Blog Post

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in his office in Tehran at age 86, leaving behind a country in ruins and on the verge of civil war and potential disintegration.

Iran is signaling that it will not absorb attacks passively. But whether this strategy ensures the regime’s survival, seals its fate, or accelerates a broader catastrophe will shape the region for years to come.

Gulf Arab countries urged the United States not to strike Iran, but now that is happening, they are in danger of being sucked into a conflict they cannot control but that will likely reshape their present and future realities.

The erosion of the regime’s legitimacy across broad segments of society, combined with the breadth of the 2025-26 protest coalition, raises the possibility that a new confrontation could trigger renewed anti-regime mobilization.

From the Gulf to the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, governments are recalibrating fiscal terms, monetization strategies, and partnership models to attract international players.

With young Saudis continuing to enter their working age years in large numbers, robust employment gains need to continue, but slower non-oil growth may present a challenge.

If the first phase of Vision 2030 was designed to capture imagination and reposition the kingdom globally, the next phase may focus on livability and affordability.

To respond to harsh Saudi criticisms, the Emiratis have sought to reframe, deflect, and calibrate, avoiding escalation while also benefitting from powerful advocates, including Senator Lindsey Graham.