Network Take: Death of a Gulf Strongman
Cipher Brief experts and CIA veterans Norman Roule, Emile Nakhleh and Rob Richer, together with former U.S. Amb. to Yemen Steven Seche, weighed in Monday […] More
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s ‘Game of Thrones’ In Lebanon
The sudden resignation of Saad Hariri as Lebanon’s prime minister during his trip to Riyadh earlier this month raised suspicions about whether Saudi Arabia facilitated […] More
Saudi “Purge” a Re-Branding Attempt to Launch a “Second Kingdom”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) took the unprecedented step of ordering the arrest of 11 princes, dozens of former ministers and business officials, […] More
Swiss Play Role in Easing Tensions Between Saudi and Iran
The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced on Oct. 25 that it had reached an agreement with Riyadh and Tehran to represent Iranian consular interests in Saudi […] More
Russia Woos Riyadh in Bid to Undercut U.S. Global Role
There is little doubt that Putin’s foreign policy centers on reviving Russia as a major international power, which seeks to undermine the global American alliance […] More
Network Take: ‘Good News’ Lurks Beneath Saudi Shakeup
On Saturday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the arrests of dozens of ministers and other members of Riyadh’s elite, as part of a […] More
Royal Reshuffle and Yemen Missile Strike Threaten Saudi Stability
Another shakeup atop the Saudi royal family, coupled with an escalation in the war in Yemen, has paved the way for the Saudi heir to […] More
With No End In Sight, Gulf Blockade Nudges Qatar Closer to Iran
Nearly five months on, the “crisis” between Qatar and a coalition of nine countries led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has reached […] More
The Gulf Crisis isn’t Beyond Hope — Here’s How Washington Can Help
Five months have passed since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 over allegations […] More
Al Qaeda, ISIS are ‘Biggest Winners’ in Saudi Campaign
As war in Yemen drags on, the people of Yemen are facing severe humanitarian circumstances, with many starving, succumbing to disease, or unable to receive […] More
War, Plague and Famine Ride Over Yemen
Billed the “forgotten child” of the Middle East, Yemen is ensnared in a three-year old civil war with no end in sight. Despite haphazard international […] More
Peace Remains Distant Prospect as Civilians Suffer
Civil war in Yemen has dragged on for approximately three years with no end in sight. Forces loyal to Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and […] More
Chances ‘Slim’ for a Quick Fix to GCC Standoff
The dispute between Qatar and its four regional counterparts – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates – has entered into its fourth […] More
Threats to American Interests Increase as Gulf Diplomacy Dissolves
The ongoing dispute between Qatar and its neighbors – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates – has thrown the U.S. into a […] More
Gulf Crisis Still Smolders as Washington Searches for Options
Well into its fourth month, the tense standoff between Qatar and the four Arab nations that severed diplomatic ties with Doha – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, […] More
The Shortest Route to Mideast Peace is Through Saudi Arabia
The recent flare-up at the Temple Mount, also known Haram Al Sharif, in Jerusalem reminds American foreign policy makers of the sensitivity of the Israeli-Palestinian […] More
The U.S. Loses a Trusted Partner in Fighting Terrorism
Before leaving Saudi Arabia last week for a long holiday in Morocco, King Salman issued a decree officially putting his young son, Crown Prince Mohammed […] More
Shifting Sands: Saudi Arabia’s Succession
Saudi Arabia underwent another dramatic shift in mid-June when Saudi ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud elevated his son, Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MbS), to […] More