The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven principalities (emirates) celebrating its 50th anniversary, experienced no unrest during the “Arab Spring” uprisings of 2011. Yet, de-facto UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the federal capital| The Soufan Center
On July 2, Lebanese Hezbollah – an avowed opponent of Israel – flew three Iran-made unarmed drones toward the Karish offshore gas field, located in disputed waters between Israel and Lebanon. Israeli defense officials claimed that one of the drones was shot down by an Israeli Air Force F-16| The Soufan Center
In late October, Iran’s new government formally agreed to return to talks on a restoration of the 2015 multilateral Iran nuclear deal. The new round that will begin on November 29 follows several months of uncertainty about whether the talks would continue| 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
In recent years, Iran has poured substantial resources into the development of increasingly sophisticated armed unmanned aerial systems (UAS, or “drones”) as a force multiplier for its national security strategy| The Soufan Center