Saudi Arabia is Pissed: What Are the Risks for Lebanon?

by Aurélie Daher It’s official: Saudi Arabia has declared open war on Lebanese Hezbollah. On March 2, the Gulf Cooperation Council, which gathers the six monarchies of the Arab Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and… Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia and Iran: Is War Imminent?

by Emile Nakhleh No, war is not imminent between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia’s ad hoc warlike posturing against Iran and continued war in Yemen, however, will exacerbate regional tensions and deepen the misery of Arab peoples. The Saudi… Continue Reading

The Saudi Debacle in Yemen?

by Hooshmand Mirfakhraei The second round of UN-sponsored peace talks to end the nine months of hostilities between the Saudi-supported government of Yemen and the Iran-backed Ansarullah (or Houthi) rebels started on December 15 in Switzerland. The warring sides had reportedly agreed in… Continue Reading

All in the Family, Saudi Style

by Thomas W. Lippman Not since the royal power struggle of the 1950s have the rivalries and conflicts within the ruling family of Saudi Arabia burst into public view as they have in the past two weeks. The British newspaper The… Continue Reading

Crown Princes: Was the DC Trip Worth It?

by Emile Nakhleh As Gulf Arab crown princes and emirs sat around the table with President Barack Obama in Washington and at Camp David this week, Gulf media and experts opined whether the trip would produce tangible results and questioned whether… Continue Reading