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.
Donald Trump has spent his political career insisting he is the consummate dealmaker. But as his administration gropes for a negotiated exit from a war of its own making, it faces a problem no amount of bluster can solve.
The conflict may be on hold, but the economic cost continues to accumulate. For the Gulf states, the uneven distribution of those costs makes collective action all the more difficult.
The Gulf states face several questions and dilemmas over their post-Iran war security environment. A reassessment of their defense-industrial policies is in order.