37 developments across 25 briefings for this country.
37Developments
25Source reports
2024-05-21First seen
2026-08-10Last seen
Evidence mix37 developments
Erik’s assessment9Developing3Unverified25
Countries
Iran, Iraq, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
Categories
Active conflict, Energy and resources, Maritime security, Political instability, Strategic competition, U.S. strategic interests
Coordinates
24.09, 44.64
Latest linked intelligence
The mutual-defense commitment appears especially advantageous for Saudi Arabia, which is assessed as having the weakest military and facing the most immediate security threats among the three members.
Assessment development · updated through
Latest directly linked development
Saudi ArabiaErik’s assessment
Collective-defense clause assessed as particularly beneficial to Saudi Arabia
The mutual-defense commitment appears especially advantageous for Saudi Arabia, which is assessed as having the weakest military and facing the most immediate security threats among the three members.
That clause seems like a big win for Saudi, which has the weakest military and faces the most imminent security threats of the three.
The mutual-defense commitment appears especially advantageous for Saudi Arabia, which is assessed as having the weakest military and facing the most immediate security threats among the three members.
That clause seems like a big win for Saudi, which has the weakest military and faces the most imminent security threats of the three.
The mutual-defense commitment appears especially advantageous for Saudi Arabia, which is assessed as having the weakest military and facing the most immediate security threats among the pact’s three members.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye sign mutual-defense pact
UnverifiedStrategic competitionPakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye signed a trilateral mutual defense pact after spending almost a year negotiating it.
•Under the pact, members commit to joining forces to retaliate together against any attack against one of them.
The three countries signed a pact after almost a year of negotiations, committing each member to join a collective response to an attack against any one of them.
Saudi diplomats frame Iraq strikes as isolated self-defense
UnverifiedActive conflictSaudi Arabia
Saudi diplomats are rushing to counter that narrative and instead portray the Iraqi strikes as an isolated act of self-defense in response to drone and missile attacks the militias launched on Saudi oil facilities last week. They were perhaps also intended as a warning to Yemen's Houthi rebels that Riyadh isn't afraid to strike back when hit.
Saudi diplomats characterized the strikes as an isolated response to militia drone and missile attacks on Saudi oil facilities. The action may also have been intended to warn Yemen’s Houthis that Riyadh would retaliate when attacked.
Yemen's Houthis claimed they targeted another Saudi tanker - the NCC Ghazal - in the Red Sea. The Ghazal was at least the fourth Saudi ship the Houthis have targeted since announcing their blockade last week.
The Houthis claimed they targeted the NCC Ghazal, described as at least the fourth Saudi vessel targeted since the group announced a blockade the previous week.
Saudi's strikes exacerbated tensions with Iraq over Baghdad's failure to rein in Iranian proxy militias like the PMF, and Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi cancelled a planned visit to Riyadh over the spat.
Saudi strikes aggravated a dispute over Baghdad’s failure to restrain Iranian proxy militias, prompting Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to cancel a planned Riyadh visit.
Saudi-Houthi attacks extend from Red Sea shipping to refineries
UnverifiedMaritime securityHodeida, Jizan and Yanbu
Saudi targeted Houthi military sites in Hodeida in return for Houthi attacks on tankers in the Red Sea, and the Houthis retaliated with missile strikes that damaged a Saudi oil refinery near Jizan.
Saudi forces struck Houthi military sites in Hodeida after attacks on Red Sea tankers. Houthi missiles then damaged a refinery near Jizan, while Greek operators used a U.S.-made Patriot system to intercept at least two missiles targeting another refinery near Yanbu.
Differing Houthi treatment of Saudi and Chinese-owned tankers
UnverifiedMaritime securityBab al-Mandeb and Yanbu
They struck two Saudi tankers yesterday, but allowed two Chinese-owned tankers carrying Saudi oil to pass through Bab al Mandeb - though those were loaded at Saudi's Yanbu port before the Houthis announced their blockade.
The Houthis struck two Saudi tankers while allowing two Chinese-owned tankers carrying Saudi oil to transit Bab al-Mandeb. Enforcement of the announced blockade may be selective but uncertainty remains over how additional Chinese tankers loading at Yanbu will be treated.
If Trump doesn't walk back his new condition, MBS will certainly back out of this week's deal, which was over 20 years in the making.
Crown Prince MBS will abandon the agreement unless Trump removes the normalization condition, citing Saudi opposition to recognizing Israel during the Gaza war.
New normalization condition was added to U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal
UnverifiedStrategic competitionSaudi Arabia
Less than 24 hours after it was signed, Pres. Trump added a new condition requiring Saudi to join the Abraham Accords - and thus normalize relations with Israel - in exchange for U.S. permission and help building a civilian nuclear program.
President Trump added a requirement that Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel in exchange for U.S. approval and assistance for a civilian nuclear program. The condition was added less than 24 hours after the deal was signed.
Houthis attacked Saudi tankers and disrupted Red Sea traffic
UnverifiedMaritime securityRed Sea
Yemen's Houthi rebels struck two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea yesterday, making good on their threats to enforce a "maritime embargo" on Saudi Arabia.
Houthi forces struck two Saudi oil tankers; to have turned back ten ships. Shipping data showed at least six vessels reversing course after the Houthis announced a blockade.
Analysts say the possibility that Saudi could make its own nuclear fuel raises the risk that it could divert its nuclear resources towards a weapons program.
Analysts’ concern that Saudi fuel-production capacity could enable diversion toward weapons and could affect Iranian expectations in future nuclear negotiations with Washington.
United States and Saudi Arabia signed civilian nuclear agreement
UnverifiedStrategic competitionSaudi Arabia
the U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a deal yesterday allowing Saudi to build a civilian nuclear program using American technology and know-how.
The agreement permits a Saudi civilian nuclear program using U.S. technology and expertise and requires congressional review. Saudi Arabia rejected restrictions on domestic fuel production and expanded short-notice IAEA inspections.
The Houthis recently reopened a long-frozen conflict with Saudi Arabia, and seem ready to join their sponsor's side in a regional war.
The Houthis recently reopened a previously frozen conflict with Saudi Arabia. Its assertion that the group appears ready to enter a wider regional war on Iran’s side is an assessment.
Araghchi’s reported outreach is interpreted as an effort to find an off-ramp
Erik’s assessmentPolitical instabilityIran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Oman, and Pakistan
Araghchi's diplomatic outreach suggests that moderates like him are seeking an off ramp even as hardliners escalate their aggressive rhetoric.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi communicated with counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Oman and called Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Munir. The outreach indicates Iranian moderates are seeking de-escalation.
Saudi Arabia and UAE favor a contained dispute over Yemen
Erik’s assessmentStrategic competitionYemen
Both Saudi and the UAE seem keen to resolve their differences politely and behind closed doors rather than through proxies in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia is managing tensions carefully because the UAE supports the STC, and that both governments prefer to resolve their differences privately rather than through proxy escalation in Yemen.
Questions remain about PIF capacity to meet U.S. investment pledge
UnverifiedU.S. strategic interestsSaudi Arabia
New media reports suggest that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) may not have enough dry powder to make good on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's (MBS's) pledge to invest $1 trillion in the U.S. over the next four years.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund may have limited available cash after committing much of its estimated $1 trillion portfolio to projects that are not yet producing returns.
Trump speech presented as shift away from U.S. interventionism
Erik’s assessmentU.S. strategic interestsRiyadh
Pres. Trump addressed an investment conference in Riyadh... criticizing decades of U.S. nation-building and intervention in other countries and declaring that the U.S. will no longer be "giving you lectures on how to live."
Trump's Riyadh speech is rejecting decades of U.S. nation-building and intervention. Critics of intervention welcomed the approach, while some activists feared diminished U.S. pressure would weaken human-rights protections.
U.S. move to end Syria sanctions and engage Al Sharaa
UnverifiedU.S. strategic interestsRiyadh
Pres. Trump unexpectedly announced an end to all U.S. sanctions on Syria... Trump then met with Syria's interim president, Ahmed Al Sharaa, in Saudi Arabia.
President Trump announced an end to U.S. sanctions on Syria and subsequently met interim Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. Trump encouraged Al Sharaa to normalize relations with Israel; him as open to joining the Abraham Accords at an unspecified future time.
The U.S. and Saudi are considering a deal that would give Saudi access to U.S. nuclear technology - and could let Saudi enrich its own uranium in the future.
Washington and Riyadh were considering an agreement granting Saudi Arabia access to U.S. nuclear technology and potentially allowing future domestic uranium enrichment. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was quoted as saying a pathway appeared to exist despite unclear details.
U.S.-Russia talks expected to address maritime ceasefire
DevelopingMaritime securityRiyadh
U.S. officials in Riyadh will also meet with Russian officials today. Russia has already agreed to the pause on energy infrastructure strikes, so these meetings will seek to advance an additional maritime ceasefire.
U.S. officials were due to meet Russian officials in Riyadh on March 24 to seek a maritime ceasefire in addition to the proposed pause on energy-infrastructure strikes.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials pursue energy-strike pause
DevelopingActive conflictRiyadh
Ukrainian and U.S. officials met in Riyadh yesterday, and may continue their summit today. They aim to finalize details surrounding the 30-day pause on striking energy infrastructure.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Riyadh on March 23 and could continue talks on March 24 to finalize a proposed 30-day pause in attacks on energy infrastructure.
UnverifiedActive conflictSaudi Arabia and the Black Sea
The White House said its negotiators will continue to meet Ukrainian teams in Saudi Arabia to seek a Black Sea truce "in the coming days," and hoped to eventually reach a full ceasefire plan
According to the White House plans for additional U.S.-Ukraine meetings in Saudi Arabia aimed at securing, a Black Sea truce and eventually a broader ceasefire acceptable to Ukraine and Russia.
U.S. and Ukrainian delegations expected to meet in Saudi Arabia
UnverifiedActive conflictSaudi Arabia
U.S. and Ukrainian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia starting tomorrow. Pres. Zelensky is in Saudi and said he was "fully committed" to negotiating an end to the war, but he won't participate in the U.S.-Ukrainian meetings
U.S. and Ukrainian officials will begin talks in Saudi Arabia the following day. Zelensky will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman separately while Ukrainian delegates meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other U.S. officials.
U.S. and Ukrainian delegations expected to meet in Saudi Arabia
UnverifiedActive conflictSaudi Arabia
U.S. and Ukrainian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia starting tomorrow. Pres. Zelensky is in Saudi and said he was "fully committed" to negotiating an end to the war, but he won't participate in the U.S.-Ukrainian meetings
U.S. and Ukrainian officials would begin talks in Saudi Arabia on March 11. Zelensky was expected to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman separately for economic discussions rather than attend the delegation-level talks.
Egypt will present Arab-funded Gaza reconstruction plan
UnverifiedActive conflictRiyadh
Al Sisi's plan is said to call on Arab states to contribute up to to $20 billion to rebuild Gaza.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi planned to present a proposal calling for up to $20 billion in Arab funding to rebuild Gaza. An off-record claim that Trump accepted the plan as an alternative to Palestinian resettlement.
Senior U.S. and Russian delegations - led by SecState Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov - met in Saudi Arabia yesterday for the most significant direct talks between their countries in years.
Delegations led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed a path toward ending the Ukraine war and potential geopolitical and economic cooperation while U.S. sanctions remained in place.
Saudi Arabia considers major investment to consolidate professional boxing
DevelopingStrategic competitionNot specified
Saudi Arabia is on the verge of approving a plan to invest up to $2 billion in a hostile takeover of the disorganized array of global professional men's boxing promoters and sanctioning bodies.
A report that Saudi Arabia was close to approving an investment of up to $2 billion to combine major men’s boxing promoters, sanctioning bodies and around 200 boxers under one entity.
Saudi's King Salman is suffering from a lung infection and it's severe enough that his son, Crown Prince MBS, postponed a planned trip to Japan to be with his ailing father.
King Salman had a lung infection and that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman postponed a planned visit to Japan to remain with him.