Security

For the United States, the Houthi threat in the Red Sea should be treated as part of strategic competition instead of merely a local or regional challenge.

A Turkish-led proxy force in Syria has begun an offensive targeting the Kurdish-majority city of Kobane, an action that Kurdish leaders warn will lead to ethnic cleansing and could derail the fight against ISIS in northeast Syria.

Where Hamas operates from matters less than the broader absence of any coherent vision – from Israel, the Palestinians, or the international community – for future Arab leadership in Gaza.

The Gulf Arab states are continuing their balancing game around the war in Ukraine, though their attention is being pulled to the war in Gaza.

The acknowledgment of the growing interdependency between the EU and GCC and the rising diplomatic role of the Gulf Arab countries in global affairs have prompted Brussels to step up political engagement with the GCC.

The relative failure of Iranian missile strikes has significantly eroded the value of Tehran’s enormous investment in its missile and drone technology and raised serious questions among Iran’s regional allies about the ability of Tehran to come to their defense.

Gulf Arab states are yet again watching on the sidelines as other powers shape their present and future strategic environment.

No matter who wins the presidency in November, the United States will need a strategy that allows it to protect free and open trade in the Red Sea without becoming bogged down in an open-ended conflict in Yemen.