Mehran Haghirian Bourse & Bazaar Foundation May 15, 2026 Donald Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing was not supposed to be about Iran. But the war in the Gulf looms large over the Beijing summit. While the conflict did not displace trade, technology, Taiwan, critical minerals, or the wider U.S.-China rivalry, Trump arrived in Beijing needing Xi’s help over the thorny issue of Iran. China could use its influence to end the war on Iran and the instability in the Gulf. Ch

Mehran Haghirian and Jessica Obeid Bourse & Bazaar Foundation May 5, 2026 A version of this article was originally published in French in Le Grand Continent. The decision by Abu Dhabi to leave the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is about more than energy policy. The move reflects a broader frustration with regional and international frameworks that no longer match how the United Arab Emirates sees its interests, both in the Gulf and beyond. The Iran war h

Mehran Haghirian and Jessica Obeid Le Grand Continent April 29, 2026 Le retrait d’Abou Dhabi de l’Organisation des pays exportateurs de pétrole (OPEP) est loin d’être uniquement une question énergétique. Il témoigne d’une frustration plus générale à l’égard des cadres régionaux et internationaux qui régissent les relations entre les membres de l’organisation, qui ne correspondent plus à la façon dont les Émirats arabes unis perçoivent leur propre rôle, tant dans le Golfe qu’

Mehran Haghirian Middle East Council on Global Affairs - Afkar April 14, 2026 The war that has unfolded across the Gulf has done more than shatter the region’s security architecture. It has also underscored a long-standing reality: the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has never operated as a unified actor in its approach toward Iran, and it is unlikely to do so after the conflict ends. The GCC is often treated in policy discussions as a coherent bloc confronting a common Irania

Mehran Haghirian New Lines Magazine April 9, 2026 “Is this a war with us? Or with the U.S.? I’m confused!” That was from a friend in Dubai. Minutes later, another message came from Doha, and more direct: “Iran is attacking Qatar again.” Those messages came as I was receiving news alerts about the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and the Islamic Republic’s targeting of Doha, Dubai, Kuwait City and Manama. Within hours, it became clear that this was not just another episode of esca

Mehran Haghirian and Mohammed Baharoon Bourse & Bazaar Foundation April 7, 2026 A version of this article was originally published in French in Le Grand Continent. Beyond the tragedy, the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the Iranian strikes targeting the Gulf states – which continued unabated from 28 February 2026 until the April 8 ceasefire – have starkly highlighted a glaring absence: the Gulf region fundamentally lacked any security architecture. The semblance of order that

Mehran Haghirian and Mohammed Baharoon Le Grand Continent April 7, 2026 Au-delà de la tragédie humaine, les attaques américano-israéliennes contre l’Iran et les frappes iraniennes visant les États du Golfe qui se poursuivent sans relâche depuis le 28 février 2026 ont mis brutalement en évidence une absence : le Golfe n’avait, fondamentalement, aucune architecture de sécurité. Le semblant d’ordre qui existait avant le déclenchement de cette guerre reposait sur une polarisation

Mehran Haghirian and Abdullah Baabood Bourse & Bazaar Foundation April 7, 2026 The Strait of Hormuz has always mattered, but rarely has that been as visible as it is today. For centuries, it has linked the Gulf to wider trading routes across Asia, Africa, and Europe. Today, a significant share of the world’s energy supplies and other commodities pass through this narrow stretch of water. When Hormuz is disrupted, the effects are not regional, but global, and they are felt qui

Mehran Haghirian Bourse & Bazaar Foundation March 28, 2026 The war unfolding now in the Persian Gulf has produced something more dire than just another episode of escalation between Iran and its Arab neighbors. It has created a rupture. For years, the region has lived through tensions, proxy confrontations, maritime incidents, sanctions, and diplomatic breakdowns without crossing into this kind of direct and sustained assault across the Gulf itself. That threshold has now bee

Mehran Haghirian Bourse & Bazaar Foundation January 9, 2026 “Death to the dictator,” “This is the final battle,” and “Long live the king,” are the slogans Iranians have been shouting in the streets since December. They have returned to the streets in force, with the protests on January 8 involving enormous crowds around the country. While the latest wave of demonstrations began in the bazaars in response to the sharp devaluation of the national currency, these are not merely

Mehran Haghirian and Naser Alsayed November 2025 Executive Summary The Rihla Initiative for Green Economic Growth has mobilised a diverse network of policymakers, technical experts, and civil society leaders across the Gulf and the Global South. At its core, the Initiative is grounded in a single conviction: that Gulf capital can and must be deployed in ways that accelerate climate transitions while addressing regional development priorities, guided by the principles of justi

Mehran Haghirian Published as part of the SALAM project, PRISME July 2025 Download: https://prismeinitiative.org/publications/nuclear-diplomacy-gulf-regional-energy-cooperation-iran-saudi-uae-mehran-haghirian/ The June 2025 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities shattered assumptions about the inviolability of safeguarded sites and underscored the urgent need to reimagine nuclear diplomacy in the Gulf—where the ambitions of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Mehran Haghirian Middle East Council on Global Affairs - Afkar November 3, 2024 On October 21, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas...

Mehran Haghirian Amwaj Media October 28, 2024 The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Oct. 16 held its first high-level summit with the...

Mehran Haghirian and Osamah Alsayegh Bourse & Bazaar Foundation October 15, 2024 The October 9 agreement to finally connect Iraq to the...

Mehran Haghirian Stimson Center October 11, 2024 When the Gaza war erupted a year ago, a major question faced the nations of the Gulf...

Mehran Haghirian Al-Monitor September 2, 2024 The escalating tensions in the Middle East and particularly the tit-for-tat exchanges...

Mehran Haghirian Bourse & Bazaar Foundation August 23, 2024 On August 21, Iranian lawmakers confirmed veteran diplomat Abbas Araghchi as...

Mehran Haghirian Stimson Center August 14, 2024 The nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), particularly Oman, Qatar, Saudi...

Mehran Haghirian September 2024 in "Mediterranean Transitions from the Gulf to the Sahel" Edited by Giulia Daga and Pier Paolo Raimondi...