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.
The Trump administration says it will redirect $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets to compensate Gulf states for war damage—but the legal authority to do it does not exist, and the assets it's counting on sit beyond Washington's reach.
As artificial intelligence increasingly reshapes how influence and political power are exercised, the question facing Gulf states is no longer whether to embrace AI, but how to preserve technological sovereignty within an emerging algorithmic order.
The U.S. military architecture in the Gulf has long provided mutual benefits for both sides. Yet the war in Iran is leading Gulf states to question their assumptions.