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Gulf States

Policy Analysis on Gulf States

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Yemen's Houthis in formation.
Articles & Testimony
How Washington Emboldened the Houthis
Greater decisiveness would have shortened the conflict, lessened the toll on global maritime trade, and reassured U.S. partners in the region and beyond.
Feb 6, 2024
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  • Noam Raydan
  • Grant Rumley
A Palestinian views a building reduced to rubble in Gaza - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
The Road to Peace in Gaza:
A Veteran Negotiator’s Plan
For opportunity to emerge from tragedy, two bridges must be built: one leading from the current situation to the “day after” the war, and a second creating a viable path to a Palestinian state.
Feb 5, 2024
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  • Dennis Ross
Saudi ARAMCO oil storage facility
Brief Analysis
Saudi Arabia’s Shock Cut in Planned Oil Expansion
The decision could lead to further spending reductions in the kingdom.
Feb 5, 2024
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  • Simon Henderson
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
Photo of a blast wall with a drone mural at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Kataib Hezbollah Reveals Plans for Expanded Regional Attacks
The militia's Abu Hussein wing continues to throw shade at other "resistance" groups and is now threatening U.S. bases in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and even Saudi Arabia.
Jan 11, 2024
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  • Ameer al-Kaabi
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
A beekeeper harvests honeycombs and holds part of them in his hand in Hadhramaut, Yemen
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Yemeni Honey Production: An Ancient Craft Drawing Modern Attention
There is no question that promoting economic growth and improving the ability of Yemenis to make a living is one approach to breaking the cycle of poverty and violence in the country, but progress should also be tied to Yemeni culture and to environmental challenges to make it more sustainable.
Jan 8, 2024
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  • Muneer Bin Wabar
Photo showing flame and smoke rising over Lebanon's border with Israel.
Articles & Testimony
The World Prepares for Gaza War Escalation
The players have climbed another rung on the escalatory ladder in Iraq, Lebanon, and the Red Sea, exacerbating worries about a wider regional conflict and more serious economic effects.
Jan 7, 2024
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  • David Schenker
The bow of a Maersk container cargo ship at sea - source: Maersk
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Better Late than Never: Bahrain’s Attitude Towards the Red Sea Defense Coalition
The multinational security operation Prosperity Guardian—of which Bahrain is a member—has the potential to protect trade in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, curb piracy and armed robbery on commercial ships, preserve supply and energy chains, and enhance regional security and prosperity.
Dec 29, 2023
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  • Ahdeya Ahmed Al-Sayed
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
◆
  • Noam Raydan
Saudi flag
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
New Poll Sheds Light on Saudi Views of Israel-Hamas War
Positive views of Hamas receive a jump while remaining the minority opinion among Saudi citizens; most agree that Israel is “weak and divided.”
Dec 21, 2023
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  • Catherine Cleveland
  • David Pollock
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
◆
  • 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
◆
  • Noam Raydan
Houthi threat to global shipping
Brief Analysis
Containing the Houthis in Yemen: Issues and Options for the Policy Review
During the Gaza war, Houthi militia forces have emerged as the most risk-acceptant member of Iran's "axis of resistance" and a demonstrated menace to international freedom of navigation.
Dec 5, 2023
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  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
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
◆
  • 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

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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