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1 week ago | 
arabcenterdc.org | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
As regional leaders gear up for President Donald Trump’s first politically substantive overseas visit in his second term in office—to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—the issue of Iran looms large, just as it did when he made Saudi Arabia the destination of his first foreign visit in his first term in May 2017.
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1 month ago | 
iranintl.com | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
If US President Donald Trump’s shock announcement in the Oval Office on Wednesday that his administration was due to hold talks with Iran this weekend was a surprise, the choice of Oman as host was not. For years, the Sultanate has supported diplomatic back-channels between the United States and Iran, and has built up a record as a credible intermediary trusted by both sides.
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1 month ago | 
iranintl.com | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
As conflict between Tehran and Washington escalates and war lowers over Middle Eastern horizons, "de-risking" has become a mantra in Arab capitals astride the Persian Gulf. Tensions between Iran and the United States have risen sharply since Donald Trump re-entered the Oval Office on 20 January, presenting multiple risks of escalation.
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2 months ago | 
juancole.com | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen |Juan Cole
By Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University(The Conversation) – Saudi Arabia is 2,000 miles from Ukraine and even more politically distant, so at first glance it might seem like it has nothing to do with the ongoing war there. But the Gulf state has emerged as a key intermediary in the most serious ceasefire negotiations since Russia invaded its neighbor three years ago.
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2 months ago | 
tolerance.ca | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
By Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East at the Baker Institute, Rice University
Perception as a neutral country has helped Gulf state position itself as a crucial diplomatic player in Ukraine-Russia war. It also serve’s kingdom’s self-interest. Read complete article© The Conversation
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2 months ago | 
sfgate.com | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
(THE CONVERSATION) Saudi Arabia is 2,000 miles from Ukraine and even more politically distant, so at first glance it might seem like it has nothing to do with the ongoing war there. But the Gulf state has emerged as a key intermediary in the most serious ceasefire negotiations since Russia invaded its neighbor three years ago. But why is a Gulf nation playing mediator in a conflict in Eastern Europe?
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2 months ago | 
theconversation.com | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Saudi Arabia is 2,000 miles from Ukraine and even more politically distant, so at first glance it might seem like it has nothing to do with the ongoing war there. But the Gulf state has emerged as a key intermediary in the most serious ceasefire negotiations since Russia invaded its neighbor three years ago. While it is U.S. officials who are undoubtedly leading the efforts for an agreement, it is the Saudi capital of Riyadh that has been staging the crucial talks.
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Feb 11, 2025 | 
arabcenterdc.org | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Donald Trump re-entered the White House on January 20 as the first president to serve a non-consecutive second term since Grover Cleveland in 1893. Any expectations that Trump II might have more message discipline and policy clarity than Trump I have been diminished by a chaotic opening period in office, with the not inconsiderable powerful role of the world’s richest person Elon Musk adding a new layer of unpredictability.
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Feb 3, 2025 | 
tortoisemedia.com | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Steve Witkoff was in Saudi Arabia on 28 January on his first visit to the region as US Middle East envoy since Donald Trump began his second term as US president. So what? His diary was packed. In addition to talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi officials reportedly facilitated a meeting with Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior advisor to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
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Nov 12, 2024 | 
arabcenterdc.org | Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
The expansion and partial regionalization of what is already the longest and deadliest conflict in the Israeli-Palestinian arena since 1948 presents the Gulf Arab states with new threats and challenges, as the war that began on October 7, 2023, entered its second year with little prospect of an end in sight.
