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Gulf States

Policy Analysis on Gulf States

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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
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  • 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
◆
  • 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
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  • Elizabeth Dent
  • Grant Rumley
People watch the September 10, 2024 debate between presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris - source: Reuters
Video
Brief Analysis
U.S. Election 2024: Views from the Middle East
A panel of distinguished journalists from across the Middle East discuss regional perspectives on the second Trump administration’s potential approach to critical issues of war and peace.
Nov 12, 2024
◆
  • David Horovitz
  • Barcin Yinanc
  • Nadim Koteich
  • Robert Satloff
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Gulf Energy Transition: Assessing Saudi and Emirati Goals
The energy transition in both countries includes a continued need for fossil fuels while reducing emissions—though Riyadh hopes to export “all forms of energy” down the road, and Abu Dhabi seeks nuclear advances to meet power demand.
Nov 8, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
Articles & Testimony
Gulf Leaders: "Welcome Back Donald, It’s Time to Get Down to Business"
Many leaders seem eager for the return of a U.S. administration that has shown a predilection for encouraging big business ties—though the ten weeks before Inauguration Day will be fraught with risks of new or escalated regional crises.
Nov 7, 2024
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  • Simon Henderson
Protestors carrying Iraqi, Lebanon, and KH flags
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militia Mob Attacks Saudi MBC Channel in Baghdad
Provocative Gulf coverage of terrorist leader deaths spurred Kataib Hezbollah to unleash mob violence against the network's Baghdad offices.
Oct 28, 2024
◆
  • Amir al-Kaabi
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Muandam Oman
Fikra Forum
Maps & Graphics
Fikra Forum
Oman Seeks to Improve Its Coastal Security
Oman is actively stepping up its coastal security in light of ongoing challenges from the "axis of resistance."
Oct 23, 2024
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  • Jonathan Campbell-James
Articles & Testimony
The Real Purpose of a U.S.-Saudi Security Agreement
A treaty would pave the way for better security integration among U.S. partners in the region and reduce the need for direct American intervention.
Oct 17, 2024
◆
  • Michael Singh
EU vessel participating in Operation Aspides against the Houthis.
Maps & Graphics
The Ship Operators Shrugging Off Houthi Attacks
While major operators will continue to avoid the Red Sea in 2025, others are launching new services in the high-risk waterway, including some that manage China-linked vessels.
Oct 16, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
◆ Maritime Spotlight
Energy war
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Deciphering Iraqi Militia Threats of an Energy War
Nujaba and Kataib Hezbollah have warned they will attack energy facilities in the Gulf and elsewhere, but how serious are these threats?
Oct 15, 2024
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Israeli Iron Dome missiles intercept rockets fired into Israel from Gaza by Hamas in October 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Israel’s Missile Defense Performance: Views from the Gulf
In discussing missile defense cooperation with risk-averse Gulf partners, Washington needs to realistically address the specifics of Iran’s latest attack on Israel, including the degree to which defenses were penetrated.
Oct 11, 2024
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Elizabeth Dent
Houthi fighters parade with their missile systems in Sanaa in September 2023 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
A Draw Is a Win: The Houthis After One Year of War
The Yemeni group has strengthened its capabilities and aggressiveness to the point where it may be less vulnerable to international pressure than its Iranian patron.
October 2024
◆
  • Michael Knights

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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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