United Arab Emirates

The U.S. Needs Its Mideast Bases

If America won’t finish the job in Iran, leaving the Gulf Arab states would turn a failure into a rout.

U.S. Must Apply Strict Conditions Before Lifting Syria’s Terrorism Designation

“The lifting of sanctions is the primary step toward revitalizing the Syrian economy,” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa told President Donald Trump during a phone call on May 31.  In...

6 Reasons Why Qatar’s U.S. Financial Footprint Warrants Scrutiny

Qatar, a Persian Gulf emirate roughly the size of Connecticut, possesses outsized wealth by sitting atop the world’s largest natural gas reservoir. FDD has meticulously documented that this tiny country...

Mapping Qatar’s $400 Billion Footprint in the United States

Several Iranian-backed militias in Iraq say they accept state control of weapons

On June 3 in Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met with delegations from Asaib Ahl al Haq and Kataib Imam Ali, two Iranian-backed Iraqi militias. He thanked the group’s leadership for supporting...

How Anonymous Wikipedia Editors Influence Global Narratives — and AI Systems

If you ask Google what Al Jazeera is, the answer you receive draws heavily on Wikipedia. The same is true if you ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or many other large language models. Wikipedia has become the working...

Can Syria Be Friends with Both Europe and Russia?

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to open up relations with Europe while retaining the country’s longstanding ties with Moscow.

Farewell Fidelismo?  

Trump has a chance to liberate the Cuban people – and others

Iran’s New ‘Nuclear’ Weapon

What happens if the U.S. declines to fight for the Strait of Hormuz.

Evaluating the Damage to Iran’s Ballistic Missile Arsenal

Has the Islamic Republic of Iran been defanged, or did the United States and Israel fail to set back the Middle East’s preeminent ballistic missile power? The answer is more complex than headlines indicate. With...

Saudi Arabia’s Voodoo Diplomacy Is Sabotaging Middle East Peace

While Iran has strangled Kuwait and Qatar’s ability to export energy and fund repairs for costly damage inflicted by Iranian attacks, Saudi Arabia has done nothing to challenge Tehran. Instead, Riyadh—the...

Trump needs to shut down this key Iranian transit artery — ASAP

Iran’s corrupt economy is still bleeding; Washington has a narrow, perishable window to bring the regime to its knees. President Donald Trump has shown admirable resolve. His instinct...

Iranian Oil Exports Nosedive After U.S. Blockade Begins

Despite Iranian intransigence, the U.S. blockade of the Islamic Republic’s ports, which began on April 13, is already generating real pain — and real results — for the Islamic Republic. Iran exported...

Why the United States Should Pay More Attention to the War in Mali

The ongoing civil war in Mali—where a jihadist group is poised to seize power—is spilling over into Nigeria, with ominous humanitarian consequences.

Saudi Arabia and UAE say drone attacks were launched from Iraq

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said that recent drone attacks against their countries originated from Iraq. “The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday that six drones had been launched...

Why Hezbollah’s Use of FPV Drones Against Israel Will Backfire

Hezbollah has begun using first-person view (FPV) drones against Israel, causing casualties among Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops deployed along the Lebanese border. While the threat is growing, it...

UAE sanctions Hezbollah-linked financial network, reflecting US designations

On May 12, the United Arab Emirates’ official news agency, Emirates News Agency, announced that Abu Dhabi had designated 16 Lebanese nationals and five Lebanon-based entities to its terrorism...

This Economic Weapon Is Worth Congress’s Attention

Currency swap lines are useful foreign-policy tools, but current law limits their availability.

Iran-Backed Houthis Assist Resurgent Somali Pirates

The western section of the Indian Ocean, with its key trade routes and its maritime chokepoints, has faced no shortage of crises between disruptions caused by the Houthis in Yemen and their backers in...

The underground financial system keeping Iran afloat amid war, sanctions

A man walks into a Dubai currency exchange, intending to send money to Iran. He hands over $50,000 in cash, and provides a name and a location. Hours later, the money reaches a...