The Options We Face in Syria – And What’s Good for Israel
The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria in the face of rebel groups, primarily Hayat Tahrir al-Sham headed by Abu Mohammad Al-Jolani, constitutes a...
Arab states of the Persian Gulf
How to Bring Back Maximum Pressure on Iran
At the end of 2020, the Islamic Republic of Iran was down to just $4 billion in accessible foreign exchange reserves. Its terrorist mastermind, Qassem Solemani, and the godfather of its nuclear weapons...
Op-eds
The ‘How’ over the ‘What:’ Israel’s dilemma beyond target selection in Iran
Israel’s war cabinet has reportedly agreed on what Iranian targets to strike in response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack. So, the question now is what method Israel will employ to carry...
Op-eds
Iran on the March: Restoring Deterrence and Stability in the Middle East
A Response By Richard Goldberg
Op-eds
Qatar: Ceasefire in Gaza Should Not Depend on Hostage Deal
Qatar’s prime minister said on February 17 that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza should not depend on a hostage deal. “This is the dilemma that we’ve been in and...
Flash Briefs
Should America strike back at Iran?
Tehran knows that it's winning its proxy wars
Op-eds
Stop With the Nice Words on Qatar
David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad, announced Saturday that he was withdrawing the Israeli negotiating team from the Gulf Arab emirate of Qatar. The announcement signaled the end of the hostage...
Op-eds
Egypt and Jordan Condemn Israeli Response to Hamas Massacre
Latest Developments Egypt and Jordan on October 21 condemned Israel’s military response to the October 7 massacre by Hamas. Speaking at a peace summit in Cairo, the leaders of both Arab nations denounced...
Flash Briefs
Will China Replace America in the Gulf Region? Saudi Chinese Relations and Potential Obstacles
In December 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia and held two summits: One with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz and his son Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) and another...
Op-eds
Assad Will Return to Arab League Summit, Courtesy of Saudi Invite
Saudi Arabia, which will host the annual Arab League summit next month, plans to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to attend the gathering in Riyadh. The pending invitation marks a major reversal in Saudi policy and a milestone for Assad as he seeks diplomatic rehabilitation despite his ongoing atrocities. According to Reuters, which first reported the news, Prince Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, will travel to Damascus in the coming weeks to personally deliver the invitation.
Flash Briefs
Rob Malley visits the Gulf, with a bucket of old formaldehyde
A senior US delegation, led by Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley and other counterterrorism and defense officials, traveled to Saudi Arabia recently to participate in the US-Gulf Cooperation Council...
Op-eds
Hezekiah’s Mistake
As Netanyahu tries to manage relations with a fracturing American empire, he would do well to read Isaiah
Op-eds
Why Does Biden Play Favorites Among the Arab Gulf States?
If you think the Biden administration is disengaging from the Middle East and the Gulf region, think again. This week, the White House asked Congress to designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, which...
Op-eds
Biden Can No Longer Ignore Growing Iran-China Ties
Washington may be tired of the Middle East, but Beijing is just getting started.
Op-eds
The May 2021 Israel-Hamas war was a stress test for normalization
With the signing of the Abraham Accords last year, a rare sense of optimism washed over the Middle East. Many in Israel believed that these agreements signaled that the Arab world had given up on the Palestinian...
Op-eds
Violence in Yemen, Gaza, and Iraq Isn’t Coincidental, Even Though the White House Wishes it Was
Recent flareups of violence in the Middle East are the outcome of a major policy shift by an administration that prefers to avert its eyes from the truth.
Op-eds
Hamas violence meets Gulf silence
Excerpt Eight months since the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain shocked the world by announcing formal relations with Israel, diplomatic ties are facing their most severe test after the eruption of war...
Op-eds
Diplomatic Arson in the Middle East
The Biden administration’s torching of U.S.-Saudi relations
Op-eds
Gulf-Israeli Economic Cooperation Can Benefit the Palestinians
Palestinians may be the unexpected beneficiaries of Israel’s improving relations with the Arab world.
Op-eds
Interview — Stay the Course of Maximum Pressure
How has the situation changed over the last four years? One major strategic change was President Trump’s decision to impose maximum pressure on the Islamic Republic and move away from the Obama policy,...