Media mentions – Hugh Lovatt

The countries of the Arab Gulf are increasingly concerned about Iran’s missile and drone capabilities, and their transfer to armed groups in the region

This is a region where a… Biden administration is expected to both refocus US policy on issues such as Iran and push for respect of normative values across the region

Turkey believes that a slowly emerging superstructure of political, economic, and security interests will inevitably challenge its regional position. This has transformed an economic competition into an existential struggle.

He faces public discontent with his government’s perceived mishandling of the pandemic

Actually, the Palestinians do have another choice, which is actually to pivot toward calling for equal rights within one state […] That’s the fundamental weakness and flaw in the Trump vision, is that it misunderstands a lot of these long-term dynamics

One may assume that Saudi Arabia’s current rejection of direct relations with Israel is a reason or at least an excuse for other Gulf states like Bahrain or Oman to dampen corresponding American expectations

After American and Israeli officials spent days hyping the prospect that other Arab countries would soon follow the UAE in normalising relations with Israel, the lack of any additional public commitments during Secretary Pompeo’s regional tour looks like an anti-climax

The lack of any further public engagement (to normalise relations with Israel) during State Secretary Pompeo’s visit looks like a setback

Reluctance (to normalise relations with Israel) is linked to regional politics as well as to internal politics – and maybe also to Saudi Arabie’s stance