The arrival of the Biden administration in Washington, and the perception of US disengagement from the region, offers an opportunity for Europeans to help de-escalate tensions between GCC states and Iran
A broad range of political and financial problems are likely to prevent Iran from importing advanced weapons systems in the coming years
European states should now increase conditional engagement with the Houthis, looking to widen political and humanitarian space on the ground
The new, still-unsteady leaders of Kuwait and Oman cannot afford to take the same risks as their predecessors. They will need Europe’s support if they are to maintain their independence.
The Israel-UAE peace deal provides multiple wins for both countries, and for the US. But it could yet deepen the region’s political fault lines.
The eastern Mediterranean is becoming ever more perilous as geopolitical fault lines steadily enmesh the region. These rifts emerge from the Cyprus ‘frozen conflict’, competition for valuable gas fields, and the increasingly entangled wars in Libya and Syria.
The Southern Transitional Council’s declaration of “self-rule” threatens to revive the internecine feuds of previous generations
Saudi Arabia took a major risk in launching the oil price war. There may be a political price to pay.
The ECFR Rome office organized a virtual gathering, moderated by the Head of ECFR Rome Arturo Varvelli, to present the ECFR publication “A Gulf…