Dr. Theodore Karasik is a senior adviser to Gulf State Analytics in Washington, D.C. He is a former RAND Corporation Senior Political Scientist who lived in the UAE for 10 years, focusing on security issues.
The Trump administration’s international summit for security and stability in the Middle East, which is due to be held in Warsaw, Poland, next month is making waves. For Warsaw, the US announcement is filled with implications for its position in the Middle East, as well as its role in Europe.
The yellow vest or “gilet jaune” is symbolic following weeks of widespread protests in France, with thousands taking to the streets while wearing the vests to protest fuel price hikes and low wages.
With Arab nations’ militaries working more closely together than ever before and the political situation ripe, speculation abounds that we will witness the birth of the so-called “Arab NATO” this month.
America’s second stage sanctions will come into effect on Monday, prohibiting transactions with Iran’s ports and shipping companies; the purchase of petroleum and petrochemical products from Iran.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir this week visited Cuba for two days. His visit should not come as a surprise, as Riyadh’s policy toward Havana and the wider Caribbean Basin has followed a new line of thinking.