sean foley

Professor Middle East/Islamic history @MTSU and non-resident fellow @GulfStatesInst. Author "Changing Saudi Arabia: Art, Culture, and Society in the Kingdom."

[sean foley @foleyse]

Hot off the press! My new book from @RiennerPub on #Saudi Arabia’s #art movement and social and cultural change in the Kingdom: “Changing Saudi Arabia: Art, Culture, and Society in the Kingdom.” Order now for a limited time at half off: https://t.co/1whqyJF017 #Saudiart

[Bob Elder @southernphd]

I never met Gordon Wood, but I have a story about him.

In one of my grad school seminars, we read Wood’s Creation of the American Republic. The sheer erudition and evidentiary depth of the book bowled me over.

Back then, before kids and before life accelerated to warp speed, I used to call my mother every Sunday to catch up. Lots of times, we ended up talking about what I was reading that week in my grad seminars or for leisure. Mom had an omnivorous mind, and she was always looking for something else to read. She was a true intellectual—curious about almost everything, always eager to integrate new arguments or ideas into her existing schemas of how the world worked or to have those schemas challenged and changed.

When we talked that particular Sunday, I think I tried to describe to her part of Wood’s argument about the relationship between the state constitutions during the Articles of Confederation era and the federal Constitution. Maybe I was tired, maybe I didn’t completely understand her questions, but the end result of the conversation was that Mom had questions about Wood’s argument that I didn’t answer satisfactorily. I told her that she should probably just read the book, and we said goodbye.

She did eventually read the book, but the next Sunday, Mom started our conversation by saying, “Well, I had a lovely conversation with Gordon Wood this week.” For a split second, I thought she was joking, but then I remembered who I was dealing with. I started to sweat. “How?” I asked. A whole variety of unlikely scenarios in which the foremost historian of the American Revolution and my mother, who lived in Wichita, Kansas, might have met ran through my mind. “Oh, I just looked up his office phone number on Brown’s website and called, and he picked up!” Mom said. I decided I would have to find another profession.

As it ended up, Gordon Wood spent about an hour on the phone with my mother answering her questions about the Constitution. Ever since, I’ve had a soft spot for the man when I imagine him picking up the phone in Providence and finding Becky Elder from Wichita on the other end of the line. His generosity in that moment spoke very well of him.

Rest in peace, professor.

[Financial Times @FT]

Tech sell-off widens as South Korea plunges https://t.co/RPJu5atQPX

[Babak Vahdad @BabakVahdad]

Qatar has issued a NOTAM redirecting flights away from its airspace and providing alternative routes for aircraft departing from Doha and airports in Saudi Arabia.

- The notice is valid from June 7 to June 14 and comes amid heightened regional tensions, making the move particularly noteworthy.

Via Iranian channels

#Qatar #Gulf #MiddleEast

[Jamie Freed @Jamie_Freed]

Deferring jet orders over Iran war would be costly for Middle Eastern carriers, IATA VP says https://t.co/fuy1DETdVD

[جمال عبدالعزيز التميمي @Jamal_Atamimi]

#أرامكو_السعودية

[Stephen Stapczynski @SStapczynski]

Hormuz has been shut for over 3 months. Why isn’t oil $200?

🇺🇸 Record US exports
🇨🇳 Sharp/unexpected drop in Chinese demand
🛢️ Pre-war surplus and SPR releases
🗺️ Gulf producers reroute some supply

https://t.co/vf1pzRSr5V

[Al Arabiya English @AlArabiya_Eng]

Lebanon’s government has inaugurated the country’s second international airport which is expected to open to the public within weeks.

https://t.co/E0FpyAvMHM

[Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴‍☠️ @mercoglianos]

Iranian crude exports collapse under US naval blockade

▶️May exports fell 84% from April and were 87% below the average recorded between May 2025 and April 2026
▶️Iran has shifted to smaller tankers as VLCCs leaving its ports face a higher risk of interdiction by US forces
▶️The export slump has forced Iran to cut crude production by 800,000 bpd, or 10% month on month, likely keeping exports constrained in the near term
▶️Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline throughput has been increasing with rising production but constraints at Yanbu is limiting exports

https://t.co/wCL36ThF7v

[Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴‍☠️ @mercoglianos]

Container peak season arrives early as freight rates skyrocket

Drewry’s World Container Index jumps 23% in one week driven by Transpacific and Asia – Europe

https://t.co/L1HlK3LYwh

[𓂆 אריאל Ariel𓃠 @AreelUS]

Following the attack on Kuwait, inbound flights are rerouting to avoid local airspace. Authorities have activated emergency protocols to secure the airspace, and passengers should check with airlines for updates. #Israel #Iran #Kuwait #USA #IranWar‌

[Chris Gordon @ByChrisGordon]

NEW: The main U.S. air war command center in the Middle East suffered a direct hit soon after the war with Iran began and was severely damaged, sources tell Air & Space Forces Magazine. The Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar was hit by Iranian missiles. A secondary facility in South Carolina filled the gap. https://t.co/S1fqF1e2DW

[Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish]

BREAKING: Oman has suspended crude oil loading at its key Mina Al Fahal terminal after an explosion near its offshore mooring berths. Reuters reports the blast was caused by a suspected drone attack, citing unnamed sources.

🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/t9czuGQqLE

[Craig Fuller 🛩🚛🚂⚓️ @FreightAlley]

Just getting started

[Emirates @emirates]

Our first Emirati female Captains have joined the ranks!

[Giovanni Staunovo🛢 @staunovo]

Worth to be listened comments from the Saudi energy minister from the St Petersburg International Economic Forum earlier today #oott

[Eric Nuttall @ericnuttall]

HRH Prince Abdulaziz, likely the most informed and plugged-in energy expert on the planet: “for me to be silent is a humble admission of the fact that I don’t know what will happen, not tomorrow but in half an hour time.” There is no playbook for what we are going through!

[Dr.Hotha🇸🇦د.هوذة @HothaAli]

The last time the FIFA World Cup was hosted in the United States 🇺🇸 (1994), Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 shocked the world by reaching the Round of 16 and producing one of the greatest goals in World Cup history. ⚽🔥

[Gregg Carlstrom @glcarlstrom]

A big reason why oil prices aren't much higher: a steep fall in Chinese demand.

"The amount of oil arriving in China by ship in the past 30 days has fallen to 7.5m b/d from about 13m b/d at this time last year."

"The reasons for the sudden drop in Chinese buying are unclear." https://t.co/ckYxJykkwm

[Middle East & Africa @FTMidEastAfrica]

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

[Javier Blas @JavierBlas]

Despite the fertilizer scare and they hype of an imminent food crisis / famine, the price of wheat, corn and soybean is today LOWER than it was on Feb. 27.

But there are two farming stories worth paying attention (and bullish): screwworm detected in Texas and a strong El Niño.