MENA Strategic Bulletin – Spending to stand still under Saudi Vision 2030 - Azure Strategy The impact of the US–Israeli conflict with Iran on Saudi Arabia’s economy is best understood as an intensification of pre-existing constraints.

This week we look at the impact of the US-Israeli war against Iran on #SaudiArabia 👇

azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

MENA Strategic Bulletin – Iran drills, diplomatic deadlines and global energy risk - Azure Strategy Despite the timing of recent Iranian naval drills, the drivers of the US-Iran confrontation remain unchanged, with oil being secondary in the dispute.

This week, we examine what escalation in the Gulf would mean for the Strait of Hormuz, and why oil markets remain the primary transmission channel through which regional tensions would affect the global economy. Read in full 👇 azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

MENA Strategic Bulletin – What does the addition of a second aircraft carrier say about US strategy towards Iran? - Azure Strategy The deployment of the USS Gerald Ford to the region signals the US is serious about striking Iran.

🇺🇸 🇮🇷 With one-third of the US Navy’s active fleet now positioned around Iran, is a strike imminent?

David Des Roches argues that talks may be continuing, but the scale of the deployment suggests preparation for eventual action rather than diplomatic optimism 👇 azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

MENA Strategic Bulletin – Iran unrest intensifies and regional escalation risks grow; Jordan regains relevance in Washington - Azure Strategy Iran unrest intensifies as regional escalation risks grow; Jordan regains relevance in Washington

❗This week’s MENA Bulletin:

🇮🇷 Protests intensify across Iran amid heightened US-Iran tensions.

🇯🇴 Jordan deepens security cooperation with Washington, reinforcing its regional role.

Read the full Bulletin for analysis of the implications and what to watch next.👇
azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

MENA Strategic Bulletin – UAE and Qatar signal new LNG push as EU moves to tighten sustainability regulations - Azure Strategy Gulf producers UAE and Qatar expand LNG capacity and step up energy diplomacy as the EU tightens sustainability rules.

In today's MENA Bulletin – examine new Gulf plans to expand LNG export capacity amid concerns over future supply, and assess what recent changes to the EU's sustainability framework – including the CSDDD and CBAM – mean for Gulf LNG exporters and European buyers.

azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

MENA Strategic Bulletin – Israeli attacks on Lebanon endanger ceasefire; Washington pushes Morocco-Algeria rapprochement - Azure Strategy Israeli attacks on Lebanon and lack of disarmament progress endanger ceasefire; Washington pushes Morocco-Algeria rapprochement

This week’s MENA Strategic Bulletin analyses:

👉 Lebanon–Israel escalation and the implications for the disarmament roadmap and state authority.

👉 The prospects – and limits – of a US-brokered Morocco–Algeria accord.

Check it out: azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

#MENA #Geopolitics #diplomacy

MENA Strategic Bulletin – oil flows from the KRG to Turkiye resume; Washington and Ankara reset bilateral ties - Azure Strategy Landmark restart of KRG–Turkiye oil exports coincides with a Trump–Erdogan summit underscoring closer policy alignment.

KRG–Turkiye oil exports resume after 2+ years in a landmark deal, while Trump–Erdogan talks in DC signal growing policy convergence – but defence rifts still loom. Read our MENA Bulletin in full here: azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

#MENA #US #Turkiye #Iraq

MENA Strategic Bulletin – Israel escalates in Doha and Gaza - Azure Strategy Israel has launched a direct missile strike on Qatari territory, torpedoing hopes for a diplomatic solution to ending the war in Gaza.

#Israel’s strike on hashtag #Qatar effectively torpedos hopes for a diplomatic solution to ending the war in #Gaza azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

The business of defence in Saudi Arabia - Azure Strategy As global insecurity rises, Saudi Arabia is accelerating efforts to localise defence production. Progress has been impressive but the road ahead is complex.

🏭 Saudi Arabia has made big strides in localising defence production but critical hurdles remain – as highlighted by the recent leadership changes at GAMI reported by Gulf News. Find out more: azure-strategy.com/the-business... #DefenceIndustry #SaudiArabia #Vision2030 #Geopolitics

MENA Strategic Bulletin - Azure Strategy Israeli cabinet votes to support West Bank annexation, signalling that a takeover of the territory is now active political agenda.

📣 Israeli cabinet votes to support West Bank annexation

Analyst Kanz Majdalawi looks at what implementation would look like, and the potential knock-on effects for the region. Read in full: 👇

azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

#Israel #WestBank #Palestine #MENA #PoliticalRisk #StrategicInsight

📣 Druze, Syrian and Israeli forces clash in week of deadly fighting. As clashes continue in Suwayda, we analyse a crucial week for post-Assad Syria.https://azure-strategy.com/mena-strategic-bulletin-21/

The Houthis: A force the world cannot ignore - Azure Strategy Yemen’s Houthis have resumed attacks on Red Sea shipping, demonstrating they remain a force the world cannot ignore

#Yemen's #Houthis have transformed from a domestic insurgency into an independent and rising force – with regional and global reach. To find out what that means and what to expect, click the link: azure-strategy.com/yemens-houth...

#MaritimeSecurity #MENAGeopolitics #MiddleEast #RedSea

MENA Strategic Bulletin - Azure Strategy UK restores ties with Syria, marking the latest milestone in the new government’s mission to return to the international stage.

📣 UK restores ties with Syria as Sharaa faces Israel dilemma

As Syria’s return to international diplomacy continues, managing relations with Israel will be crucial.

Full analysis here: azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

MENA Strategic Bulletin - Azure Strategy Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Washington for crucial meetings with President Donald Trump and senior US officials.

📣 Gaza hostages deal tops agenda for Netanyahu US visit

In this week’s MENA Strategic Bulletin, Kanz Majdalawi looks at the permutations of a critical meeting in Washington.

azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

MENA Strategic Bulletin –Special Edition: Israel–Iran - Azure Strategy Israel's pre-emptive strike on Iran has decapitated the Iranian command structure and sent shockwaves around the region.

📣 Israel’s decision to launch a campaign against Iran has set off a series of consequences that are shaking up the region and beyond. Read the full analysis here: azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...
#Israel #Iran #MENA #Geopolitics

Decision Makers: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - Azure Strategy A full leadership assessment of Erdoğan - including personality traits and beliefs, and how these inform his decision-making.

NEW: Leadership profile – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

👉 Low complexity, high control
👉 Loyalty rewarded, dissent punished
👉 Flexible tactics, rigid worldview

Read in full (free): azure-strategy.com/decision-mak...

We offer customised assessments. Contact us.

#LeadershipAnalysis #Erdoğan #Geopolitics

MENA Strategic Bulletin - Azure Strategy Hamas is reviewing a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza, designed to bring a temporary halt to hostilities.

📣With international discontent for Israel’s actions increasingly vocal, few are under the illusion that the US’s 60-day Gaza truce proposal will pave a path to lasting peace.

Read the full analysis here: azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

#Gaza #Ceasefire #Israel #Syria

Cyprus’s 2026 EU presidency: a strategic opening for Middle Eastern diplomacy - Azure Strategy Cyprus’s 2026 EU presidency is a strategic opening for Middle Eastern diplomacy

📌Cyprus’s 2026 EU presidency is a chance to refocus Brussels on the Levant.

In this piece, Neil Quilliam argues it could support ceasefires, back Lebanese sovereignty, and sustain the two-state solution.
🔗 azure-strategy.com/cyprus-2026-...
#EU2026 #ForeignPolicy #Cyprus #Levant

MENA Strategic Bulletin - Azure Strategy Threat of Israeli strike raises stakes for stalling US-Iran talks

📣 News this week that Israel may carry out airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in the event of a no-deal between the US and Iran has put the region on high alert.
Read the full analysis here: azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...
#US #Iran #Israel #NuclearTalks

The cost of control: Amman risks the stability it aims to protect - Azure Strategy Government crackdowns on political opposition and public dissent are increasing the risk of instability in Jordan

📌Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood ban risks deepening the very instability it seeks to prevent. What happens next?
👇👇👇

azure-strategy.com/crackdowns-o...

The cost of control: Amman risks the stability it aims to protect - Azure Strategy Government crackdowns on political opposition and public dissent are increasing the risk of instability in Jordan

azure-strategy.com/crackdowns-o...

MENA Strategic Bulletin – Special Edition - Azure Strategy Trump’s short Gulf visit may have far-reaching effects as a series of announcements and deals reveals a reshaped vision for the Middle East

📣Trump’s Gulf visit reveals reshaped vision for the Middle East

Kanz Majdalawi unpacks the many potential implications of US President Trump’s short (and typically bombastic) visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE 👇 azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

#Trump #MENA #GCC #Israel #Syria

MENA Strategic Bulletin - Azure Strategy Yemen’s Houthi movement has pledged to continue attacks against Israel despite its newly inked ceasefire with the US.

📣 Red Sea Deal Delivers Only a Partial Peace

With Tel Aviv stepping up airstrikes on Yemen and the Houthis insisting Israeli targets are fair game, the deal is rapidly looking like a band-aid on a much deeper conflict.

Full story here: azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

MENA Strategic Bulletin - Azure Strategy Sectarian violence undermines efforts by Damascus to stabilise its economy and re-enter the diplomatic fold regionally and further afield

📣 Syria’s Rebuild under Threat

If the government hopes to lift international sanctions and re-enter the diplomatic fold, the pressure is on for it to contain sectarian violence and limit conflict with Israel.

Read the full analysis here: azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

MENA Strategic Bulletin - Azure Strategy The outlawing of the Muslim Brotherhood marks a clean break with political orthodoxy in Jordan.

Playing with fire? Jordan bans the Muslim Brotherhood. Read Kanz Majdalawi’s full analysis in our latest MENA Strategic Bulletin, below: azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...

@chathamhouse.org @chmenap.bsky.social @al-jazeera-english.bsky.social

🔍 US President Donald Trump is reshaping the global order. Understanding his personality, decision-making style, and behavioural traits is essential for anticipating what comes next: azure-strategy.com/decision-mak...

@al-jazeera-english.bsky.social @economist.com @nytimes.com @bloomberg.com

🔎 Inside the mind of Houthi leader Abdul-Malik

What drives Yemen’s most influential insurgent leader – and what does it mean for regional security?

📌 Authoritarian by instinct
📌 Paranoid strategist
📌 Rigidly ideological

🔗 Full assessment available: azure-strategy.com/decision-mak...

📢 US–Iran talks: an unlikely deal in Muscat?

The opening of talks between US and Iranian officials presents intriguing opportunities for both sides. Ultimately, it will come down to whether these motivations are enough to outweigh considerable mutual distrust. azure-strategy.com/mena-strateg...