Newsletter: Gulf Oman's Hormuz moment As US and Iranian negotiators continue technical discussions in Doha on implementing last month’s memorandum of understanding, Oman is emerging as Tehran’s principal Gulf counterpart on the future governance of the Strait of Hormuz By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Trump earns $810M from UAE-backed crypto firm: What to know According to the disclosure, Trump earned $810 million from crypto token sales and sales of interests in UAE-backed World Liberty Financial. United Arab Emirates
Newsletter: FutureVerse No ceasefire in cyberspace The number of Iranian cyberattacks against Israel reached around 4,800 hostile incidents in June, compared to roughly 1,600 in June 2025, according to a senior Israeli cybersecurity official. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says Iran, US to meet in Doha Tuesday Lebanon’s Berri criticizes US-brokered Lebanon-Israel deal; Turkey slams Israel's recognition of Armenian genocide; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Why the UAE wants Indian missiles and a deeper strategic partnership By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Explainer Gulf states push incentives for investors, expats after war dents image United Arab Emirates
Newsletter: Gulf The UAE’s India bet is getting bigger By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Meet the likely successor of Islamic State’s Baghdadi After IS spokesman and second-in-command Abu Mohamed al-Adnani was killed in an airstrike last month, there are indications that Bahraini citizen Turki al-Binali may replace him. Saudi Arabia
Will failed coup push Erdogan toward Iran, Russia? The foiled coup in Turkey could lay the groundwork for closer ties with Russia and Iran, resulting in a Turkish turnabout in Syria. Saudi Arabia
What is the real challenge for Yemen's Hadrami Elite forces? After Yemeni government forces took over Hadramaut governorate, which was under the AQAP’s control, the Hadrami Elite’s main challenge is to keep the Islamic State away from the governorate. Saudi Arabia
UAE faces off against Palestinian Authority, again The latent crisis between the UAE and the Palestinian Authority emerged again recently, after an article was published quoting an Emirati leader who described the PA as a failed and a corrupt entity. United Arab Emirates
What Bahrain’s opposition crackdown means for country’s Brotherhood Manama’s exclusion of popular political groups from Bahrain’s political scene, accompanied by a wide crackdown on opposition figures, could lead to militancy gaining broader power and appeal in the Shiite opposition. Legacy: Gulf
Can Saudis ease Egypt-Qatar tension after Al Jazeera death sentences? Saudis want to bridge the divide between Qatar and Egypt so that its Sunni coalition can focus on Iran. Saudi Arabia
Is it Eid or not? Muslims take step toward resolving calendar dispute Religious representatives from Islamic countries agree to embrace a common calendar to overcome a long-standing conflict on the start of Ramadan, but their past record inspires little optimism for a genuine compromise. Saudi Arabia
Congress rolls out red carpet in Washington for jilted GCC The Senate is getting ready to extend diplomatic courtesies to the Gulf Cooperation Council as it prepares to open a Washington office. Legacy: Gulf
Will 'free financial center' lure foreign banks to Iran? Iranian authorities are weighing whether to launch a free financial center to encourage capital inflow into the economy. Legacy: Gulf
Erdogan, Davutoglu shed tears for Gaza, but do little else Turkey as well as the oil-rich Gulf states have still not fulfilled their pledges to help with the reconstruction and development of Gaza. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi-Iran rivalry spills into UN Human Rights Council While Iran was unhappy with the renewal of Ahmed Shaheed’s mandate as special rapporteur for Iran, it appears to be even more irritated over how Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar voted in favor of the measure at the UN Human Rights Council. Saudi Arabia