All Policy Analysis by Simon Henderson

Talks this week with the Saudi deputy crown prince are expected to cover current issues including Iran, "radical Islamic terrorism," Syria, and Yemen, as well as perspectives on the longer-term future of the Middle East.

News that Israel has begun exporting gas to Jordan indicates that commercial logic can prevail despite adverse political rhetoric.

Reports of Yemeni rebel mining activity are only the latest in a string of threats to international vessels transiting the narrow link between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean.

Paper Outlines Ways to Deepen Cooperation with Gulf States.... The Trump administration has an opportunity to reset, tighten, and maximize America's strategic relations with the Gulf states. For the United States, expanded security cooperation and coordination could be a force multiplier in campaigns to achieve key policy goals, such as

This week's apparent suicide strike on a Saudi warship highlighted the difficulty of protecting military vessels against small-boat attacks, as well as the ongoing struggle to break the stalemate in Yemen.

Recent statements out of Washington and Riyadh have inadvertently widened the differences between the two allies, hindering the incoming U.S. administration's options for resolving the Yemen conflict.

Saudi Arabia's reluctance to show weakness toward Iran likely means no real agreement will result from this week's OPEC meeting.

With most of the leaders of the conservative Arab Gulf states old or in poor health, abdication in favor of a younger generation may invigorate moribund hereditary leaderships, though a one-size-fits-all solution is not feasible.

The punishment of a single, almost irrelevant, prince is unlikely to change the world's view that Saudi royals are a law unto themselves.

Repartitioning Yemen into separate northern and southern entities may be the only way to resolve its brutal war and beat back its al-Qaeda franchise.

Speculation that the execution of a minor prince means greater accountability in Saudi Arabia is almost certainly misplaced.

The House of Saud is probably not headed for a serious crash, but its growing domestic tensions make a fender-bender increasingly likely.

In addition to meeting the kingdom's urgent energy needs, the new natural gas deal should facilitate long-delayed efforts to develop Israel's offshore Leviathan field.

Relations between Riyadh and Tehran are in a downward spiral, raising the urgent need for a U.S. and international response.

The surprise visit may have been intended to shore up various aspects of the Saudi-Pakistani defense relationship, perhaps including their suspected arrangement regarding access to nuclear weapons.

Three experts discuss U.S. priorities in the Middle East, the potential upsides and downsides of increased American energy independence, and the consequences of low prices for various oil-producing states.

Thanks to technical innovation, and despite oil price fluctuations, the United States is producing more of its own oil and using relatively less. With this decreased dependence on imported energy, the grave danger is that perceived U.S. indifference to Middle East developments could worry allies and embolden hostile forces. In