Qatar: How Gulf–Iran Arrangements Are Redrawing the Rules of Undeclared Deterrence
Press reports indicated that Qatar offered Iran a “secret deal” before the outbreak of the Islamic Republic’s war with the United States and Israel, under which it would halt gas…
The Houthi–Shabaab Entanglement and Red Sea Security
The growing coordination between al-Shabaab and the Houthis represents an additional dimension that troubles Washington, because it links two distinct yet strategically connected theaters: the Horn of Africa and the…
Al-Shabaab and the Fragility of the Somali State
Somalia’s current political crisis goes beyond the familiar bounds of constitutional deadlock and electoral paralysis, intersecting instead with a moment in which al-Shabaab’s influence is rising and the dispute between…
U.S. Sanctions on the Sudanese Army’s Procurement Network
On June 26, 2026, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on eight individuals and entities tied to procurement and recruitment networks fueling the civil…
Assab, Cairo, and Addis Ababa: The New Contest in the Horn
The hottest axis is the Egyptian–Eritrean rapprochement facing off against Ethiopia. On June 10, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty met his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh in Cairo, with Egypt…
Riyadh’s Syrian Bet: Security and Influence After the War
Overview: Saudi Arabia leads the field of countries pushing hardest to invest in Syria, in line with its Vision 2030 economic agenda and its drive to widen its regional footprint…
Horn of Africa & the Red Sea Somaliland in Jerusalem
The News Israeli President Isaac Herzog received Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (“Cirro”) at the presidential residence in Jerusalem on Sunday, June 14, 2026 — the first state visit by…
The Trajectory of Sudan’s War After El Obeid
The News El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan State, is experiencing the most intense wave of aerial bombardment since the war began. At least 23 civilians were killed and 19…
Saudi–Russian Cooperation: Economic Opportunities and Geopolitical Challenges
Overview: The chairman of the Saudi–Russian Business Council, Tariq al-Qahtani, announced on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Riyadh and Moscow are seeking to deepen their…
Foreign Money, Stolen Elections: Sarkozy’s Libya Financing Case Heads Toward a Historic Verdict
The Story Closing arguments concluded in Paris on Wednesday in the appeal trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on charges of receiving illegal Libyan financing for his 2007 presidential…