Summary: as a consensus emerges that US hegemony in the Gulf is over and Washington continues to cast around for an acceptable exit strategy from the war with Iran, it is none too soon to consider how best the US could safeguard its national interests there into the longer term.
The Gulf and the US: shifting sands Read More »
Summary: the Huthi offensive has heightened the challenge Saudi Arabia faces in its efforts to extricate the kingdom from the Yemen quagmire.
Saudi Arabia and the Yemen dilemma Read More »
Summary: much has been made of Qatar’s relationship with both Hamas and the Netanyahu government as a sinister plot; a Washington insider says the reality is far more mundane.
Qatargate and Washington Read More »
Summary: Baghdad has backed down from its efforts to disarm Popular Mobilisation Forces pushing the deadline back to 2027 thus sending a clear signal that for now at least it has neither the political clout or the hard power to bring the militias under its control.
Iraq’s militia deadline is losing its leverage Read More »
Summary: allegations regarding the Sudanese Armed Forces’ deployment of weaponised chlorine gas have led to US sanctions. The Sudanese government firmly denies the claims, alleging it is a UAE-backed disinformation operation designed to distract from atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces.
Sudan’s Chlorine Controversy Read More »
Summary: recent events have forced a recognition that the US hegemony in the Middle East is over. How the inevitable vacuum will be filled remains far from clear. But it is hard to be optimistic in the short to medium-term even though there is surely an opportunity for “a new beginning.”
Saudi Arabia’s ‘Suez Moment’ Read More »
Summary: former Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmad Hassoun’s life sentence has opened the book on religious co-option. Will anyone turn the page?
Syria: the old bargain between religion and state lives on Read More »
Summary: Algeria’s severing of diplomatic relations with the UAE is a statement that the North African country has lost patience with what it sees as Abu Dhabi’s meddling in its neighbourhood.
Algeria-UAE rupture shows a region rearranging its alliances Read More »
Summary: our contributor leaps ahead two years to 10 September 2028 – just ahead of the US presidential election – to project the trend line of current events in the Gulf and the US onto a future history of the region and the world.
Dateline 10 September 2028 Read More »
Summary: for years, Dubai was known as a place where fugitives could disappear behind the city’s wealth, skyscrapers and international connections. Increasingly, it is becoming the opposite: a place where foreign governments can have people arrested and sent home.
The UAE’s Extradition Machine: How African Warrants Are Testing Dubai’s Global Image Read More »