Bahrain warms to Israel: Iran ‘our biggest problem’

Bahrain warms to Israel: Iran ‘our biggest problem’

Special to WorldTribune.com Gulf states are looking to improve relations with Israel while sending a message to Iran that it is “our biggest problem,” Bahrain’s foreign minister said. Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said several Gulf states decided to cut ties with Iran and designate Hizbullah a terror organization to let Teheran know that “we […]

U.S. Fifth Fleet leads major anti-mines exercise near Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Fifth Fleet leads major anti-mines exercise near Strait of Hormuz

Special to WorldTribune.com The U.S. Navy has introduced new technology to the world’s largest maritime exercise. Underwater drones and the expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Choctaw County will be included for the first time in the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX), led by the Bahrain-based U.S. Fifth Fleet. The exercise got underway on April 4 […]

Brussels attacks spark self-criticism in Arab media

Brussels attacks spark self-criticism in Arab media

Special to WorldTribune.com While the usual blame-Israel responses cropped up in some Mideast media circles following the Brussels terrorist attacks, a new and noteworthy trend was seen in Arab media. Several media outlets put the blame squarely on Muslim and Arab culture for the attacks which killed 35 and wounded more than 300. A columnist […]

U.S. provides logistical support to French carrier in Gulf

U.S. provides logistical support to French carrier in Gulf

Special to WorldTribune.com The United States is providing critical support for France’s aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain, resupplied France’s Charles De Gaulle carrier, which began operations in the Gulf last month as part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). “The […]

Unprecedented U.S. Mideast strategy is ad hoc, disregards existing frameworks

Unprecedented U.S. Mideast strategy is ad hoc, disregards existing frameworks

Special to WorldTribune.com By Gregory R. Copley, Editor, GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs Senior-level sources in numerous Middle Eastern governments have privately expressed bewilderment at recent and current U.S. government strategies and policies toward the region. But a closer examination of U.S. policies, now almost entirely dictated by the Obama White House, shows no cohesive national […]

Gulf States jointly condemn ‘Iranian interference’ in Saudi affairs

Gulf States jointly condemn ‘Iranian interference’ in Saudi affairs

Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty The Sunni Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf have expressed support for Saudi Arabia in its diplomatic row with Iran, condemning what they described as Iranian interference in Riyadh’s internal affairs. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and warned that the kingdom was considering […]

Gulf states helping secure Saudi border with Yemen

Gulf states helping secure Saudi border with Yemen

Special to WorldTribune.com Some 1,000 troops from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have been deployed to Saudi Arabia. The troops, mostly from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, were sent to Saudi’s southern border with Yemen for a border security operation against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The rebels have launched several missiles at the Saudi southern […]

UAE, Bahrain, Sudan join Saudi in curbing ties to Iran

UAE, Bahrain, Sudan join Saudi in curbing ties to Iran

Special to WorldTribune.com Bahrain and Sudan on Jan. 4 followed Saudi Arabia’s lead in cutting diplomatic ties with Iran. United Arab Emirates said it would also downgrade its ties to Teheran. The escalating tensions between Saudi and Iran came after Riyadh’s execution of a Shi’ite Muslim cleric. Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Teheran […]

Arabs aren’t fighting ISIL and here’s why

Arabs aren’t fighting ISIL and here’s why

Special to WorldTribune.com Arab states are mostly “laying low” in the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) for a few main reasons, analysts say. While several states are part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, others are dealing with ISIL jihadists in their own backyards. The U.S., UK, […]

Why the rich Gulf states won’t take refugees

Why the rich Gulf states won’t take refugees

Special to WorldTribune.com Concerned they will be overwhelmed by the social and political impact of a huge influx of refugees, wealthy Gulf states are highly unlikely to change their practice of keeping asylum seekers out. The UN convention on refugees, which has governed international law on asylum since World War II, includes exactly zero Gulf […]

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