Implications of the Latest Iranian Attack on Saudi Oil Facilities

Israel must take the recent Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia seriously, as those who attack sensitive Saudi sites with missiles and drones can do the same to Israeli strategic facilities. It is no less important that Israel understand that Riyadh is incapable of defending itself effectively. Any diplomatic progress with Saudi Arabia must be based on that fact.

The Russian FM’s Gulf Tour: A Bellwether of US-Saudi Relations

As Russian FM Sergei Lavrov embarks on a four-day visit to the Gulf, Middle Eastern leaders are either struggling to get a grip on Joe Biden’s recalibration of US policy in the region or signaling their refusal to adapt to the president’s approach.

Saudi Moderation Is Put to the Test

Saudi Arabia’s combustible mix of religion, nationalism, and tradition as well as contradictions in the kingdom’s projection of itself as a driver of moderate Islam and a major voice in combating discrimination and racism has sparked a heated debate on social media. How the mix plays out will ultimately spotlight the outcome of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s efforts to inject a significant dose of nationalism in a Saudi identity that historically has been shaped heavily by religion.

The Interests Behind the Saudi-Qatar Rapprochement

Behind the ending of the dispute between the two Gulf States stands an intense fear of Iran as well as American pressure to renew diplomatic ties. Israel must bear in mind that ties with the Gulf States are not etched in stone.

Saudi Chairmanship of G20 Proves a Mixed Blessing

Saudi Arabia’s chairmanship of the Group of Twenty (G20) is proving to be a mixed blessing. The country and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman saw the kingdom’s chairmanship as an opportunity to showcase its leadership and ability to be a visionary global player. But plans to dazzle the grouping and the international community with glamorous events at which officials, experts, analysts, and faith representatives would develop proposed cutting-edge solutions for global problems at a time of geopolitical rivalry and jockeying for a new world order had to be shelved as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the worst global economic downturn since World War II.

Biden’s Proposed Middle East Policy Would End Any Prospect for Saudi-Israeli Normalization

It is Washington’s strong support for Saudi Arabia’s security needs, clear stance against Iran’s pursuit of regional hegemony, support for Saudi actions in Yemen, and willingness to set aside its criticism of Riyadh’s domestic policies that have allowed for even the possibility of a formal shift in the kingdom’s stance on Israel. But Joe Biden has made clear that if elected, he intends to reverse all those policies. Such changes, along with his preemptive rejection of Israel’s extension of sovereignty to any new territory, would undermine any prospect that exists for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Will They Or Won’t They? Saudi Recognition of Israel Is the $64,000 Question

Will the Saudis formalize relations with Israel or will they not? Odds are that Saudi Arabia is not about to formalize relations with Israel—but the kingdom, its image tarnished by multiple missteps, is seeking to ensure that it is not perceived as the odd man out as smaller Gulf states establish diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

The Pakistan-Saudi Spat: Hitting the Kingdom Where It Hurts

A rift between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia throws deepening fissures in the Muslim world into sharp relief. Coupled with the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and myriad conflicts in the Middle East, the dispute poses serious challenges to Saudi Arabia’s quest for geopolitical and religious leadership of the Muslim world.

Qatar’s Anti-Saudi Seeds of the Islamist Quartet

Irina Tsukerman
July 2, 2020
Paper No. 1622

The Islamist Quartet consists of Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan, and Malaysia. The seeds of its agenda were planted by Qatari Emir Hamad’s and Libyan dictator Muammar Qhaddafi’s plot to take down the Saudi royal family and divide the Kingdom. Qatari lobbyists have since managed to bury the long history and strategic depth of these relationships by reshaping the narrative with a focus on the 2017 Gulf Crisis.

Iran Looms Large in Central Asia Despite Sanctions and Saudi Financial Muscle

After years of tension, relations are warming between Tajikistan and Iran—a development that bodes ill for Saudi Arabia and its relations with that country as well as others in Central Asia.

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