Iran
May 17, 2018
Unwinding the JCPOA Opens Doors for China and Amplifies Risk in the Gulf
For traditional U.S. partners and allies in the Gulf and beyond, the unwinding of U.S. participation in the JCPOA will create some multidimensional consequences.

May 16, 2018
Gulf Dynamics after the JCPOA
On May 8, President Donald J. Trump reimposed the full range of economic sanctions on Iran that were waived when the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) was implemented in 2015 and said the United States was "withdrawing" from the agreement.

May 15, 2018
What to Make of Trump’s Exit from the JCPOA
What are the global and regional implications of the Trump administration's withdrawal from the JCPOA?

May 9, 2018
U.S. Exit from Iran Nuclear Agreement Roils Global Oil Markets
President Donald J. Trump's decision to exit the Iran nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions has injected a much higher level of volatility into oil markets, with prices scaling new heights to levels not seen since 2014. In reality, the disruption to Iranian exports and oil trading flows will be relatively limited, but against a backdrop of stronger global oil demand, declining stock levels, and the upcoming peak summer driving and cooling season, markets are unnerved. Equally, the broader implications for escalating regional tensions are expected to inflate the geopolitical price premium in markets going forward. The potential for conflict is squarely on the radar screen of everyone invested in the region, including oil executives.

May 9, 2018
Gulf Leaders Welcome JCPOA Withdrawal but Plan B Remains Unclear
President Donald J. Trump’s announcement that the United States is “withdrawing” from the Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was greeted with considerable enthusiasm by many Gulf Arab leaders. The announcement offers the prospect of a new era of U.S. leadership aimed squarely at rolling back Iranian hegemony in the region, and...

May 7, 2018
Why an Attempt to Fix, Not Nix, the Iran Nuclear Deal with the Help of Europe is Trump’s Only Sensible Option
Will Donald Trump walk away from the Iran nuclear deal, as he has threatened, on May 12?

Apr 27, 2018
Tying the Region in Knots: How the JCPOA is Tethered to Gulf Economic and Security Challenges
U.S. President Donald J. Trump faces a deadline for the recertification of sanctions relief on May 12, when a waiver of a key sanctions law expires, and would need to be renewed lest the sanctions provided for in that law snap back into force. For the United States to reinstate these sanctions could jeopardize U.S....

Mar 12, 2018
U.S. Policy in the Middle East: A Wise Reset or Tragic Abdication?
These remarks were delivered on March 5, 2018 as part of AGSIW Board Member Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm, Jr.’s 2018 Annual Kuwait Chair Lecture at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. The picture I intend to paint for you tonight is not unique to the Middle East. The United States’ withdrawal from...
