17
February
2026
Recent
Publications
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February 19, 2026
ME Council expert analysis on Saudi-Iran rapprochement, the GCC’s response to the June 2025 war, and Tehran’s push for strategic de-escalation.
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February 12, 2026
This volume brings together leading regional experts and policymakers from the Middle East and the Horn of Africa to provide the first integrated analysis of Red Sea geopolitics. Combining security, economic, and socio-political perspectives, the contributors offer forward-looking, policy-relevant insights into one of the world’s most strategically contested corridors.
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February 9, 2026
This policy note argues that the Gulf’s bid to recast hydrocarbons as engines of climate-linked industrial growth will falter without a regionally harmonized, legally enforceable climate governance framework.
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February 19, 2026
ME Council expert analysis on Saudi-Iran rapprochement, the GCC’s response to the June 2025 war, and Tehran’s push for strategic de-escalation.
learn more
February 12, 2026
This volume brings together leading regional experts and policymakers from the Middle East and the Horn of Africa to provide the first integrated analysis of Red Sea geopolitics. Combining security, economic, and socio-political perspectives, the contributors offer forward-looking, policy-relevant insights into one of the world’s most strategically contested corridors.
learn more
February 12, 2026
This volume brings together leading regional experts and policymakers from the Middle East and the Horn of Africa to provide the first integrated analysis of Red Sea geopolitics. Combining security, economic, and socio-political perspectives, the contributors offer forward-looking, policy-relevant insights into one of the world’s most strategically contested corridors.
learn more
February 12, 2026
This volume brings together leading regional experts and policymakers from the Middle East and the Horn of Africa to provide the first integrated analysis of Red Sea geopolitics. Combining security, economic, and socio-political perspectives, the contributors offer forward-looking, policy-relevant insights into one of the world’s most strategically contested corridors.
learn more
February 12, 2026
This volume brings together leading regional experts and policymakers from the Middle East and the Horn of Africa to provide the first integrated analysis of Red Sea geopolitics. Combining security, economic, and socio-political perspectives, the contributors offer forward-looking, policy-relevant insights into one of the world’s most strategically contested corridors.
learn more
February 9, 2026
This policy note argues that the Gulf’s bid to recast hydrocarbons as engines of climate-linked industrial growth will falter without a regionally harmonized, legally enforceable climate governance framework.
learn moreEvents
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2
February
2026
Navigating Uncertainty: Japan–GCC–U.S. Cooperation in an Evolving Middle East Order
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20
January
2026
Iran at a Crossroads: Will Domestic Unrest Reshape the Region?
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February 19, 2026
As tensions rise between the United States and Iran, international attention has once again turned toward the Gulf. From maritime security incidents in and around the Strait of Hormuz, to renewed sanctions and nuclear threats, this rising escalation between the two actors exposes the region’s fragility. The Gulf is central to global energy flows… Continue reading Between War and Dialogue: Can a U.S.–Iran Confrontation Be Prevented?
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February 15, 2026
In its annual survey on global corruption, which was released on February 10, Transparency International offered a sobering snapshot of governance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Collectively, the region has made scant progress during the past five years in combating corruption. Based on the Corruption Perceptions Index’s 100-point scale, the average score… Continue reading Despite stagnation in global corruption rankings, the regional reality is more complicated
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February 8, 2026
One month after the Trump administration’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the contours of a new oil order are beginning to emerge. U.S. authorities continue to seize “shadow fleet” oil tankers—at least seven, so far—carrying sanctioned Venezuelan exports in a pressure campaign that began in the run-up to Operation Absolute Resolve. President Donald Trump… Continue reading How Trump’s Venezuela Play Is Testing a New Global Oil Order
learn more
February 19, 2026
As tensions rise between the United States and Iran, international attention has once again turned toward the Gulf. From maritime security incidents in and around the Strait of Hormuz, to renewed sanctions and nuclear threats, this rising escalation between the two actors exposes the region’s fragility. The Gulf is central to global energy flows… Continue reading Between War and Dialogue: Can a U.S.–Iran Confrontation Be Prevented?
learn more
February 15, 2026
In its annual survey on global corruption, which was released on February 10, Transparency International offered a sobering snapshot of governance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Collectively, the region has made scant progress during the past five years in combating corruption. Based on the Corruption Perceptions Index’s 100-point scale, the average score… Continue reading Despite stagnation in global corruption rankings, the regional reality is more complicated
learn more
February 8, 2026
One month after the Trump administration’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the contours of a new oil order are beginning to emerge. U.S. authorities continue to seize “shadow fleet” oil tankers—at least seven, so far—carrying sanctioned Venezuelan exports in a pressure campaign that began in the run-up to Operation Absolute Resolve. President Donald Trump… Continue reading How Trump’s Venezuela Play Is Testing a New Global Oil Order
learn more