Security

The strategic implications of interregional engagement between the Gulf and South Asia are becoming clearer and more pronounced.

Gulf countries are getting what they want from the White House, but ties with other parts of the U.S. establishment are fraying.

This paper examines the defining characteristics of asymmetrical hostilities, in particular, the imbalance created when different security objectives – dominance or disruption – come into play.

The large wealth, small size, powerful rivalries, and apparent unwillingness to engage in full-scale war of the Gulf Arab states indicate that the future of conflict in the region will be hybrid.

Saudi Arabia moves to consolidate Arab and Muslim support, anticipating intensified confrontation or diplomacy.

By investing politically and economically in the small states of the Indian Ocean, both on its African and Asian shores, Gulf Arab states are positioning themselves as pivotal actors in the region.

In recent weeks, tensions between the United States – backed by its Gulf Arab allies and Israel – and Iran have risen alarmingly, with fears of war increasing in many quarters. Against this backdrop, however, there are suggestions that powerful constituencies, close to both the Iranian and Saudi leadership, are interested in avoiding conflict and...

While some urge confrontation, powerful voices of reason emerge.