Saudi Arabia

The “baby-killer” blood libel is by now so entrenched that it’s almost impossible to set the record straight, but a UNICEF-led report published last week showed the extent of the lies and hypocrisy.

The new emergence of an alliance between what may be termed “middle powers” in the region illustrates how countries want to work closely together amid growing uncertainty over the future of the world

Riyadh must recognize that trimming Houthi branches is futile without confronting the head of the octopus in Tehran.

The Saudis insisted they would not normalize relations until Israel and the Palestinians had made credible progress on negotiations toward statehood, something Netanyahu rejected.

For three years, Saudi Arabia has sought to contain the Houthis while avoiding a return to full-scale war. What happens next turns on what Riyadh decides.

The three countries signed the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" on August 7, uniting Sunni-Muslim US allies concerned about a regional conflagration that has brought Iranian missile fire to the Gulf.

Spanish media have already described the move as a "diplomatic crisis with Arab countries," while Colombian media have reported extensively on the wave of condemnations.

The smaller resource base has pushed both countries to lean harder into non-oil sectors such as finance, logistics, and tourism.

Riyadh faces a dilemma: how to deter attacks and protect the ambitious economic vision it is pursuing without becoming entangled in a broader conflict in the region.

Rather than projecting confidence, the deal with Pakistan and Turkey reflects Saudi Arabia’s search for additional security guarantees in the face of Iran’s growing regional influence.