Blog Post

Abu Dhabi’s departure from OPEC signals that discipline within the group is becoming harder to sustain at a time when the global energy market is facing the prospect of a more volatile and uncertain future.

Billions of dollars in infrastructure destruction from the war, combined with decades of mismanagement, corruption, and international sanctions, has sparked an unprecedented economic crisis in Iran.

As Iranian strikes exposed structural gaps, Gulf states are expanding their air defense architecture through new suppliers, lower-cost systems, and operational partnerships.

The IRGC did not seize power in a single stroke. It accumulated it – patiently, methodically – until no counterweight remained.

The blockade, artfully deployed, and a focus on coalition building, international law, and interests-based negotiations can help the United States and its Gulf allies extricate themselves from the current impasse.

As Iranian drones and missiles have rained down on the Gulf, the targeted states have found unexpected allies globally but little support from their Arab neighbors.

In the future landscape of Gulf security, the United States may remain an essential arms supplier but wield less influence over force structure and military doctrine.

With Iran, Qatar is balancing dialogue with deterrence.