Energy & Economics

Policy Analysis on Energy & Economics

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

Brief Analysis

Money Flow in the Age of ISIS

A senior FBI official discusses the evolving challenges of combating jihadist funding in the age of the so-called Islamic State.

May 15, 2015

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Gerald Roberts

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Articles & Testimony

Status Report on Countering Terrorist Financing

As events in Syria and Iraq convulse the region, the resultant humanitarian disaster and security nightmare have contributed to a reshaping of the terror finance environment.

May 11, 2015

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Shift in Saudi Oil Leadership

The latest restructuring in the Saudi hydrocarbon sector could mean new policies for the world's largest oil exporter.

May 5, 2015

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

China-Led Bank a Sign of U.S. Struggle to Transform Power Into Policy Success

The failure of the U.S. campaign to dissuade allies from joining China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank was greeted in some quarters as a sign of American decline. But this episode was not a crisis of American power, which remains unequaled. And while the threat that the bank poses to that

Apr 29, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

The Islamic State's Backdoor Banking

Governments and financial institutions have taken laudable steps to curtail ISIS financing, but the group is still netting many millions from banks and informal money remitters in areas under its control or just nearby.

Mar 24, 2015

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Turkey and the KRG: An Undeclared Economic Commonwealth

For the long-term benefit of both, Ankara and Erbil share a strong interest in maintaining their partnership.

Mar 16, 2015

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Soner Cagaptay
Christina Bache Fidan
Ege Cansu Sacikara

Articles & Testimony

Ahead of Egypt Investment Conference, Cautious Optimism for Economic Reforms

At a time when Sisi's subsidy reforms are gaining traction, Washington's withdrawal of support does nothing to advance a human rights agenda and hurts U.S. security interests.

Mar 10, 2015

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Brief Analysis

Israel's Damaging Gas Squabble

While Prime Minister Netanyahu will be focusing on Iran during his planned visit to Washington next week, Israel's regulatory interference in the exploitation of gas reserves will likely intrude on the agenda.

Feb 27, 2015

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Simon Henderson

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.