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Gulf & Energy Policy

Policy Analysis on Gulf & Energy Policy

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A video board displays various oil and gas commodity prices in September 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Why Oil Prices Aren’t Spiking
Prices are set by multiple factors in today’s oil markets, so predicting shocks based on Middle East crises is not a sure bet.
Jan 22, 2024
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  • Simon Henderson
Articles & Testimony
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Deployed in Yemen
Tehran has previously been able to conduct a “hidden-hand operation” via the Houthis at a very low cost, but that price may now be set to rise if allied counter-strikes continue.
Jan 15, 2024
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  • Jay Solomon
Ships of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet on exercise in the Persian Gulf
Articles & Testimony
Will the U.S.-British Strikes Stop the Houthi Attacks on Red Sea Shipping?
The effectiveness of the joint operation is not year clear, but either way it almost certainly wasn’t the concluding episode in Iran’s long-running game of Gulf proxy warfare.
Jan 12, 2024
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  • Simon Henderson
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Rising Pressure on Red Sea Transit
As Houthi attacks continue, more companies are deciding to take costly detours around Africa, increasing the urgency of bolstering local security measures.
Dec 22, 2023
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  • Noam Raydan
Kuwait's then-Crown Prince Meshel al-Ahmad al-Sabah meeting with British Prime Minister Sunak in London in 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Emir Nawaf’s Passing and the Future Leadership of Kuwait
Geographic location and oil wealth give the sheikhdom significance far exceeding its size and population.
Dec 18, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
Saudi Arabia Signals Delays for Some Vision 2030 Plans
Squeezed by weak oil prices, Riyadh is acknowledging that some of its economic plans are over-ambitious.
Dec 14, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
Houthis parade through Sanaa to mark anniversary of coup, September 2023
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
An Heir and a Spare?
How Yemen’s “Southern Hezbollah” Could Change Iran’s Deterrent Calculus
Houthi militant activity during the Hamas-Israel war should challenge the perception that the group has a mere “marriage of convenience” with Tehran.
Dec 12, 2023
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  • Michael Knights
An aerial view of a U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve storage facility near the Gulf coast - source: Department of Energy
Articles & Testimony
Biden’s Oil Purchase Is a Mere Drop in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Amid ongoing uncertainty over Gulf shipping attacks and Russian oil diplomacy, the reserve is still running lower than it should.
Dec 12, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
Houthi drone aircraft on display in Yemen - source: Reuters
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Under Fire in the Bab al-Mandab: Houthi Military Capabilities and U.S. Response Options
The group is using a wide range of weapons and tactics to escalate its disruption of regional maritime security, establishing selective sea denial against Israeli vessels seeking passage through the strait and threatening U.S. warships that show up to protect them.
Dec 8, 2023
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  • Farzin Nadimi
Map showing alternate shipping routes caused by the Gaza war.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Houthi Ship Attacks Are Affecting Red Sea Trade Routes
Industry figures are already rerouting some Israeli-linked ships and expressing concern about the increased attacks, but much wider economic repercussions could unfold if Houthi antishipping activity continues indefinitely or escalates.
Dec 7, 2023
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  • Noam Raydan
Houthi drone aircraft on display in Yemen - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Iran-Backed Attacks on Ships in the Red Sea Underscore a U.S. Dilemma
Given the lack of a decisive U.S. response, further clashes will likely arise in strategically crucial waterways whenever Tehran sees fit to nudge the Houthis.
Dec 4, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
COP28 Logo - source: United Nations
Brief Analysis
Rising Temperatures at Dubai’s COP28 Meeting
The conference agenda extends well beyond climate issues, with implications for regional rivalries, U.S.-Emirati relations, and Israeli wartime diplomacy.
Nov 30, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
Articles & Testimony
Houthi Ship Seizure, OPEC+ Meeting, and COP28 Plans Could Spike Oil Prices
As Iran-backed proxies continue targeting Israeli and U.S. interests, mounting public anger in the Gulf states might spur leaders to announce production cuts at this week’s cartel meeting.
Nov 20, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
A photo illustration shows flags representing the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council
Articles & Testimony
US-Gulf Reset in a Shifting Global Order
Although the Persian Gulf region is far from being fully self-sufficient, countries are gradually diversifying their partnerships—and doing so on their own terms.
Nov 2, 2023
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  • Nickolay Mladenov
  • Narayanappa Janardhan
A Qatar Airways Airbus A350 fuselage
Brief Analysis
Qatar’s Relations with Washington and Israel Are Being Tested
The Gulf state is using its close relationship with Hamas to help secure the release of Gaza hostages, but these same relations could wind up damaging its political and military ties with the United States.
Oct 24, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
Houthi fighters parade with their missile systems in Sanaa in September 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Yemen’s “Southern Hezbollah” Celebrates Coup Anniversary in Deadly Fashion
Ending the war and facilitating other U.S.-Saudi diplomatic tracks is crucial, but neither goal will be served by turning a blind eye to the Houthis’ latest jumps in militarization.
Sep 28, 2023
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  • Michael Knights
  • Farzin Nadimi
The flag of the IAEA
Brief Analysis
Saudi Arabia Signals It Will Accept Stricter Nuclear Inspections
Official statements at the latest IAEA meeting are effectively a concession in the kingdom’s negotiating stance on normalization with Israel.
Sep 26, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia in July 2022
Brief Analysis
Israel Normalization Negotiations and the U.S.-Saudi Defense Relationship
In discussing a potential deal with Israel, Riyadh is pressing Washington for expedited access to more advanced U.S. weaponry.
Sep 25, 2023
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  • Grant Rumley
Saudi flag
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
A Third of Saudis Want Business With Israel Now, Even Without Formal Ties; “Muslim Rights” Top List of Public’s Terms for Full Normalization
A unique new public opinion poll from Saudi Arabia sheds light on popular attitudes there toward a potential deal to “normalize” relations with Israel.
Sep 18, 2023
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  • David Pollock
Wang Yi, director of China's Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Minister of State and national security adviser of Saudi Arabia Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban shake hands in Beijing in March 2023 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Gulf De-escalation and Hedging in the Shadow of US Retrenchment
Although any decrease in tensions is welcome, Washington should be concerned that regional rapprochement is being driven by diminished confidence in the United States.
Sep 12, 2023
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  • David Schenker

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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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