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Gulf & Energy Policy

Policy Analysis on Gulf & Energy Policy

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Brief Analysis
Clarifying Freedom of Navigation in the Gulf
Legal ambiguities have led to disagreements over how vessels can use the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf, so Washington should highlight them in any future talks with Iran.
Jul 24, 2019
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  • Farzin Nadimi
A Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the Persian Gulf - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Iran’s Response to Britain’s Tanker Seizure
Recent Iranian rhetoric and actions point to further retaliation, but taking that route may lead to the same strategic miscalculations and international intervention that cost the country so dearly in the 1980s.
Jul 15, 2019
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  • Farzin Nadimi
Brief Analysis
Iran Crisis Moves Into Cyberspace
Iranian cyber actors are showing signs of battlespace preparation, so the United States should heed the lessons of past attacks and bolster its defensive posture.
Jul 9, 2019
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  • Micah Loudermilk
Brief Analysis
UAE Drawdown May Isolate Saudi Arabia in Yemen
The war-fatigued Emiratis appear to be leaving Riyadh to fend for itself in the fight against Iranian-backed rebels, underlining the necessity of Saudi-Houthi talks.
Jul 2, 2019
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  • Elana DeLozier
Brief Analysis
Past U.S.-Iran Confrontations Hold Lessons for Current Crisis
Despite its measured approach thus far, Tehran may come to view the latest showdown as an existential conflict with an irresolute adversary, warranting greater risk-taking on its part.
Jun 27, 2019
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  • Michael Eisenstadt
Articles & Testimony
Bahrain’s Bid for Middle East Peace Role May Come Up Short
The guest list at the scaled-down meeting continues to shrink, while the tension caused by recent Iranian escalation looms in the background.
Jun 25, 2019
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  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
Resolving the PA Funding Crisis, But Not in Bahrain
Rather than pinning false hopes on the Manama conference, the international community should focus on reforming the Paris Protocol and convincing the Palestinians to resume revenue transfers from Israel.
Jun 24, 2019
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  • Katherine Bauer
Brief Analysis
Bahrain’s Hopes and Fears for the Peace Conference
Although the island may reap diplomatic kudos and economic benefits for hosting such a high-profile event, the potential reactions of domestic sectarian communities and nearby Iran remain a concern.
Jun 24, 2019
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  • Simon Henderson
Articles & Testimony
The Dilemma of an Imperfect Ally
There are no optimal options in the current Yemen war, but U.S. policymakers should seize the opportunity to bring Gulf governments into NATO-like agreements that avoid such dilemmas in the future.
Jun 20, 2019
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  • Elana DeLozier
Articles & Testimony
Trump Is a Belligerent Isolationist. But on Iran, He Needs Allies.
If the president wants to blunt Tehran’s sabotage campaign without a war, he needs to work closely with countries that share a stake in the free flow of oil.
Jun 19, 2019
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  • Dennis Ross
Articles & Testimony
Iran Is Winning, but U.S. Has Options, in Gulf Crisis
Among other steps, Washington should release more intelligence on Tehran’s efforts to target energy assets while urging Gulf and European allies to visibly step up their military posture.
Jun 17, 2019
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  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
China’s Middle East Policy: Speak Softly and Wave a Large Purse
An Israeli analyst shares observations from an intensive round of discussions with senior Chinese military, diplomatic, and academic officials.
Jun 17, 2019
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  • Ehud Yaari
Brief Analysis
Iran Seems Prepared for Major—But Measured—Escalation in the Gulf
The latest round of shipping attacks could be another notch in Tehran’s controlled military response to U.S. pressure, and bolder escalatory actions should be expected given the bleak outlook for negotiations.
Jun 14, 2019
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  • Farzin Nadimi
Brief Analysis
Houthi Messaging May Hint at a Targeting Pattern
The Yemeni group appears to select targets directly inspired by its principal complaints, potentially helping security officials protect against future attacks while negotiators promote overall de-escalation.
Jun 13, 2019
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  • Elana DeLozier
Brief Analysis
East Mediterranean Energy and Middle East Peace
The slow but steady progress in developing offshore gas fields is transforming local economies and could underpin U.S. peace plans.
Jun 13, 2019
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  • Simon Henderson
Articles & Testimony
Oil Prices Up on Tanker Attacks, But Long-Term Trend Looks Down
Ultimately, sabotage operations in the Gulf may prove to be less impactful than Russian engagement with OPEC, a global economic slowdown, and other geopolitical factors.
Jun 13, 2019
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  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
The Face-Off Over Gulf Arms Sales: ‘Emergency’ or False Alarm?
As Congress questions whether certain arms sales merit emergency treatment, the White House may have opened a Pandora’s box of long-term consequences for legislative oversight, Gulf relations, and defense profits.
Jun 10, 2019
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  • Dana Stroul
Brief Analysis
Israel’s Election Redo: Implications for the Trump Peace Plan
The U.S. and Israeli electoral calendars will likely impede any grand peace plan for the foreseeable future, so the administration should instead focus on immediate stabilization measures leading up to and during the Bahrain economic conference.
May 31, 2019
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  • David Makovsky
Turkish president Erdogan - Source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Erdogan’s Failure on the Nile
How Turkey’s president went from being a regional Islamist leader in the Arab Spring to sharing Qatar’s role as the Middle East’s odd man out.
May 28, 2019
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  • Soner Cagaptay
Articles & Testimony
Iran's Aggressions the Focus of 'Emergency' Arab Summit
Despite the challenges that usually accompany these high-level talks, Gulf countries seem keener than ever to counter the threat across the Persian Gulf.
May 21, 2019
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  • Simon Henderson

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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
Patrick Clawson is the Morningstar Senior Fellow and Research Counselor at The Washington Institute.
Simon Henderson
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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