- Home
- Publications
- Commentary

Iranian Nuclear Program: Tough Choices for the United States
U.S. – Gulf PolicyThe future of Iran’s decades-old nuclear program is one of the most difficult foreign policy...

As the Rial’s Value Drops, Pressure on the Raisi Government Grows
Economy & InnovationThe value of the Iranian rial fell sharply in February 2023, decreasing from 440,000 rials...

Iranian-Saudi Normalization: From Hostility to Cooperative Rivalry
GeopoliticsTies between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia are among the most complicated...

Iran-Saudi Agreement: In Search of Stable Oil Exports and New Relations
Energy PolicyThe relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia has been fraught with tension for decades, with...

The Iran-Saudi Agreement is Not a Game Changer
GeopoliticsThe China-brokered agreement restoring relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, announced on March 10, is...

Dictatorship Without a Dictator: Iraq 20 Years After the Invasion
Politics & GovernanceTwo decades after the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statues in Baghdad and the dawn of...

Traveling Through History on the Forgotten Hejaz Railway
GeopoliticsImagine boarding a train in Istanbul, and arriving in a city in the Gulf region...

Italy and the UAE Chart a New Course
GeopoliticsItaly’s relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ran aground in 2021—the culmination of a...

Iranian-Saudi Rapprochement: Searching for Substance Amid Symbolism
GeopoliticsThe recent announcement that Iran and Saudi Arabia would restore their bilateral diplomatic relations has...

Iran’s Aviation Industry Is in Dire Straits
Politics & GovernanceThe secretary of the Association of Iranian Airlines announced earlier this year that the price...

Russia’s Ultranationalist Lessons for Iran
Politics & GovernanceFor more than a decade, the clerical regime in Iran has faced mounting domestic and...

Down, but not Out: Evaluating Russia’s Post-Invasion Record in the Gulf
Defense & SecurityDuring the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Gulf region remained a...