Gulf & Energy Policy

Policy Analysis on Gulf & Energy Policy

Iranian military leaders inspect drones.

Drones Over Riyadh: Unpacking the Iran Threat Network’s Tactics

Two enigmatic drone incidents in Saudi Arabia point to gaps in U.S. intelligence coverage and increasingly sophisticated deception tactics by Iran’s integrated militia networks in Iraq and Yemen.

Jan 29, 2021

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Oman’s Sultan Caps First Year by Appointing Heir and New Military Leadership

Sultan Haitham’s latest decrees elevated his son to heir, sacked commanders, and spotlighted his brother’s influence, but the government’s main focus is still squarely on economic reform.

Jan 28, 2021

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Elana DeLozier

Brief Analysis

Moving Israel to CENTCOM: Another Step Into the Light

The new command shift, which is rooted in years of growing collaboration away from the limelight, promises to facilitate bilateral and regional security cooperation and burden sharing, while the IDF-EUCOM-CENTCOM experience sets the stage for the next frontier: U.S.-Israeli military dialogue on the China-Iran partnership.

Jan 28, 2021

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Assaf Orion
Mark Montgomery

Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia

Articles & Testimony

Will the Biden Team Tighten or Unravel US-Saudi Ties?

Explosions in Riyadh, uncertainty about the Iran nuclear deal, and a potentially damaging CIA report about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder are among the many factors that could alter the new administration’s calculus.

Jan 27, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

What Did the Confirmation Hearings Reveal About Biden’s Middle East Policy?

Antony Blinken, Avril Haines, and Lloyd Austin responded at length to congressional questions about the Iran nuclear deal, the Yemen war, Arab-Israel normalization, and other pressing regional issues.

Jan 22, 2021

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Ilari Papa

Articles & Testimony

Is the Saudi “City of the Future” Overly Ambitious?

Major distractions from abroad have not changed the fact that NEOM remains central to the crown prince’s vision for transforming the kingdom, despite its steep political and financial challenges.

Jan 15, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Egypt Endorses Gulf Reconciliation But Remains Skeptical

Although officials are playing along in order to maintain good ties with Saudi Arabia, they seem convinced that Qatar will exploit the new agreement in ways that harm Cairo's political and security interests at home.

Jan 14, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Brief Analysis

UAVs and the Abraham Accords: New Horizons for Sinai Peacekeeping

Replacing manned monitoring missions with drone sorties and inviting Gulf countries to participate would help improve security, reduce America’s burden and risk, decrease costs, and bolster the regional peace architecture.

Jan 13, 2021

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Assaf Orion

Brief Analysis

Enough Theory, European Strategic Autonomy Needs Practice in the Middle East

Libya, Iraq, and the Strait of Hormuz provide three test cases where greater assertiveness and transatlantic cooperation could go hand in hand, but only if European countries receive genuine U.S. support to step up their operational efforts and diplomatic engagement.

Jan 6, 2021

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Pierre Morcos

Articles & Testimony

The End of the Gulf Crisis Is Big News—But Middle East Sands Always Shift

The rift’s closure, while quite welcome, won’t produce instant Gulf unity or make the Iran nuclear issue any easier to solve.

Jan 5, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Jordan Must Be Included in Future Israeli-Arab Normalization Deals

One of the most reliable strategic allies in the region has been taken for granted, so the Biden administration will need to steer more diplomatic attention and economic support Amman’s way.

Jan 3, 2021

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Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

A Missile Defense “Manhattan Project” in the Middle East

One of the fruits of Arab-Israeli normalization should be more robust U.S.-led missile defense collaboration between states that face the greatest threat from Iran.

Dec 30, 2020

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Submarine Movements on Iran’s Doorstep: Military and Legal Implications

Unusual deployments by the U.S. and Israeli navies may be intended to deter Iranian attacks in the Gulf, but both moves are ripe for misinterpretation in Tehran.

Dec 29, 2020

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

Saudi Sentencing of Women’s Activist Sets Up Riyadh for a Clash with Biden

The topic of human rights has become a red line for Saudi leaders, who seem to perceive it as a purely domestic matter on which they will not countenance any foreign pressure.

Dec 28, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Yemen Policy From the Inside Out

The conflict continues because none of the local parties is strong enough to win, weak enough to lose, or incentivized toward peace, but the Biden administration can do something about the latter problem.

Dec 15, 2020

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Elana DeLozier

Articles & Testimony

To Secure an Iran Nuclear Deal, Include the Mideast’s Powers

For two decades and running, diplomatic efforts have noticeably omitted the regional states most directly in the line of Tehran’s fire, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Dec 15, 2020

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Jay Solomon

Articles & Testimony

Is OPEC Finally Beginning to Unravel?

Drastically lowered revenues, changing energy markets, political squabbling, and a new U.S. administration may eventually break the cartel’s cyclical status quo.

Dec 4, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Washington Pushes to End the Qatar Rift

Successful diplomacy could enhance Arab normalization with Israel and boost U.S. efforts to counter Iran, but it is unclear if Riyadh wants to bargain now or wait for Joe Biden.

Dec 1, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Forecasting U.S.-UAE Relations Under the New Biden Administration

From addressing Iranian threats to mending rifts with Qatar and Turkey, the sound bilateral partnership on regional issues will likely thrive in the Biden era, albeit with some marginal adjustments by both governments.

Dec 1, 2020

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David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Houthi Terrorism Designation More Likely to Deliver Famine and Entanglement Than Leverage

To stave off a potential humanitarian disaster in Yemen, keep communication lines open, and avoid getting drawn into the war, the Trump administration should not designate the Houthis.

Nov 25, 2020

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Elana DeLozier

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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