Featured commentary & analysis


Counterterrorism Study Group

The Counterterrorism Study Group is a forum for former counterterrorism officials to review the latest threats, to understand emerging trends and future predictions, and to explore creative new proposals for improving the effectiveness of current policies and operations.


Podcast series

Listen to the latest episode of the China-MENA podcast, featuring conversations with academics, government leaders, and the policy community on China’s role in the Middle East.


Gulf Security Task Force

The Gulf Security Task Force is revisiting the question of how to best protect US interests in this sensitive, always relevant region. Our goal is to provide US decision-makers with an updated, fact-based strategy for protecting US interests in the air and maritime domain from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, and ensuring Gulf partners’ ability to assume this responsibility, with the assistance and leadership of the United States.

Content

IranSource

Oct 25, 2018

Jamal Khashoggi Murder Bolsters Iran’s Strategic Position

By Tahereh Hadian-Jazy

With international attention glued to the gruesome murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi for the past few weeks, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States have struggled to gain the upper hand over the narrative while Iran has largely been a contented bystander. The crime has weakened the position of Iran’s arch rival at least […]

Iran
Saudi Arabia

In the News

Oct 24, 2018

Stein Quoted in Vox on Turkey’s Anger at Saudi Arabia Over Khashoggi Murder

By Aaron Stein

Read the full article here.

Saudi Arabia

In the News

Oct 24, 2018

HA Hellyer in Newsweek: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince is Not Interested in Islamic Reform

By H.A. Hellyer

Read the full article here.

Saudi Arabia

In the News

Oct 23, 2018

Carpenter Quoted in Washington Post on Saudi Industrial Hack

By Michael Carpenter

Read the full article here.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets US President Donald J. Trump and Jared Kushner.

New Atlanticist

Oct 23, 2018

Oil, arms, and counterterrorism: A look at Saudi options and how far the Kingdom may go

By Nabeel Khoury

Given the wide opprobrium in the US Congress, media, and private sector, it is yet to be seen whether the West, particularly the United States, will punish Saudi Arabia with sanctions.

Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion
International Norms

In the News

Oct 23, 2018

Greenwald Joins CNBC to Discuss US-Saudi Relations

By Michael Greenwald

Read the full article here.

Saudi Arabia

In the News

Oct 22, 2018

Cohen in Forbes: U.S.-Saudi Relations Stress Tested By Khashoggi Crisis

By Ariel Cohen

Read the full article here.

Saudi Arabia

MENASource

Oct 22, 2018

The Khashoggi reset

By Frederic C. Hof

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi—a resident of the United States and a citizen of a Kingdom that owed him protection—highlights the purely transactional nature of the relationship between Riyadh and Washington.

Saudi Arabia

In the News

Oct 22, 2018

Kroenig Quoted in Minneapolis Star Tribune on Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

By Matthew Kroenig

Read the full article here.

Saudi Arabia

IranSource

Oct 22, 2018

Dealing With Saudi Arabia Requires Lessons From Iran’s Global Assassination Campaign

By Gissou Nia

Gruesome details of the possible premeditated killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi state actors are gradually being revealed. This has invited inevitable comparisons between the brutality of Saudi Arabia to its regional rival, Iran. While the comparisons have prompted a fair number of social media snipes and tu quoque arguments, the parallels here […]

Iran
Saudi Arabia

Experts