France’s Macron first Western leader to visit Saudi Arabia since Houthi escalation French President Emmanuel Macron met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a surprise stop in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Yemen displacement tops 250K as Houthis tighten siege on Taiz: What to know The Houthis are looking to completely seize Taiz city, with clashes escalating in other parts of the south as well. Yemen
Qatar PM in Beirut as Lebanon seeks economic relief: What to know Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani’s visit to Beirut coincides with the Lebanese authorities’ ongoing efforts to curb Hezbollah’s influence in the country. Lebanon
Iraq’s Zaidi, Saudi crown prince discuss security as Houthi attacks escalate Iraq has moved to improve ties with Saudi Arabia after Iran-backed militias struck the kingdom and amid the conflict with the Houthis in Yemen. Iraq
Analysis Who are Yemen's Southern Giants Brigades leading the fight against the Houthis? By Giorgio Cafiero
Is it time for a historic paradigm shift in the Persian Gulf? Could this be the moment for the countries in the Gulf region to realize they have a lot in common and take steps to reduce conflict? Legacy: Gulf
Putin's visit draws UAE, Russia closer The UAE's welcoming ceremony for Putin outperformed that of the Saudis but this is not the only reason why the Russian president left Abu Dhabi happy. Legacy: Gulf
Bahrain would welcome 'new JCPOA' if Iran ends 'toxic' behavior In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the foreign minister of Bahrain, says his country is "not shy" about working with the United States to support peace and prosperity in the region. Saudi Arabia
Qatar seeks increasing development projects in Africa Qatar is increasing its investments and aid to Somalia, with plans to expand more in West Africa in the future. Saudi Arabia
Putin’s Gulf security plan depends on Trump The Russian president plans to roll out his regional initiative to calm Gulf tensions next month — but are the United States and the EU ready to let Putin step up in the Gulf? Saudi Arabia
Kuwait charts new path in changing region Kuwait is carefully positioning itself among its Gulf neighbors as a regional trading hub looking to enter the Chinese and Asian markets, while maintaining its regional relationships and alliance with the West. Legacy: Gulf
Is Qatar still Turkey’s foul-weather friend? Qatar’s friendship is being called into question in Turkey amid disappointment over Doha’s pledges of economic support and signs that Qatari investors are pulling out of the country. Qatar
Who will benefit from Qatar’s asylum law? Although Qatari-Egyptian ties have been strained since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi, Qatar’s asylum law was followed with a ministerial decision that would not only protect Egyptian fugitives, but also ease their financial burden. Qatar
Interview Yemen war 'does not serve any party' says Oman’s ambassador to US Omani ambassador to Washington Hunaina Al-Mughairy spoke to Al-Monitor about US-Omani ties, her country's stance on Yemen, Mideast peace and the latest Washington-Tehran tensions.
Qatar’s first elections since 2017 reveal unexpected impact of GCC crisis Turnout in the Qatari municipal elections has declined, suggesting a Qatari citizenry that is slightly less engaged in the formal political process in the wake of the GCC crisis. Saudi Arabia
Interview Qatar says divisions within GCC have become ‘lose-lose’ situation for the region Qatari spokesperson says the split among the Gulf states compromises the security of the region and that thousands of families are already paying a price.
How did Lavrov do on his Gulf tour? During his tour of the Gulf, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov treaded carefully around politics, opting to speak publicly about a safer topic, economics. Legacy: Gulf
