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.
Understandings between Washington and Tehran, in the form currently on the table, are unlikely to resolve the underlying tensions or bring stability to the region.
A landmark civilian nuclear cooperation deal between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia represents one of the most significant strategic shifts in the Middle East in years, with implications well beyond the construction of reactors or the transfer of advanced technologies. The agreement could reshape the rules of the nuclear game across the entire region.
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.