Energy & Economics

Policy Analysis on Energy & Economics

A Conversation on Security and Peace in the Middle East

Watch a pathbreaking public dialogue between senior national security leaders from two old adversaries - His Royal Highness Prince Turki bin Faisal, Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief and one-time ambassador to Washington, and retired IDF Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror, former national security advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

May 5, 2016

Articles & Testimony

Iran Nuclear Deal: Meeting vs. Exceeding U.S. Obligations

Washington shouldn't rush to resolve issues such as banking restrictions and heavy-water stockpiles without prodding Tehran to take helpful steps of its own.

Apr 29, 2016

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

Misleading Claims About U.S. Barriers to Iran-Europe Financial Ties

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.

Apr 27, 2016

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Saudi Arabia's Challenging Plan to Shift from Oil

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.

Apr 25, 2016

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Long Divorce

The Obama administration may have launched a new era in U.S. ties with Saudi Arabia, one marred by suspicion over Iran, anti-American radicalization, and lingering questions about the September 11 attacks.

Apr 20, 2016

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Israel and Turkey Approaching Reconciliation Amid Policy Challenges

Normalization negotiations seem closer than ever to conclusion and should be encouraged, but significant differences remain, especially on Gaza, Hamas, and Egypt, and they will likely prevent a return to past bilateral intimacy.

Apr 19, 2016

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Michael Herzog
Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Where Iran's Complaint About Banking Integration Misses the Mark

Until Iran stops engaging in illicit behaviors such as terrorist financing, banks are likely to see prohibitive reputational, regulatory, and other risks to doing business there.

Apr 18, 2016

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

What the U.S. Has and Hasn't Learned From Imposing Sanctions

By heeding the lessons garnered from past experience and empirical studies, Washington can mitigate concerns about sanctions overreach and greatly increase their effectiveness.

Apr 15, 2016

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

The Maturing of Israeli-Russian Relations

The two countries will likely continue to cooperate, especially on the economic and military fronts, but Putin's assertive anti-Westernism could still pose problems for Israel in Syria and elsewhere.

Apr 15, 2016

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Video

Brief Analysis

Does the Middle East Still Matter? The Obama Doctrine and U.S. Policy

Four eminent scholars and policy practitioners debate the president's worldview and how it will shape American interests and options in the next administration.

Apr 14, 2016

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Derek Chollet
Ellen Laipson
Michael Doran
Michael Mandelbaum

Brief Analysis

The Israeli Angle to the Saudi-Egyptian Island Deal

Riyadh and Cairo's new agreement on transferring islands and building a long-planned bridge between the Sinai and Arabian Peninsulas also signals emerging rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Apr 13, 2016

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Potential U.S. Clarification of Financial Sanctions Regulations

Proposals for clarifying or relaxing certain U.S. financial restrictions would be a cumbersome way for Iranian trading partners to access U.S. dollars, but would give Iran modest, unreciprocated benefits.

Apr 5, 2016

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Katherine Bauer

Brief Analysis

Iran Locks Itself Out of the International Financial System While Blaming Washington

Out-of-date Iranian banking practices and rank deception have made international banks leery of risking their reputations.

Apr 5, 2016

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Patrick Clawson

Fikra Forum

Repercussions of the Saudi-Iranian Conflict on North Africa

March 31, 2016 The Iranian Shura Council and Assembly of Experts elections in February have resulted in gains for moderate reformists in a peaceful political contest. The elections’ contrast to the region’s political turmoil brings to mind the ironic words of British Parliamentarian Jock Bruce-Gardyne. In 1966, the politician described

Mar 31, 2016

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Nouh El Harmouzi

Articles & Testimony

Is Turkey Coming in from the Cold in Europe?

Ankara may have scaled back its grand ambitions in the Middle East, but is the EU ready to hold its nose in dealing with Erdogan's authoritarian administration?

Mar 28, 2016

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Natural Gas Judgement Casts Shadow Over Israel's Energy Plans

A new court decision could stunt exploitation of offshore gas reserves, open the possibility of a heavy punitive arbitration award, and hamper foreign investment in Israel.

Mar 28, 2016

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Hezbollah's Growing Threat Against U.S. National Security Interests in the Middle East

In-depth testimony on the group's ongoing criminal, terrorist, and military activity in the region and beyond, including the implications of a potential cash influx from Iran as international sanctions are relaxed.

Mar 22, 2016

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Using International Financial Aid to Improve Baghdad-KRG Relations

Planned financial aid packages can help prevent economic meltdown in Iraqi Kurdistan and reduce tensions between Baghdad and Erbil.

Mar 15, 2016

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

U.S. Military Aid to Israel: Debating an Increase

Instead of allowing persistent bilateral acrimony or domestic politics to delay a sensitive issue, both governments should approach the MOU negotiations as a function of Israel's military and diplomatic needs in a new regional landscape.

Mar 14, 2016

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David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

Iran's Long Road to Reintegrating With the World Financial System

The recent warning by the Financial Action Task Force to banks about dealings with Iran shows that the end of nuclear sanctions was only the start of a long process.

Feb 29, 2016

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Katherine Bauer

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 is the Morningstar Senior Fellow and Research Counselor at The Washington Institute.

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.