President Donald J. Trump has reportedly instructed his national security and intelligence staff to find a rationale for declaring Iran noncompliant with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement Tehran reached in 2015 with the P5+1, the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany. Reports suggest Trump believes the United States should withdraw from, or sabotage, the JCPOA. Read more
On July 13, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi swore in veteran diplomat Ahmed Salem al-Wahishi as Yemen’s ambassador to Russia, a post that has been vacant since 2011. The Hadi government tried to fill the position over a year ago, but failed. Discussions with Yemeni sources reveal a complex tale about what happened then, as well as of the state of Yemeni-Russian relations. Read more
Qatar has lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organization against the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain for blocking its air traffic and increasing the costs of basic food and medicine imports. Though intra-Gulf state economic relations continue to suffer as a result of the current crisis, there are long-standing barriers to trade and investment flows that deserve consideration. Since the inception of the Gulf Cooperation Council, there have been deep tensions on ceding sovereignty and facilitating the free movement of people, finance, and ideas. Read more
After gaining wide popularity on Instagram for sharing inspirational and humorous posts about his everyday life with his wife and children, Khalid Al Ameri started “Meet The Al Ameri’s.” This vlog features Khalid and his wife Salama, and their two children, Abdullah and Khalifa. It gives viewers an inside look into the interaction between the Emirati couple and their children. Read more
واصل الرئيس ترامب حملته ضد التحقيق بفضيحة التدخل الروسي في الانتخابات، وذلك في الوقت الذي دخل فيه التحقيق مرحلة حرجة ومحفوفة بالمخاطر للرئيس ومساعديه، بعد الكشف عن قيام المحقق الخاص روبرت مولر بتعيين هيئة محلفين في واشنطن في مؤشر بأن التحقيق سوف يستمر لأشهر، مع امكانية توجيه التهم ضد بعض الشخصيات التي يتم التحقيق معها. وخلال مهرجان أمام مؤيديه في ولاية ويست فيرجينيا، رفض ترامب صحة الاتهامات الموجهة ضد مقربين منه بالتواطؤ مع الروس في تدخلهم في الانتخابات، معتبرا هذه الادعاءات "مفبركة كليا"، متناسيا أن جميع أجهزة الاستخبارات الأمريكية أكدت حقيقة التدخل الروسي، وأن أربعة لجان في الكونغرس تحقق بالموضوع، إضافة إلى المحقق الخاص مولر اطلع على المزيد
In addition to original content, AGSIW.org in Arabic is regularly updated with new Arabic translations of AGSIW's analysis. New translations include:
Speaking with Al Arabiya, AGSIW President Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba discussed the recent congressional hearing on U.S.-Qatari relations: "The hearings reflected the long and complicated U.S.-Qatari relationship where on one hand we have good military cooperation but on the other hand we’ve had longstanding concerns regarding Doha’s support for terrorist groups including the platform they provide via Al Jazeera Arabic."
Speaking with The National, Wahba commented on the dispatch of retired U.S. General Anthony Zinni to mediate the GCC-Qatar dispute: "Few American figures are as well respected and well liked by all Gulf Cooperation Council governments as Anthony Zinni." She additionally noted that he is the "perfect envoy to the region” because of “his knowledge of both the issues that are at stake and all the key players involved,” and that with Zinni, "there is no grandstanding."
Speaking with the International Committee of the Red Cross, Executive Vice President Stephen A. Seche discussed the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Outreach
AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Kristin Smith Diwan co-directed the workshop "Electoral Frameworks, Party Systems and Electoral Outcomes: Comparing Elections in the Gulf," as part of the 2017 Gulf Research Meeting at the University of Cambridge, hosted by the Gulf Research Centre. Diwan presented a paper evaluating election boycotts in Kuwait and Bahrain.
