An emergency summit of the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened in Doha yesterday to discuss a response to the Israeli strikes last week targeting Hamas leadership. Arab and Islamic leaders gathered to express solidarity with Qatar, denounce the Israeli attack, and warn that such actions risk upending regional stability and efforts […]| The Soufan Center
Israel’s failed attempt to decapitate Hamas’ political leadership on Tuesday has called into question many of the assumptions Arab Gulf states and other regional leaders have held for decades. Since the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the Gulf states have relied on a U.S.| The Soufan Center
Israel launched airstrikes targeting a Hamas senior leadership meeting in Qatar’s capital, Doha, yesterday. Eyewitnesses reported multiple blasts in the West Bay Lagoon area in Doha, an area popular with tourists and home to many foreign embassies, schools, supermarkets, and residential compounds. Footage released afterward showed massive explosions, with smoke towering above the city as […]| The Soufan Center
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited President Donald Trump at the White House yesterday, with the meeting focusing on a range of issues, including the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, what a “victory” over Hamas would look like, and the necessity of continuing to counter Iran, among other topics. Also on the agenda between Trump […]| The Soufan Center
In an effort to convince Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, the United States is reportedly prepared to grant the kingdom major security guarantees enjoyed by only a select few U.S. allies outside of NATO.| The Soufan Center
Israel’s ongoing offensive against Hamas in Gaza has thus far defied U.S. and regional diplomatic efforts to wind down the conflict through a ceasefire accompanied by Hamas’ release of remaining Israeli hostages.| The Soufan Center
As a consequence of early November national elections, and after five elections in less than four years, Israel appears set to have the first stable government in several years. The elections have produced an unlikely comeback for Binyamin Netanyahu, who has been Prime Minister of Israel| The Soufan Center
In September 2023, U.S. National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan submitted an article for publication in Foreign Affairs magazine, arguing the Middle East region “was quieter than it has been for decades.” A few weeks later, Hamas’ incursion into Israel and its subsequent permutations have upended virtually all the assumptions and assessments that factored into […]| The Soufan Center
On March 10, high-ranking Iranian and Saudi national security officials signed an agreement in Beijing to restore full diplomatic relations. They will return their respective ambassadors within two months, as well as resume abiding by long-dormant but preexisting agreements on security| The Soufan Center
The Arab states of the Persian Gulf have all been key U.S. security partners since U.S. officials mobilized regional and global allies to launch a military campaign to reverse Iraq’s 1990 invasion and occupation of Kuwait. In the years since, and particularly following the U.S.-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq in 2003, Iran […]| The Soufan Center
The Sultanate of Oman, under the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said and led since early 2020 by Sultan Haythim bin Tariq Al Said, has historically sought to engage a wide range of leaders and factions to promote conflict resolution| The Soufan Center
