidential visit.
Apr 9, 2025
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  • Simon Henderson
Screenshot from MarineTraffic shows tracks of the Marina between Cyprus and Syria on March 28, 2025.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Hezbollah-Linked LPG Tanker Sails to East Mediterranean
Past ties between the Marina and the Lebanese terrorist group, along with the ship’s deceptive practices at sea, merit U.S. scrutiny.
Mar 28, 2025
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  • Noam Raydan
◆ Maritime Spotlight
The Mari-B and Tamar gas platforms in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel - source: The Washington Institute
Brief Analysis
New Gas Licenses Go Ahead on the Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border
Hezbollah’s recent military defeat and the 2022 Israel-Lebanon maritime agreement mediated by Washington have enabled exploration in a distant corner of Israel’s exclusive economic zone.
Mar 24, 2025
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  • Simon Henderson
Iranians shop in a Tehran market ahead of Nowruz celelbrations in 2024 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Iran’s Sour National Mood Could Complicate U.S. Engagement
When it comes to fixing serious problems with the economy, energy, and other sectors, the reformists have been just as ineffective as the hardliners, eroding any legitimacy they might claim to reopen nuclear negotiations with Washington.
Mar 6, 2025
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  • Patrick Clawson
A Russian crude oil tanker transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2024 - source: Reuters
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Syria’s Quest for Oil May Include Russian Shipments
As the new government looks for quick answers to its emergency energy needs, it may turn to sanctioned Russian ship operators and other illicit actors.
Mar 5, 2025
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  • Noam Raydan
Photo of an oil facility in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Articles & Testimony
Make Iraq Independent of Iranian Energy
By letting previous waivers expire, the United States can help Baghdad establish other suppliers and stand on its own feet for the first time.
Mar 5, 2025
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  • Michael Knights
Sunbathers gather on Al-Baida beach in Lebanon - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Trump Should Aim for a “Riviera” in Lebanon
Beirut stands at the goal line of a major win for the Middle East, but only if America quarterbacks the last push.
Mar 3, 2025
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  • Hanin Ghaddar
  • Zohar Palti
Syrian men attempt to repair electrical lines damaged by forces loyal to the Assad regime in 2013 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Does Syria’s Electricity Crisis Have an Israeli Solution?
Whether authorities call it “Egyptian gas” or “Jordanian gas,” the simple fact is that Israeli offshore supplies could help with Syria’s major power shortage if the necessary arrangements are ironed out.
Feb 24, 2025
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  • Simon Henderson
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in 2018 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
A Russian Win in Ukraine Would Be a U.S. Loss in the Middle East
With preparatory peace talks in full swing and the war set to enter its fourth year, Washington must take a pragmatic approach to enlisting Arab help and ensuring that the outcome does not empower Moscow and Iran.
Feb 18, 2025
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
Illustration of chess pieces and the Russian and Ukrainian flags - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Ukraine Can Help Dismantle Russia’s Influence in the Middle East
With strategic Western support on grain deliveries, embassy staffing, counter-messaging, and other initiatives, Ukraine can contribute much to rolling back Moscow’s malign influence in the region.
Feb 11, 2025
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  • Anna Borshchevskaya
A Houthi helicopter approaches a civilian cargo ship in the Red Sea in 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Despite the Houthi Pledge to Limit Attacks, the Red Sea Remains Highly Volatile
The Houthis have shown little willingness or ability to accurately distinguish between the ships they target, leaving Washington and its partners with no choice but to doubt the group’s supposed “ceasefire” and keep up the pressure.
Jan 27, 2025
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  • Noam Raydan
  • Farzin Nadimi
President Donald Trump meeting with King Salman in Saudi Arabia in 2017 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Expect the Unexpected with Trump and the Gulf
Whatever the new administration decides on major regional issues—from Gulf involvement in postwar Gaza to next steps on Iran—local leaders should be prepared to wait awhile and brace for surprises.
Jan 24, 2025
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  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
Making Iran Choose Between the Bomb and Bankruptcy
The regime’s fears of new oil restrictions, simmering domestic unrest, eroding regional deterrence, and unpredictable U.S.-Israeli military action can all be leveraged to steer Khamenei away from racing toward a nuclear weapon.
Jan 13, 2025
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  • Hamdi Malik
Articles & Testimony
In Syria, the U.S. Can Help Rebuild While Supplanting Russian Influence
Moscow’s position has weakened, but not for long, raising the need for quick U.S. action on sanctions, investments, and broader economic assistance.
Jan 11, 2025
◆
  • Anna Borshchevskaya
French President Macron and Moroccan King Mohammed VI in Rabat - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
EU-Morocco Relations: Stuck Between Law and Politics?
If Washington and its European partners fail to remediate ongoing disputes over trade rights and Western Sahara, they may leave room for Russia and China to assert more influence in the kingdom.
Jan 8, 2025
◆
  • Souhire Medini

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Supported by the

Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy

The Washington Institute's Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy embodies the Institute's long-term research focus on the conservative Arab Gulf states -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman -- and the key role these countries play collectively as a primary source of the world's oil and natural gas.

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Featured experts

Patrick Clawson
Patrick Clawson
Patrick Clawson is the Morningstar Senior Fellow and Research Counselor at The Washington Institute.
Simon Henderson
Simon Henderson
Simon Henderson is the Baker Senior Fellow and director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute, specializing in energy matters and the conservative Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
Henry Rome
Henry Rome
Henry Rome was a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, specializing in Iran sanctions, economic, and nuclear issues.
Michael Singh
Michael Singh
Michael Singh is the Managing Director and Lane-Swig Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.
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