What’s Happening in the Persian Gulf

by Derek Davison Early Monday morning, five Arab states—Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen—along with the Maldives, broke all diplomatic and physical ties with the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar. All six countries say they are… Continue Reading

Qatar’s Diminishing Returns in Syria

by Giorgio Cafiero Recent developments have set back Qatar’s five-and-a-half-year campaign to topple the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad. Donald Trump’s win last month and the president-elect’s vows to sever Washington’s limited support for Syrian rebels, Russia and China’s… Continue Reading

Congressional Research Service Expert and Gulf Lobbyist Headline MEK Event

by Eli Clifton By outward appearances, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), the ex-terrorist Iranian opposition group hell-bent on regime change, appears to be losing their influence in the media. The group’s allegations about Iran’s nuclear program are met with increased skepticism… Continue Reading

Gulf Lobbyist Fails to Disclose Ties to Qatar in Media Appearances

by Eli Clifton On Monday, MapLight’s Andrew Perez published an excellent investigation into Ed Rogers’ advocacy against the Iran nuclear agreement while working as an undisclosed lobbyist for Saud Arabia. Rogers’ behavior is particularly troubling since he registered as a… Continue Reading

Qatar and the Islamic State

by Giorgio Cafiero and Alex Stout  In the fall of 2014, the Obama administration prioritized securing support from Washington’s allies in the Sunni Arab world before launching a multinational air campaign against targets in Iraq and Syria belonging to Islamic… Continue Reading