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Persian Gulf Region

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The Persian Gulf region—which includes Iran, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq—contains an estimated 50 percent of the world's oil reserves and thus plays a strategic geopolitical role. RAND has a strong presence in and focus on the region, with an office in Doha, focusing primarily on domestic and regional issues such as education and development and on assisting U.S. and allied military forces in the region.

Report
Exploration of Early COVID-19 Responses in Select Middle East Nations
Prior to the pandemic, many countries in the Middle East struggled with health care capacity and access. COVID-19 placed significant additional strain on health care delivery in the region. What common challenges did Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and Tunisia face in their pandemic responses?
Mar 24, 2022
Report
Reimagining U.S. Strategy in the Middle East
Long-standing U.S. policies in the Middle East that rely on defeating threats and keeping partners on “our side” have fallen short. What if the U.S. approach shifted from focusing on the threat of the day to a positive vision of a region supported by increased diplomatic and economic investments?
Feb 23, 2021

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Research Brief
What Climate-Related Conflict Could Mean for U.S. Central Command
Climate change will hit the Middle East and Central Asia especially hard, with effects on both personal well-being and regional stability. It will likely create increased demand for stabilization operations, non-combatant evacuation operations, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Nov 29, 2023
Report
Mischief, Malevolence, or Indifference? How Competitors and Adversaries Could Exploit Climate-Related Conflict in the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility
This report presents an analysis of how U.S. competitors and adversaries — China, Russia, and Iran — could attempt to exploit climate-related conflict in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in future decades.
Nov 29, 2023
Blog
Nuclear Deterrence, Russia and Iran, Deepfakes: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how much is “enough” for U.S. nuclear forces, the budding Russia-Iran partnership, the challenge of detecting deepfakes, and more.
Oct 6, 2023
Commentary
The Drivers of and Outlook for Russian-Iranian Cooperation
Russia and Iran's recent cooperation regarding Ukraine has raised concerns that the once wary partners might be moving toward a more comprehensive, strategic alliance. Such a prospect could have significant consequences for the United States' ability to safeguard its interests in the Middle East.
Oct 4, 2023
Blog
The Four-Day School Week, AI and Social Media Manipulation, School Safety: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the costs and benefits of a four-day school week, how artificial intelligence is bringing a new era of social media manipulation, the effects of placing police officers in schools, and more.
Sep 8, 2023
Report
Deterring Russia and Iran
How can the United States effectively and efficiently deter Russia and Iran without crowding out investments in other military missions, including competition with China in the Indo-Pacific?
Aug 17, 2023
Commentary
Fighting in Sudan Is Creating a Rift Among U.S. Security Partners
While the national security community often focuses on strategic competition between the United States and its near-peer adversaries, the conflict in Sudan is a good reminder that regional powers are also engaged in competition for influence and resources.
Jul 20, 2023
Blog
NATO Summit, Russia's Failures in Ukraine, Vietnam Bans 'Barbie': RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the NATO summit in Vilnius, Russia’s repeated missteps in Ukraine, why America's superintendents are so stressed, and more.
Jul 14, 2023
Commentary
Yemen's Year-Long Truce Creates Opportunities for Durable Peace
The truce in Yemen does not represent a comprehensive peace, but it does offer a path to ending the civil war for good. Going forward, an inclusive political process—one that includes all parts of Yemeni society, including women, civil society groups, and youth—will be critical.
Jul 10, 2023
Blog
20 Years After the Iraq War, China-Russia Ties, Correctional Education: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on reflecting on the Iraq War, the pandemic and prison education, North Korea’s latest threats, and more.
Mar 24, 2023
Commentary
The Ripples of War Are Only Beginning to Spread. Is America Ready?
There are now more than 1.9 million U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than 50,000 were physically injured and around 15 percent have experienced PTSD. Perhaps all were exposed to burn pits and other toxins. What are the long-term impacts of the wars on those who fought them?
Mar 23, 2023
Q&A
Twenty Years After the Iraq War, a Q&A with RAND Experts
On the 20th anniversary of the war in Iraq, RAND experts discussed what the war means for the people of Iraq and the veterans who fought there, what lessons the U.S. military learned (or did not learn), and what effect it has had on the balance of power in the Middle East and the global reputation of the United States.
Mar 21, 2023
Report
Proxy Warfare in Strategic Competition: State Motivations and Future Trends
The authors used quantitative analysis and case studies of China, Iran, and Russia to examine the causes and likely future trends in proxy wars: civil wars in which at least one local warring party receives material support from an external state.
Mar 9, 2023
Report
Proxy Warfare in Strategic Competition: Overarching Findings and Recommendations
This report synthesizes the findings and recommendations from two companion reports on intrastate proxy wars: civil wars in which at least one local warring party receives material support from an external state.
Mar 9, 2023
Report
Proxy Warfare in Strategic Competition: Military Implications
The authors examine the military implications of intrastate proxy wars (civil wars in which at least one local warring party receives material support from an external state) via a literature review and four case studies.
Mar 9, 2023
Commentary
Appreciating U.S. Ground Force Contributions to Operation Inherent Resolve
Defeating ISIS hinged on a ground fight, requiring the grueling liberation of territory kilometer by kilometer. While Iraqi forces bore the brunt of frontline fighting, U.S. forces were also engaged in on-the-ground combat operations that hastened the defeat of ISIS. Appreciating such contributions will be necessary to distill the right lessons so that we might correctly apply them to future irregular warfare.
Jan 25, 2023
Report
The Future of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces: Lessons from Historical Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Efforts
This report analyzes historic cases of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration to inform present U.S. policy on Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), who represent a threat to both Iraqi sovereignty and U.S. policy interests.
Jan 24, 2023
Commentary
'Wonder Weapons' Will Not Win Russia's War
With its army increasingly in shambles, Russia has turned to attacking Ukraine's civilian infrastructure with Iranian-made drones in an effort to destroy Ukrainians' will to fight. These tactics will inflict pain on the Ukrainian population, but if history is any guide, they will not forestall a Russian defeat.
Nov 10, 2022
Commentary
The Iran Protests: A Crossroads in Governance?
Iran has seen large-scale protests in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the Iranian morality police in September. But are these protests the spark that will usher in a democratic form of governance in Iran?
Nov 4, 2022
Report
Operation Inherent Resolve: U.S. Ground Force Contributions
This report, which outlines four battles within Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) and reviews U.S. ground force contributions to those battles, is intended to address gaps both in analysis and in the common understanding of OIR.
Oct 17, 2022

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Robin Meili

Associate Director, International

Robin Meili is associate director, International; director, International Programs; and a senior management systems scientist at the RAND Corporation. Her primary responsibilities include globalizing RAND's research portfolio, managing philanthropic advisory boards and RAND's international…
Louay Constant

Adjunct Policy Researcher

Louay Constant is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He has worked on a range of social policy issues including K–12 education reform, postsecondary education and training, labor markets, workforce…

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