... term is intended to refer exclusively to Arab countries, then Iraq also has access to the Gulf, albeit through a relatively short coastline. In practical usage, however, the term “Gulf states” refers only to the six Arab countries of Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. This is geographically valid insofar as all six possess coastlines on the Gulf, yet it remains only a partial truth, because the term is more political than geographic. It reflects the convergence ...
... Strait of Hormuz, which has affected global oil prices.
It is already possible to assume what trends are highly likely to intensify in the near future for the Arab Gulf monarchies—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and, to a lesser extent, Oman.
Dmitriy Trenin:
Iran Prevails: Initial Assessments
Military Cooperation and the New Security Architecture
Primarily, the Arab monarchies can be expected to boost their efforts in diversifying military cooperation. It seems that these countries ...
Russia currently maintains closer relations with the Sultanate of Oman than ever before
In 2023–2024, relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Russian Federation saw major positive shifts. This period can be considered a breakthrough in collaboration between the two countries. It is evident that amid Russia’s ...
... general atmosphere in the GCC. In fact, Riyadh's attempts to become the primary power of the Islamic world have recently met serious opposition even within the Council, which the Saudi leaders had so far considered their own pet structure.
For instance, Oman has been actively reinforcing its ties with Iran. Since 2011, it has conducted
joint naval training
with the Iranian fleet. Moreover, Muscat refused to back Saudi Arabia’s campaign against Saleh and the Houthis in Yemen, instead deciding to take ...
