Iran

A New Saudi Foreign Policy for a New Era

By Bilal Y. Saab

Bilal Y. Saab spoke to a military audience at the National Defense University’s Near East and South Asia Center on May 5, 2015. Please read his remarks below. 

Iran’s Influence is Tied to Assad’s Future

By Nicholas Blanford

A string of defeats for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad since late March in north and south Syria has broken the stalemate that existed for more than a year and potentially opens up space for the West and its regional partners in the Arab world to pursue a negotiated solution to a war now […]

The Choice at Camp David: A Bold Middle East Strategy or Just Another Summit?

By Nabeel Khoury

The recent victories of Islamist and jihadist forces in Syria portend the possible demise of the Assad regime, but also the advent of a potentially vicious internecine struggle within the jihadist front and between it and the more secular nationalist rebel movement.

Syria: A Strategy Possibly Emerging, But to What End?

By Frederic C. Hof

Recent media reports indicate (if not conclude) that the anti-Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) “train and equip” effort of the US Department of Defense will be based largely in Jordan and focused mainly on preparing Syrian fighters of tribal origin to operate in ISIL-occupied eastern Syria.

Obama-GCC Summit: Syria is the Elephant in the Room

By Hanin Ghaddar

President Barack Obama will host the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders next week at the White House and Camp David to discuss security issues in the Middle East.

The Iran Deal, Camp David, and Nuclear Nonproliferation in the Middle East

By Nabil Fahmy

Leaders from the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will convene at Camp David on May 13 and 14, where they were initially invited to deliberate with President Barack Obama on the Iranian nuclear framework agreement.

Recalibrating the Regional Political Balance in the Persian Gulf

US President Barack Obama will convene a meeting of leaders from all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries— Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—at the White House and Camp David on May 13 and 14, respectively. The meeting aims to address the Gulf states’ concerns about a nuclear deal that […]

More give, less take needed at the GCC Camp David summit

By Matthew Kroenig

The purpose of the upcoming summit at Camp David between President Barack Obama and leaders from the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is clear. America’s traditional partners in the Gulf feel nervous in the wake of an announced framework agreement that will allow Iran to keep its latent nuclear weapons capability, while providing […]

With an Eye on Iran, Gulf Countries Seek US ‘Security Guarantee’

By Ashish Kumar Sen

UAE’s Ambassador says ‘gentleman’s agreement’ must be replaced with ‘something in writing’ The United Arab Emirates and its five partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—worried about Iran’s hegemonic ambitions in their neighborhood—want a US “security guarantee,” Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE’s Ambassador in Washington, said May 7 at the Atlantic Council. “We are looking […]