China, UAE to hold third air force drills as defense ties warm: What we know China and the United Arab Emirates are further deepening their defense and military ties with a third round of aerial exercises. United Arab Emirates
Meloni to attend GCC summit in Bahrain as Italy deepens Gulf ties The summit is expected to focus on economic integration in the Gulf, but regional issues will likely loom just as large, including post-war Gaza and the conflict in Sudan. Bahrain
Analysis F-35s, chips but no security guarantees: What MBS achieved — and didn’t — in Washington A Saudi-US defense deal signed by Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House fell short of the de facto Saudi leader's ambitions for a US defense guarantee, but neither side appears in much of a hurry since the US military knocked out Iran's nuclear enrichment in June. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Gulf AI ambitions get boost with US approval of advanced chip exports Washington has been cautious about sending sensitive advanced microchips to Middle East countries with close ties to China, fearing that the technology could end up in Beijing’s hands. Saudi Arabia
Analysis UK chases elusive GCC trade deal that could boost exports, economic links By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Iran’s role in Qatar’s new foreign policy Rather than forcing Qatar to sever ties with Tehran, the Saudi-led boycott on Qatar has instead pushed the emirate closer to Iran. Saudi Arabia
Moscow, Cairo discuss boosting ties Representatives of Russia and Egypt seemed pleased with the outcome of their meetings this week, as they touched base on current regional developments and talked through their perspectives. Qatar
What Iran-Qatar reset means for Syria Iran adds another “Sunni” power to its regional network; Turkey ponders next moves in Idlib; Israel presents the “big picture” on Iran in Washington and Sochi, Russia; Akiva Eldar on Israel’s silence over Charlottesville. Saudi Arabia
Stakes high for Kuwait as mediator in Qatar crisis Kuwait has established its neutrality in the Qatari crisis, but it has a lot at stake. Legacy: Gulf
Influence-rich Saudis blow through Sunni unity Just a month after hosting the US president and the leaders of dozens of Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia apparently cares more about putting Qatar in its place than maintaining the alliance it built. Saudi Arabia
Gulf rift sends tremors through Yemen The decision by Gulf countries involved in the Yemen war to sever ties with Qatar has created complexities on both sides of the Yemen conflict. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi-Qatar rift could benefit Israel Israeli officials estimate that the Saudi-Qatar rift could strengthen the Israeli-Saudi alliance against regional Islamic terror. Saudi Arabia
The curious timing of the Qatar crisis The latest Middle East crisis, the rift between Qatar and its Gulf Cooperation Council partners, has come at a sensitive time for the Gulf states. Legacy: Gulf
'Fake news' sparks real crisis in the Gulf Controversial statements reported by Qatar's state news agency and later attributed to a hack have revealed deep tension among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Saudi Arabia
Gulf of mistrust mars Kuwaiti initiative for Iran-GCC dialogue Despite Kuwait’s reported initiative to resolve tension between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council, it appears that the two sides are not yet ready to address the deeper causes of conflict and tension. Legacy: Gulf
Why did Oman join Saudi Arabia’s anti-terrorism alliance? Oman joins the 40-member Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, yet still strikes a balance while refusing to distance itself from Iran in order to please Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
