Saudi Arabia's Defense Doctrine Is Missing Something: Defense (Mohammed Nuruzzaman, The National Interest)

Riyadh’s new approach to war is full of bad assumptions.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/saudi-arabias-defense-doctrine-missing-something-defense-17943

The Iran Deal Is Already Falling Apart (Mohammed Nuruzzaman, The National Interest)

The historic nuclear deal that Iran and the P5+1 group of powers signed on July 14, 2015, marked its first anniversary amidst hopes and despairs. Designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief, the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has made little progress, contrary to hopes for a thaw in U.S.-Iranian relations and an ensuing period of calm and stability in the Middle East. The U.S. State Department, in a cautious statement, has termed the deal“fragile but working.” Some analysts claim that the deal has worked in that it has largely eliminated the dangers of war involving Iran, Israel and the United States, while others emphasize plugging “holes” to make the deal work. Viewed realistically, such optimistic notes hold little water, as the deal is gradually approaching its endpoint.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-iran-deal-already-falling-apart-17118

The Myth of Saudi Power (Mohammed Nuruzzaman, The National Interest)

Analysts from the Gulf Arab states are generally upbeat about Saudi Arabia’s possible military dominance in the Gulf neighborhood and the Middle East region. A Saudi commentator has recently argued in an online featurepublished by the National Interest that Riyadh, in collaboration with Sunni Arab and Muslim allies, stands poised to fill the strategic void created by America’s move to disengage from the Middle East. The kingdom, by means of the “Salman doctrine,” would militarily defeat the ISIS terrorists and Shia extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, subverting Shia Iran’s regional ambitions to challenge 1,400 years of Sunni dominance. The commentator seems animated with sectarian firepower, driven more by rhetoric and less by realities on the ground.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-myth-saudi-power-15727