Energy & Economics

Policy Analysis on Energy & Economics

Whether Iraqi Kurdistan becomes a de facto or de jure nation, it will face the same challenge that all oil-dependent states face: the need to diversify its economy, create good jobs, and live within its means as a hedge against fluctuating oil prices.

Oct 2, 2015

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Michael Knights

Articles & Testimony

Syria's Good Neighbors: How Jordan and Lebanon Sheltered Millions of Refugees

If the war and its resultant mass refugee flows continue, economic and social pressures could destabilize Jordan and Lebanon, steering more displaced Syrians toward Europe.

Sep 28, 2015

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David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

Kirkuk May Be Key to National Reconciliation in Iraq

One of the country's most strategic provinces is up for grabs, but Baghdad and the KRG are too politically and economically broken to reach out and help.

Sep 24, 2015

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Beyond the Vote (Part 4): Challenges for the Sanctions Regime

Three experts discuss the need to better inform U.S. and European companies about the continued risks of doing business with Iran, including the particulars of how secondary sanctions will be enforced once the nuclear deal is implemented.

Sep 22, 2015

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Chip Poncy
Patrick Clawson
Matthew Levitt

Devils You Don't Know

The Iraqi government's fight against ISIS is less important than how it deals with the impending economic crisis and the complex political and sectarian issues that drive the country's various militias.

Sep 8, 2015

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Saudi King Comes to Washington, with His Son

The royals will likely try to smooth relations that have been strained by the Iran nuclear deal and differences over Syria and Yemen.

Sep 2, 2015

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Iran's 'Frozen' Assets: Exaggeration on Both Sides of the Debate

Before the nuclear deal was signed, the freezing of Iranian assets was incomplete, so the loosening of restrictions on these assets will have less impact than implied by past and current arguments.

Sep 1, 2015

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Egyptian Offshore Gas Find Curtails Israel's Options

The major discovery is good news for Egypt but will likely impede Israel's much-delayed plans to exploit and export its own offshore reserves.

Aug 31, 2015

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Will the Obama Administration Implement the Stringent Sanctions Authorized Under the Iran Agreement?

Even after the deal is in effect, the United States can sustain or increase tough barriers on Iran's trade with other countries, but this fact has not been highlighted by the president or his team.

Aug 21, 2015

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Patrick Clawson

Articles & Testimony

The Implications of Sanctions Relief Under the Iran Agreement

Iran has worked hard to chip away at the international consensus on sanctions, and if the current nuclear terms are not clarified and bolstered, it will meet that goal.

Aug 5, 2015

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

The Regional Impact of Additional Iranian Money

A post-sanctions windfall would give Tehran ample capacity to rescue the Syrian regime, reshape Iraq's political environment, expand its terrorist proxy activities in various theaters, and otherwise amplify the effects of its destabilizing regional posture.

Jul 28, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt
Simon Henderson
Michael Knights
Matthew Levitt
Andrew J. Tabler

Brief Analysis

Israel's Developing Relationship with Cyprus

President Anastasiades will likely use this week's summit to build momentum toward the development of offshore gas reserves, with Iran and other issues making the agenda as well.

Jul 27, 2015

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Sino-Iranian Tango: Why the Nuclear Deal Is Good for China

In addition to bolstering China's own economic and energy strategy, the deal could spur Beijing to facilitate Iran's rise as a regional power via military assistance, technology transfers, and investment.

Jul 21, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

How Iran's Economic Gain from a Nuclear Deal Might Affect Its Foreign Policy

The additional resources unleashed by the agreement will put Iran in a better position to spend more on its various priorities, but how much it puts toward foreign adventurism will remain a political, not an economic, decision.

Jul 10, 2015

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Jordan's Economy Surprises

Solid economic growth, low inflation, and comfortable international reserves offer a hopeful story line in a war-torn region, but continued chaos in Syria and Iraq threaten the kingdom's stability.

Jun 29, 2015

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David Schenker

Brief Analysis

Gas Issue Dominates Cyprus-Israel Agenda

As Israeli and Cypriot officials meet in Jerusalem, energy-thirsty Egypt remains the obvious market for their offshore gas exports, but such deals risk Turkish ire.

Jun 15, 2015

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Iran Seen from Beijing

China views Iran as a central element in its much-touted Silk Road Economic Belt, which aims to extend Beijing's influence overland through Central Asia to the Persian Gulf and Europe.

Jun 11, 2015

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Kevjn Lim

Brief Analysis

OPEC's Weakness Is a Reality Check for Saudi Arabia

The June 5 meeting of OPEC oil ministers is expected to produce no change in policy, prompting questions of how long Riyadh can sustain its current spending.

Jun 4, 2015

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Have International Sanctions Crippled Iran's Auto Industry?

The major industry has been better prepared than expected, but it still suffers from lack of liquidity and sluggish growth due to banking restrictions and other inefficiencies.

Jun 3, 2015

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Nahid Kalbasi

In-Depth Reports

Deterring an Iranian Nuclear Breakout

Whether or not the P5+1 and Tehran reach a nuclear deal, deterring an Iranian breakout, most likely at clandestine sites, will remain a core U.S. imperative for the foreseeable future. Although the U.S. intelligence community has a strong record of detecting clandestine nuclear programs, it has often failed to correctly

May 20, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt

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.