Ruslan Mamedov The diplomatic recovery of 2023 and regional multipolarity without proper economic (projects already exist) and institutional consolidation of normalization agreements have the risk of a rollback to armed confrontation. A commitment to inclusive regional development and equality, rather than individual big players, could be the basis of a new regional order, writes Ruslan Mamedov,…
Category: GCC
The Cold War Between Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates Heats Up
Steven Sahiounie Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), gathered Saudi journalists in Riyadh in December to say that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had been an ally for decades, but had stabbed Saudi Arabia in the back, and threatened a response. According to Gulf experts, the disagreement between MBS and Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ)…
China Invites Iran, GCC Countries to Host Summit in Beijing This Year
Al Mayadeen Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during the China-Arab Summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh in December 2022 (AFP) Iran and Saudi Arabia are due to reconvene within the next two months to close the deal, with agreed-upon details, according to WSJ, including Iran’s discouragement of attacks on…
What Prompted the Urgent, Secretive Summit in Abu Dhabi?
Abdel Bari Atwan Key Arab heads of state convened this week for an emergency meeting that excluded the Saudis and Kuwaitis. The likely hot topics under discussion were Egypt’s economic collapse and Israel’s aggressive escalations. On 18 January, the United Arab Emirates hastily arranged a consultative summit in Abu Dhabi, which included the leaders of four member…
Iran, China Fix Diplomatic Blunder Following Xi’s Saudi visit
Zafar Mehdi Tehran takes a hard stand as Xi Jinping discovers the Persian Gulf can be a diplomatic minefield. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the first Chinese Consulate-General in Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas on 21 December, Ambassador Chang Hua affirmed China’s support for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Hua stressed that Beijing sees its…
Why Did China Agree to a Fiercely Anti-Iranian Joint Statement with the GCC?
Andrew Korybko It’s unclear how everything will ultimately end, but the present trajectory certainly seems to be one whereby China is comprehensively expanding relations with American allies like those in the GCC as part of its ongoing New Détente with the US simultaneously with distancing itself from its traditional Russian, Indian, and Iranian partners that…
What Historic China-Arab Summits Mean for the Middle East
Timur Fomenko Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh, after his arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. © Saudi Press Agency via AP Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia signals a desire by Arab nations to hedge their bets with stronger partnerships…
Iran and the Persian Gulf Monarchies: Diplomacy Remains their Only Option
Mohammad Salami Reconciliation between Iran and the GCC will reap vast mutual benefits, while conflict only serves those outside the Persian Gulf In mid-August, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states the UAE and Kuwait announced the return of their respective ambassadors to Iran after a six year hiatus. The move represents the latest sign of warming ties between Iran and…
Biden and the U.S.-Israel-GCC Axis: It’s Not the Oil, It’s the Money
Bill Dores U.S. oil giant Chevron plunders natural gas from the stolen waters off Palestine. Joe Biden didn’t go to Arabia in July to beg for oil. That’s not the nature of the U.S.-Saudi relationship. He didn’t go to Palestine to promote peace. The U.S.-Israeli relationship is based on endless war. And war is what…
How the GCC is Benefiting from the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Salman Rafi Sheikh Military conflicts are a deadly – and costly – business, especially for those who fight them directly. But these conflicts also benefit others directly and indirectly. Those involved in the military-industrial complex benefit from both actual and potential conflicts. This has been the most famous story in the US and continues to…
The Nuclear Deal on the Road to Negotiations: What to Expect
Elijah J. Magnier The visit of the official in charge of European foreign policy, Josep Borrell, to Tehran last week did not cause any break in the level of the stalled nuclear talks. However, it did pave the way for the return of the U.S.-Iran indirect talks in Qatar, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday…
US Wants Da’esh Sponsors to Rebuild Iraq
Tony Cartalucci Like a local mafia that breaks car windows by night and repairs them by day, the United States has enlisted its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partners – namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates – to “rebuild” in Iraq in the wake of the defeated, self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) these…
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