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Gulf States

Policy Analysis on Gulf States

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President Donald Trump meeting with King Salman in Saudi Arabia in 2017 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
President Trump’s High-Stakes Gulf Trip Requires More Than Good Business
The president is expected to focus on big investment deals and arms sales during his Gulf tour, but he also needs to address some urgent security issues if he wants to come home with a win.
May 8, 2025
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  • Elizabeth Dent
  • Simon Henderson
Flight deck crew issues commands to a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet prior to launch from the carrier USS Harry S. Truman - source: Department of Defense
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Is the Houthi Threat a Checkmate for U.S. Military Logistics?
The Iran-backed militia’s disruption of Red Sea shipping is threatening America’s ability to rapidly deploy and supply its forces in the Middle East and beyond, but a combination of logistical workarounds, military measures, and diplomatic efforts may be the answer.
Apr 21, 2025
◆
  • James E. Shepard
Brief Analysis
What a U.S.-Saudi Nuclear “Pathway” Might Mean for the Iran Talks
Rather than clearing a route to normalization with Israel, a Saudi nuclear agreement with Washington may be key to addressing Iran’s military nuclear potential and wider proliferation concerns in the region.
Apr 16, 2025
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  • Simon Henderson
Photo of the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates.
Brief Analysis
Setting Up the Next Phase of U.S.-UAE Nuclear Cooperation
With the U.S. point man on energy development touring the Gulf and Chinese and Russian nuclear initiatives on the rise, the Trump administration should consider how best to replicate the responsible Emirati model elsewhere in the region.
Apr 11, 2025
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  • Noam Raydan
Articles & Testimony
Trump’s Gulf Trip Will Test Regional Nerves and Alliances
With oil prices sliding and Iran talks ahead, the Gulf states are bracing for a high-stakes presidential visit.
Apr 9, 2025
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Photo of an F-18 fighter jet launching from a U.S. aircraft carrier.
Video
Brief Analysis
Assessing the U.S. Military Campaign Against the Houthis
Experts discuss how the new campaign differs from previous U.S. strikes in Yemen, what targets are being hit, and whether it can resolve the threat without broader American policy efforts.
Mar 28, 2025
◆
  • Elizabeth Dent
  • Michael Knights
  • Noam Raydan
The U.S. Navy aircraft carriers Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower on joint operations in the CENTCOM region - source: Department of Defense
Brief Analysis
Two Carriers in the Middle East: Implications for the Houthis, Iran, and U.S. Force Readiness
The decision to order an additional carrier strike group to the region comes amid the Trump administration’s new campaign against the Houthis and public warnings to Iran, though it could affect U.S. force readiness worldwide.
Mar 27, 2025
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  • Elizabeth Dent
The Mari-B and Tamar gas platforms in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel - source: The Washington Institute
Brief Analysis
New Gas Licenses Go Ahead on the Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border
Hezbollah’s recent military defeat and the 2022 Israel-Lebanon maritime agreement mediated by Washington have enabled exploration in a distant corner of Israel’s exclusive economic zone.
Mar 24, 2025
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  • Simon Henderson
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salma meet in Jeddah in March 2025 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Saudi Arabia’s Emergence as a Diplomatic Broker
Riyadh has demonstrated the desire and ability to play a bigger diplomatic role in the Middle East and beyond, so Washington should support these aspirations—while taking care to balance relations with other Gulf states and ensure that Riyadh contributes constructively.
Mar 12, 2025
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  • Elizabeth Dent
Brief Analysis
Two Arab Summits Hold the Key to a Viable Gaza Plan
Under heavy pressure from the Trump administration, the Arab states with the most to gain—and lose—in Gaza should be spending the next two weeks doing everything they can to reach consensus on bold, concrete counter-proposals.
Feb 19, 2025
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  • David Schenker
  • Ghaith al-Omari
Brief Analysis
How Trump, Arab Leaders, and Israel Can Close the Gaps on Gaza
Despite its risks for regional stability and U.S. policy, the president’s Gaza proposal has put this issue at the top of the priority list.
Feb 7, 2025
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  • Dennis Ross
  • Dana Stroul
A Houthi helicopter approaches a civilian cargo ship in the Red Sea in 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Despite the Houthi Pledge to Limit Attacks, the Red Sea Remains Highly Volatile
The Houthis have shown little willingness or ability to accurately distinguish between the ships they target, leaving Washington and its partners with no choice but to doubt the group’s supposed “ceasefire” and keep up the pressure.
Jan 27, 2025
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  • Noam Raydan
  • Farzin Nadimi
President Donald Trump meeting with King Salman in Saudi Arabia in 2017 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
Expect the Unexpected with Trump and the Gulf
Whatever the new administration decides on major regional issues—from Gulf involvement in postwar Gaza to next steps on Iran—local leaders should be prepared to wait awhile and brace for surprises.
Jan 24, 2025
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  • Simon Henderson
A view of the Palace of Westminister from across the River Thames, with the Victoria Tower and the House of Lords in the foreground - source: Wikimedia Commons
Video
Articles & Testimony
Institute Senior Fellow Elizabeth Dent Addresses U.K. House of Lords Committee
Watch testimony by Institute scholar Elizabeth Dent to the British House of Lords.
Jan 22, 2025
◆
  • Elizabeth Dent
Djibouti-flagged Lahar oil tanker
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
What Does the Red Sea Crisis Reveal About Sanctioned Ships?
Two sanctioned Russia-linked oil tankers, which were attacked by the Houthis in 2023 and 2024, recently changed their names and are flying the Djiboutian flag amid stricter Western sanctions.
Jan 17, 2025
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  • Noam Raydan
◆ Maritime Spotlight
Articles & Testimony
The Current and Future Houthi Threat to the Middle East
An effective response to the group's persistent aggression should include strengthening the United Nations verification and inspection mechanism, preparing sanctions against actors who violate UN resolutions, and taking steps to interdict arms transfers.
Dec 29, 2024
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  • Michael Knights
Infographic showing trends in Houthi maritime attacks, 2023-24.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Houthi Shipping Attacks: Patterns and Expectations for 2025
Two experts offer a detailed infographic and accompanying analysis to chart attack trends over the past year and forecast what’s in store for the Red Sea and surrounding waterways.
Dec 16, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
  • Farzin Nadimi
Brief Analysis
Expanding C-SIPA to Britain Signals Continued Commitment to Integration
By adding Britain ahead of Trump’s inauguration, the parties hope to sustain the agreement’s vision of building an integrated defense structure and forming a network of trusted partners for economic and technological development.
Dec 9, 2024
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  • Elizabeth Dent
MIBH
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Anti-Israel Attacks by Iraq-Based Group with Implied Saudi Membership
A group with a Saudi-linked name has claimed six attacks on Israel, but they were probably launched from Iraq using Kataib Hezbollah and/or Houthi drone teams.
Nov 19, 2024
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  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
Semiconductor image over map of UAE with U.S. Capitol dome
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Semiconductors, AI, and the Gulf:
Policy Considerations for the United States
In seeking to bolster partnerships and simultaneously protect U.S. technology, officials will need to navigate export options ranging from permissive to restrictive.
Nov 18, 2024
◆
  • Elizabeth Dent
  • Grant Rumley

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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

Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Senior Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.
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.
Michael Knights
Michael Knights
Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and cofounder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to Iran-backed militias.
Elizabeth Dent - source: The Washington Institute
Elizabeth Dent
Elizabeth Dent is a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where she focuses on U.S. foreign and defense policy toward the Gulf states, Iraq, and Syria.
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