Gulf & Energy Policy

Policy Analysis on Gulf & Energy Policy

The U.S. Should Have Led the Coronavirus Response. Instead, China Stepped Up.

Starting with the virtual G-20 leaders summit, the Trump administration can retake the lead by proposing working groups on a number of measures needed to stop the pandemic.

Mar 20, 2020

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Don’t Count Out U.S. Oil Production as a Market-Shaper

Total U.S. production from all sources will remain the world’s largest no matter how low prices go, leaving Washington (and Texas) with considerable room to help domestic companies and press Riyadh and Moscow on stabilizing prices.

Mar 20, 2020

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Patrick Clawson

Articles & Testimony

In the Saudi-Russian Oil Price War, the U.S. Blinks First

This is President Trump’s dilemma: how to safeguard America’s shale-based energy independence without making apparent concessions to Moscow.

Mar 20, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Implications of the Saudi Corruption Arrests

The latest crackdown appears to have targeted senior defense and interior officials, spurring speculation that they are linked to previously detained princes rumored to be plotting a coup.

Mar 16, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Russia and Saudis in a Knife Fight Over Oil—But We May Be the Victims

The duration and effects of the showdown may come down to price fluctuations and budgetary requirements in Moscow and Riyadh, but the U.S. shale industry will likely suffer either way.

Mar 10, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Making Sense of the Saudi Rumors: A Guide to Royal Family Politics

Reports of royal arrests, a possible coup plot, and a brewing oil price war suggest that the kingdom is facing another period of considerable political tension.

Mar 9, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Escalating Houthi Offensives in Yemen: U.S. Options

To keep recent rebel victories from cascading into a wider military collapse, Washington must urge the Gulf coalition to firm up the government’s forces and move more quickly on peace talks.

Mar 6, 2020

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Alex Almeida
Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

IAEA Reports Renew Questions About Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions

U.S. officials have ample grounds to reinvigorate diplomatic pressure after the world’s nuclear watchdog accused Iran of being uncooperative, but they need to focus on the right questions.

Mar 4, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Sacked Saudi Energy Minister Returns to Cabinet

Khalid al-Falih’s appointment to a new investment role suggests that the kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic transformation project needs to be reinvigorated.

Feb 26, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Middle East’s Future of Perpetual Pandemics

If outbreaks like the coronavirus shift from ‘black swan’ events to regular occurrences, globalization trends in the region may reverse, with sobering consequences.

Feb 26, 2020

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Challenges Await Oman’s New Sultan as Mourning Period Ends

Sultan Haitham will now be free to put his own stamp on the country's government and foreign policy, and a recent dust-up on the Yemeni border could provide the first indicator of his approach.

Feb 20, 2020

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Elana DeLozier

U.S. soldiers at an Iraqi base after a rocket attack by Iran-backed militias

Video

Brief Analysis

U.S. Strategy Toward Iran: Restoring Deterrence, Enabling Diplomacy

Three experts discuss how Washington can manage escalation and catalyze diplomacy while still using its military instruments to apply pressure.

Feb 14, 2020

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Michael Eisenstadt
Kori Schake
David Deptula

Brief Analysis

Death of AQAP Leader Shows the Group’s Fragmentation—and Durability

Although the Yemeni terrorist franchise has splintered and weakened in recent years, its fragments may be adapting to new conflict conditions, raising the risk of a comeback.

Feb 14, 2020

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Elisabeth Kendall

Brief Analysis

The UN Exposes Houthi Reliance on Iranian Weapons

In addition to dispelling any lingering notion that last year’s Aramco attack came from Yemen, the report documents Iran’s efforts to help the rebels acquire advanced missiles, weapons components, and training.

Feb 13, 2020

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Farzin Nadimi

Brief Analysis

UN Panel Highlights Command-and-Control Issues in Yemen

The latest Panel of Experts report shines a much-needed light on operational control issues that will likely complicate postwar efforts to unify the country’s sundry armed forces.

Feb 7, 2020

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Elana DeLozier

Articles & Testimony

Trump Peace Plan Attracts Some Gulf States, But Not Consensus Backing

Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE have evidently decided that good relations with the White House are more important than echoing Palestinian anger or appeasing Iran.

Jan 29, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Expediting Evidence of Iranian Attacks: The Aramco Case

Internal components that are common across Iran’s illicit weapons transfers and domestic manufacturing industry can help investigators link the regime to attacks in the region.

Jan 21, 2020

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Tim Michetti

Articles & Testimony

Death of a Sultan: Oman Matters, So Why Such a Slow U.S. Response?

Regional players will likely be testing Muscat in the next few months, so Washington needs to help ensure continuity between reigns.

Jan 14, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Ceasefire or Escalation in Libya?

After the fall of Sirte, Erdogan and Putin’s desired ceasefire can only be achieved with Washington’s support.

Jan 10, 2020

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Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

Eight Reasons Why the United States and Iraq Still Need Each Other

A host of crucial multilateral interests are baked into the U.S. presence, from keeping the Islamic State down, to protecting vulnerable regional allies, to preventing Iran from taking Iraq's oil revenues.

Jan 9, 2020

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David Pollock

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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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.

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