InStrat

An independent, multidisciplinary knowledge platform focused on the Gulf region and its context in global affairs.

[Lara Korte @lara_korte]

CENTCOM has released this photo of an F-16 refueling in an "undisclosed location."

[InStrat @InStrat4d]

June 5, 2017: On this day 9 years ago, a quartet of Arab countries, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar, the start of a serious regional spat that led into a 3.5 year physical blockade. 🇶🇦

[Responsible Statecraft @RStatecraft]

The Trump administration is reading Oman’s posture as sympathy for Iran, but this is a fundamental misunderstanding of how the sultanate has always operated, argues Elfadil Ibrahim

https://t.co/gQHIcoo4vO

[Crisis Group @CrisisGroup]

🧵The world urgently needs the Strait of Hormuz to reopen as negotiations to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran remain clouded in uncertainty.

We unpack the serious economic repercussions the blockade is having around the planet. ⬇️

https://t.co/jE8dMTWzqb

[Middle East Council on Global Affairs @ME_Council]

The Gulf states face the U.S.-Israel-Iran war from very different fiscal positions. Foreign exchange reserves range from 15 months of import coverage in Saudi Arabia to just one month in Bahrain. Fiscal breakeven oil prices span from $44/barrel in Qatar to $137/barrel in Bahrain. And while the region's sovereign wealth funds are estimated at up to $6 trillion, fund size does not always translate into accessible liquidity in a crisis.

Our latest situation assessment, 'Gulf Sovereign Wealth Funds and the Cost of Crisis Resilience,' analyzes the fiscal indicators underpinning GCC economic resilience and examines the structural trade-offs these states face as the conflict continues.

Read the full publication: https://t.co/2tJJF0PdZ6

[Financial Times @FT]

Gulf states in talks for oil pipelines to bypass Hormuz https://t.co/lniJHoLZT3

[Middle East & Africa @FTMidEastAfrica]

Saudi wealth fund replaces foreign CEOs with locals https://t.co/at9xTEH3Tp

[IISS News @IISS_org]

The Gulf states have accelerated their search for new air-defence systems after suffering from thousands of Iranian missile and UAV attacks.

South Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States are among those countries that have been approached by Gulf states interested in near-term acquisitions, which include interceptor missiles, interceptor UAVs, point-defence systems, radar and surface-to-air missile systems.

➡️ Read the full analysis by @albert_vidal_: https://t.co/Wu0TiYr1oo

[abdullah baabood عبدالله باعبود @abaabood]

رغم أن دول الخليج أكدت مراراً أنها ليست طرفاً في الحرب على إيران، فإنها لا تزال تتعرض لاعتداءات تمس سيادتها وأمنها واستقرارها وتهديدات مرفوضة ومدانة. نسأل الله أن يحفظ أهلنا في الكويت والبحرين وجميع دول الخليج، وأن يجنب المنطقة المزيد من التصعيد والمعاناة.

[Nazih Osseiran @NazihOsseiran]

Saudi Arabia's Port of NEOM is marketing itself as an alternative trade route for Gulf importers following Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping data suggests such workarounds remain niche, offering speed for select cargo rather than a fix for wider supply chain disruptions

https://t.co/xblX3x0Kt8

With @SarahSafty and @timourazhari

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

The U.S. increasingly sees Oman’s neutral approach toward Tehran as hostile and has pressed it to pick a side and cut diplomatic ties with Iran https://t.co/xMt8mjSgNU

[Gulf Times @GulfTimes_QATAR]

#Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday strongly condemned the repeated #Iranian attacks, describing them as a dangerous #escalation and a direct threat to the country's security and stability.

The ministry warned that the #attacks endanger civilians and vital infrastructure, undermine de-escalation efforts, and threaten regional security.

It also revealed that a Kuwait #Airways passenger #aircraft preparing to land was directed to leave Kuwaiti airspace and enter a holding pattern outside the country as a precautionary measure.

According to flight-tracking data from @flightradar24 , the aircraft was forced to alter its approach amid the heightened security situation.

[Bloomberg @business]

Qatar opposes permanent legal fees for transit through the Strait of Hormuz, but a temporary toll is negotiable and could help restore normal passage through the key waterway, a top official said https://t.co/b5Yupn3dpa

[Deccan Herald @DeccanHerald]

PSG: How Qatar's soft power turned Paris Saint-Germain into European kings https://t.co/1sPJxSuivH

[The Peninsula Qatar @PeninsulaQatar]

Moments from the Qatari national team’s delegation as they depart for the United States to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

[ME24 - Middle East 24 @MiddleEast_24]

🇸🇦 Al-Ittihad Renew Pursuit of “Egyptian King” Mohamed Salah With Huge Saudi Offer

Al-Ittihad Club has reportedly reignited its attempt to sign Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah, according to Italian media reports, in a bid to bring him to the Saudi Pro League.

The move, described as one of the most anticipated potential transfers of the summer window, comes as Salah’s long-term future at Liverpool F.C. continues to draw speculation.

Italian outlet Sport Italia, via journalist Gianluigi Longari, reported that Al-Ittihad has reopened communication with Salah’s camp and placed a significant financial offer on the table, hoping to convince the Egyptian captain that the time is right for a new chapter in Saudi football.

[Arab Center Washington DC @ArabCenterDC]

📄 Although geography and energy infrastructure have buffered #SaudiArabia from the worst effects of the #Hormuz closure, prolonged disruption will sharpen economic pressures. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen argues that the #Iran war has only confirmed #Riyadh’s prewar turn toward fiscal realism and its more targeted Vision 2030 investment.
Read more 👇

https://t.co/3vLX0OtpsX

[Gulf Int'l Forum @GulfIntlForum]

"For both #Iran and the #GCC states, the war has clarified that #BRICS+ is less a platform for unified geopolitical action than a mechanism for strategic diversification."

Read the new article from @LucianoZaccara here: https://t.co/Fg0s4Dzgnt

[Rest of World @restofworld]

The UAE’s post-OPEC oil boom has an unexpected byproduct: a massive surge in natural gas that will help power electricity-hungry AI data centers https://t.co/kEEsWZ45Uc

[Bloomberg @business]

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is reaping unexpected wins from the Iran war, from an oil windfall to fresh momentum for Saudi Arabia’s logistics ambitions https://t.co/A0zkKbl0Ee