Politics and Governance

The Guardian Council has again presented the Iranian public with presidential candidates who lack a political program, a social base, and the ability to mobilize voters.

Cooperation agreements between Turkey and Kuwait aim to capitalize on opportunities to bolster economic, diplomatic, and defense relations, however Ankara will have to navigate carefully as it seeks to balance ties in the Gulf.

On June 14, AGSIW hosted a discussion on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Chinese investors are less risk averse than their Western counterparts, hence their strong showing in the latest upstream opportunities offered by Baghdad.

On May 22, AGSIW hosted a roundtable on developments in Kuwait.

Gulf governments are looking to privatize their energy-intensive utility sectors, aiming to make public utilities more environmentally and financially sustainable.

Regardless of who becomes Iran’s next president or who succeeds Khamenei as head of state, there is little prospect for significant change in Iran's foreign and security policy.

Saudi Arabia has looked to the Red Sea through the lens of economic investment and infrastructure, but an economy-center focus is insufficient to address the various factors causing instability in the region.