The Gulf Cooperation Council
This backgrounder provides an overview of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a regional political and economic alliance comprising six states in the Arabian Peninsula: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
A Strategic Conundrum: Pakistan’s Transit Corridor to Iran as Lifeline or Liability
The US-Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz — disruptive to global trade and energy flows, and devastating for debt-burdened economies — has handed Pakistan an unexpected geoeconomic opportunity, one that may persist even if the framework agreement announced on June 14 results in a lasting peace and permanent reopening of the strait. But seizing it will have interlocking consequences for Islamabad’s ties with Tehran, Washington, and the Gulf states.
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Activist on Hunger Strike Writes Her Will from Iran’s Evin Prison
Hengameh Shahidi, a reformist political activist on hunger strike in Tehran’s Evin Prison, has written a will, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) reports. “Hengameh called me today (Saturday, April 1) and she was in very bad shape,” Nahid Kermanshahi, Shahidi’s mother told CHRI. “She has chest pains and doesn’t have the strength to walk…She said she had handed her will to the interrogator.” In the two-page letter, Shahidi has said that if she dies in the jail, President Hassan Rouhani, Intelligence Ministry and the Judiciary should be held to account.
The Yemen Conflict in Perspective: Geopolitical and Humanitarian Challenges
Authorities in Iran Arrest Five Members of Baha’i Minority
Simin Fahandej, the spokesman of the Baha’i International Community, has told Radio Farda that Iranian authorities have arrested five members of the Baha’i community in the Iranian province of Isfahan.
Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Forces Pressure Baghdad to "Expel" U.S. Forces from Mosul
A spokesman of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) has called on the United States and its allies to withdraw their forces from Mosul.
Iran and Turkey Pose Problems for Trump in Syria
This piece was co-authored by Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Read the full article on Lawfare.
Iran Rejects Arab Leaders’ Call for Dialogue on Disputed Islands
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has rejected a request by Arab leaders to negotiate with the United Arab Emirates for a peaceful settlement to the three disputed islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa.
Iran’s Defense Minister Calls on U.S. Naval Forces to Leave Gulf Region
Iran’s Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan on Thursday depicted the U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf as armed intruders and called on Washington to leave the region. “What are the Americans doing in the Persian Gulf?
Moroccan Officials Accuse Iran of Spreading Shiism in the Sunni Kingdom
Moroccan officials have reportedly accused Iran of undermining sectarian harmony in the North African country. According to al-Quds al-Araby, Iran is pushing a “Shiite agenda” by recruiting thousands of young Moroccans in cities such as Hasima, which, according to the news outlet, has witnessed several anti-government protests in recent months.
U.S.-Gulf Relations in the Age of Trump: The End of the Trust Deficit?
Summary
Iran-Backed Militia Group Calls for Collective Action to Reclaim Golan Heights, Destroy Israel
Over the past six years, Iran has played a key role in propping up the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, by sending Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (I.R.G.C.) military personnel as well as recruiting, funding, training and leading an extensive network of Iraqi, Lebanese, Pakistani and Afghan Shiite militia forces.
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The oldest peer-reviewed publication dedicated to the study of the modern Middle East, MEI’s flagship journal covers politics, society, and culture in the region.