Saudi Arabia

By Kian Sharifi ( RFE/ RL ) – Iran and Saudi Arabia have been bitter rivals for decades, vying to lead competing branches of Islam and standing on opposing sides of conflicts in Syria and Yemen. But Tehran and Riyadh have taken major steps to de-escalate tensions and boost cooperation, a move that appeared unthinkable […]

Israel

Saudi Crown Prince condemns Israel attacks on Palestinians as ‘Genocide’

Middle East Monitor

( Middle East Monitor ) – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and de facto ruler condemned what he called the “genocide” committed by Israel against Palestinians during a speech at a summit of leaders of Muslim and Arab countries in Riyadh on Monday, Reuters reports. “The Kingdom renews its condemnation and categorical rejection of the genocide […]

Egypt

The Sphinx and the Sultan: How Biden’s Bear Hug of Netanyahu Caused Washington’s Near East Policy to Crash and Burn

Juan Cole

I’m reprinting here my most recent Tomdispatch essay for The Nation Institute, on the possible emergence of a centrist Sunni bloc that aims to offset Israeli power in the region. Check out, as well, Tom Engelhardt’s essential introduction, here. At least one thing is now obvious in the Middle East: the Biden administration has failed […]

Featured

Saudi Crown Prince fears Assassination if he Recognizes Israel without getting a Palestinian State

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Nahal Toosi at Politico reported on Wednesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has emphasized to the Biden administration that the “grand bargain” they want him to make with Israel could result in his assassination. She says he instanced the late Egyptian […]

Archaeology

Ancient Arabian “Standing Stone Circles” show a Complex and Thriving Society

The Conversation

By Jane McMahon, University of Sydney | – (The Conversation) – To date, little has been known about people living in north-western Saudi Arabia during the Neolithic – the period traditionally defined by the shift to humans controlling food production and settling into communities with agriculture and domesticated animals. The piecemeal evidence available hinted traditional […]

Human Rights

No Accountability for Saudi Crimes as US Mulls New Defense Pact

Human Rights Watch

By Nadia Hardman, Researcher, Refugee and Migrant Rights Division | – Joey Shea Researcher, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates ( Human Rights Watch ) – Less than a year after Human Rights Watch found Saudi border guards had committed widespread and systematic killings of Ethiopian migrants on its border with Yemen, the US […]

Climate Crisis

Climate Emergency strikes Islam’s Holy Ritual, with nearly 600 dead of Heat stroke at 124.24° F. in Mecca

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – As the temperature in Mecca reached 125.24° F. (51.8° C.) on Tuesday, word leaked out that nearly 600 pilgrims had died of heat stroke and 2,000 have been hospitalized for treatment. A virtual clinic treated more thousands remotely. Some 324 of the dead were Egyptians,, while dozens were from Jordan. […]

Iran

U.S. Seeks Shift In Iranian ‘Decision-Making Calculus’ Through Saudi-Israeli Normalization

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty

By Kian Sharifi ( RFE/RL) – The United States wants to force a gradual shift in Iran’s “decision-making calculus” by signing a defense deal with Saudi Arabia and securing the normalization of relations between Riyadh and Israel. “We continue to work with allies and partners to enhance their capabilities to deter and counter the threats […]

Algeria

The Middle East Ranks at the Bottom of Gallup’s Happiness Index, except for Rich Oil States; is the US to Blame?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The annual Gallup report on happiness by country came out this week. It is based on a three-year average of polling. What struck me in their report is how unhappy the Middle East is. The only Middle Eastern country in the top twenty is Kuwait (for the first time in […]