Gulfif

Gulf International Forum (GIF), is an independent Washington-based institute that aspires to enhance peace, progress, security, and stability in the Gulf and greater Middle East region through the open proliferation of ideas.

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U.S.-Iran MOU and Negotiations: Expert Perspectives - Gulf International Forum

Following the signing of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the launch of follow-on negotiations in Switzerland, Gulf Inter

Following the signing of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the launch of follow-on negotiations in Switzerland, Gulf International Forum experts assess the agreement’s implications for Gulf security, regional stability, and global energy markets. Their analyses examine how GCC states are responding to the emerging diplomatic framework, the extent to which the agreement addresses the underlying drivers of conflict, and what the cessation of hostilities could mean for the future of the regional order, energy security, and long-term stability in the Gulf.

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https://gulfif.org/its-time-for-a-climate-opec/

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A Turning Point or a Tactical Pause? Assessing the U.S.–Iran Agreement - Gulf International Forum

The de-escalation agreement between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran represents a significant shift in the form of the con

Pakistan's Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, left, stands with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir prior to a quadrilateral meeting between the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar at the Burgenstock luxury hotel complex overlooking Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, Sunday June 21, 2026.

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https://gulfif.org/irans-postwar-choice-and-what-it-means-for-the-gcc/

Iran’s Postwar Choice—and What It Means for the GCC

As U.S.-Iran negotiations begin, Gulf states are pressing Tehran to decide whether its future influence will rest on economic integration and diplomacy or continued reliance on proxies and coercion.

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https://gulfif.org/the-iran-war-is-driving-the-gulf-toward-turkish-air-defense/

The Iran War Is Driving the Gulf Toward Turkish Air Defense

As Gulf states adapt to drone warfare and interceptor depletion after the Iran war, Türkiye is emerging as a key partner for short-range air defense, counter-drone systems, and layered security architectures.

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https://gulfif.org/the-burden-of-victory-irans-postwar-reckoning/

The Burden of “Victory”: Iran’s Postwar Reckoning

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https://gulfif.org/iraqs-armed-factions-and-the-logic-of-survival/

Iraq’s most powerful armed factions are increasingly prioritizing political influence over confrontation. Iraq has long offered fertile ground for armed groups operating outside state authority. The Mahdi Army that emerged after 2003 showed how readily such forces could take root, and sectarian militias played a major role in the upheaval of the mid-to-late 2000s—confounding the U.S. occupation, deepening Iraq’s fault lines, and setting the stage for the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) the following decade.

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https://gulfif.org/from-hormuz-to-the-four-seas-iraqs-search-for-energy-security/

From Hormuz to the Four Seas: Iraq’s Search for Energy Security Disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz have underscored Iraq’s vulnerability to overreliance on a single maritime chokepoint, prompting an urgent need for Baghdad to diversify its energy infrastructure.

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https://gulfif.org/the-world-misunderstands-the-india-uae-relationship/

President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an official visit reception, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, May 15, 2026

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https://gulfif.org/syrias-energy-revival-and-the-gulfs-strategic-opening/

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https://gulfif.org/drone-strikes-and-pen-strokes-congressional-legislative-trends-on-the-war-in-the-gulf/

Drone Strikes and Pen Strokes: Congressional Legislative Trends on the War in the Gulf 

As the war with Iran deepens, congressional lawmakers increasingly clash over war powers, executive authority, and the future of U.S. engagement in the Gulf.

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https://gulfif.org/the-gulf-states-need-better-defense-integration-not-more-weapons/

The Gulf States Need Better Defense Integration, Not More Weapons

The GCC states’ recent diversification of their defense partnerships might be a necessary step—but it is not enough to protect the region on its own.

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https://gulfif.org/pakistans-mediation-gamble-in-a-fractured-gulf/

Pakistan’s Mediation Gamble in a Fractured Gulf

Pakistan’s role as a mediator in the Gulf war reflects an effort to prevent a regional conflict from collapsing into a wider security crisis that would directly threaten Islamabad’s economy, border stability, and relations with the GCC.

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https://gulfif.org/irans-crypto-fueled-war-economy/

As the risk of renewed U.S.-Iran conflict rises, Tehran has moved quickly to adapt to wartime realities while attempting to limit the impact on border security, domestic stability, and the broader economy. Despite obvious constraints, the Islamic Republic has had a measure of success in maintaining control at home while circumventing U.S. pressure in the Strait of Hormuz through shadow tankers and ship-to-ship transfers to sustain oil exports. This has reignited Western debates over whether sanctions and military actions are enough to curb Tehran’s economic capabilities.

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https://gulfif.org/the-strait-of-hormuz-closure-and-the-reshaping-of-energy-geopolitics/

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz restructured global energy flows, revealing how quickly supply, pricing, and influence can shift amid maritime disruption.

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https://gulfif.org/compromise-or-resistance-irans-elite-divide-over-the-war/

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https://gulfif.org/the-utility-of-brics-in-a-new-gulf-order/