Azerbaijan’s biggest trade partners in the region, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, have shared economic interests in establishing new trade links, but they also share common threat perceptions regarding Iran and radicalism.
Germany is upgrading its military, moving into a more assertive and central role in European and NATO defense. This, coupled with changes to its energy policy, could facilitate closer cooperation with select Gulf allies.
The UAE and Qatar both want the F-35, but, for the United States, selling the powerful fighter jet is not a straightforward commercial transaction.
Houthi missile attacks on the UAE and U.S. military facilities expose a fragile Middle East calm.
As the kingdom faces mounting insecurity, it has alienated most of its security guarantors and weapons suppliers in the West.
The debate on U.S. policy in the Middle East needs to move away from abstractions like “commitment” versus “withdrawal” and engage with the real questions of just what interests in the Middle East justify the presence of U.S. military force and what threats justify its use.
As the Gulf Arab states have asserted themselves as active shapers of regional security, their military experience, supplier diversification efforts, and domestic industry developments – in tandem with their traditional financial clout – have gained them greater leverage over European security partners.
A new Conventional Arms Transfer policy based on human rights could have a major impact on the global arms trade and U.S.-Gulf relations, but questions remain as to whether recent announcements will lead to concrete policy shifts.
Maximalist proposals calling for near-total withdrawal or expanding the U.S. military footprint are unrealistic. The task is to find effective ways of doing as much, or more, with less.
The announcement that the United States will conclude its combat role in Iraq by the end of 2021 appears to be no more than rebranding the U.S. troops’ current role in Iraq.
Learn MoreThrough its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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