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The one-upmanship between US and Iranian naval forces has intensified, forcing both sides to look closely at their operational and tactical thinking. Since Iran reorganised its naval forces in 2007, its thinking on a naval war with the US has become increasingly sophisticated. The axiom of the new thinking (as expressed by Iranian leaders and in professional service magazines produced by the armed forces) is that symmetric force-on-force encounters between large US and Iranian vessels would be a losing game.

Iran
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Human rights activist Nabeel Rajab has again been sentenced to a jail term for insulting the authorities. On 20 January, a court sentenced him to six months in prison for posting comments on Twitter deemed insulting to the interior ministry and the Bahrain defence forces. Rajab spent two years in prison before being released in May. Before being arrested in October, he had made a trip to Europe to raise awareness of political repression in Bahrain, and says he is being punished for his advocacy.

Bahrain
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The latest bloodbath in Saada, causing tens of thousands of civilians to flee, has made international news. The roots of the crisis, and the continuing confrontation in the south, present a complex challenge to Ali Abdullah Saleh

Iran | Saudi Arabia | Yemen
Issue 1068 - 01 November 2018

Kuwait: Defence ties with France

Free

Kuwaiti Army chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Mohammed Al-Khodhr met his French counterpart General François Lecointre in Paris on 22 October to discuss defence co-operation. Khodhr also visited a defence simulation centre to be briefed on its support for training and operations. France has been training Kuwaiti air cadets at Dax, in the south-west, whose first batch graduated on 18 October in the presence of Kuwaiti Air Force commander Major General Adnan Al-Fadhli and military attaché in France Brigadier General Ziyad Abdul Latif Al-Saqr.

Kuwait
Issue 859 - 08 August 2009

Southern Movement under pressure

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With its exiled honorary ‘president’ Ali Salem Al-Baydh acting as a figurehead, Yemen’s secessionist Southern Movement is headed on the ground by Hassan Baoom,

Yemen
Issue 936 - 22 November 2012

Status of Russia-Iraq arms deal unclear

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There has been considerable confusion over whether Iraq is preparing to buy billions of dollars worth of fighter jets, helicopters and other weapons from Russia. On 10 November, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said that Baghdad had cancelled a $4.2bn deal it announced the previous month.

Iraq
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Question marks hang over a massive explosion in the early hours of 26 June at a facility near Tehran operated by the Shahid Bakeri Industrial Group and known to be associated with ballistic missile production. A huge fireball from the blast was seen 20km away; images were posted on social media by Iranians living in the eastern suburbs of the capital.Satellite imagery shows evidence that the site is used for ballistic missile propellant production.

Iran
Issue 1085 - 19 July 2019

Qatar: New naval base

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Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al-Thani inaugurated a new coast guard facility at Al-Daayen Naval Base in the Semaisma area in the north of the country, on 14 July. A fleet of new boats for the General Directorate of Coasts and Borders Security was launched at the same time. The base will be used for maritime security operations – not least to protect the country’s offshore oil and gas facilities – as well as search and rescue and combatting illegal immigration.

Qatar
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The US has made it clear to Baghdad that time is running out if Iraqis want it to maintain a military presence after the 31 December deadline for withdrawal. The point of no return is approaching fast

Iraq
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The more methodical and thoughtful approach that Sunni insurgents are taking in their campaigns to undermine the government in Baghdad has led many to speculate about the role of former Baathists in

Iraq
Issue 1077 - 21 March 2019

Kuwait: Counter-terror deal with US

Free

The United States is to provide counter-terrorism training and materials on a grant basis, as one of a series of agreements finalised during the Third US-Kuwait Strategic Dialogue, which took place in Kuwait on 20 March. The two governments also signed off on plans to improve co-operation to identify high-risk travellers that pose a security risk. It was only in January that the US lifted a three-year block on Kuwait Airways operating direct flights to New York.

Kuwait
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Tehran unveiled the 600-ton Fateh submarine in a ceremony on 17 February attended by President Hassan Rouhani in Bandar Abbas, which will be its home base. The submarine is intended for operations outside the Gulf in the Arabian Sea, according to Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi. The launch follows the announcement in November of two new light submarines joining Iran’s 23-strong Ghadir fleet, designed to operate within the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran claims its latest domestically-designed submarine can stay at sea for up to six weeks and has a cruising range of nearly 5,000km.

Iran
Issue 1072 - 10 January 2019

Kuwait/Saudi Arabia: US missiles deal

Free

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $3.4bn contract to supply an unspecified number of PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot air-defence systems in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The contract was announced by the United States Department of Defence on 21 December and will run through to December 2024. It includes associated ground support equipment and spare parts. It is not clear what proportion of the contract relates to each country.

Kuwait | Saudi Arabia
Issue 1037 - 26 May 2017

Oman: Typhoon and Hawk deliveries

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Minister responsible for defence affairs Sayyid Badr Bin Saud Bin Harib Al-Busaidi has taken delivery of the first batch of Typhoon fighters and Hawk training aircraft from the UK’s BAE Systems. The handover ceremony held at Warton Airbase, Lancashire on 15 May was attended by ambassador to the UK Sheikh Abdelaziz Bin Abdullah Al-Hinai and Royal Air Force of Oman Air Vice Marshal Mattar Bin Ali Al-Obaidani, along with officials from the UK Ministry of Defence.

Oman
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The Obama presidency has acted decisively to remove a dissenting voice from the top military team, opening the way for a further reshuffle of US generals, but not necessarily a change of tack on the operational front in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Gulf