Blog Post

In the conflict with Iran, the United States has used one-way attack drones for the first time, marking a shift in U.S. military drone architecture.

The Iran conflict reinforces China’s short-term position as one of managing and mitigating risks rather than shaping outcomes that expand Chinese influence in the Middle East.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi urged President Trump not to attack Iran, but now that the war is into its second month, leaving the current situation in place would be an unthinkable fiasco for them.

The conflict with Iran has curtailed the supply of oil from the Gulf, pushing up the price of the medium and heavier grades it usually exports relative to lighter grades.

The Gulf is being significantly affected by the conflict with Iran, but the size of the economic hit varies among countries.

Ukrainian help dealing with Iranian drone attacks could lead Gulf Arab states to rethink their neutrality in the Ukraine-Russia war.

The Gulf Arab states have discovered that wealth without hard power, and alliance without political influence, leave them exposed to other countries' wars.

The war in Iran both underscores the urgency and will delay action on a U.S.-brokered Peshmerga-Baghdad redeployment in the disputed territories.