Afkār is a publication of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, providing short-form analyses, insights, and perspectives on regional issues and developments from the Council's experts and outside contributors. Afkār is published in English and Arabic, and is edited by Omar H. Rahman.
Gulf states must pivot more to Southeast Asia to increase their oil exports, as ASEAN’s rising demand for an oil-driven energy transition, its limited appetite for Iranian crude, and longstanding energy ties with the GCC create prime opportunities for Gulf producers.
The attack on Al Rekayyat, a Qatari LNG tanker, while Doha was mediating between Iran and the United States, exposes the central weakness in proposals for regional dialogue with Tehran by highlighting the persistent gap between Iran’s diplomacy and its military conduct.
Gulf security has become a daily test of the region’s ability to adapt to a turbulent regional order—one in which military power intersects with maritime corridors, American calculations with the concerns of Gulf states, and Iranian ambitions with global trade considerations.