Beyond the Oil Shield: Strategic Resilience and the Next Generation’s Ability to Confront Regional Crises
Crisis management in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states has long been associated with the “oil shield,” utilizing vast financial reserves to mitigate the effects of regional instability. However, in light of the Iranian attack on the Arabian Gulf states during the recent war, the traditional model for managing these crises has proven to require […]
Derasat Center hosts the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany for a Roundtable Discussion
Mr. Abdulla Mohamed Alahmed, CEO of the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat), met with His Excellency Mr. Henning Simon, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kingdom of Bahrain. They discussed recent regional developments and ways to strengthen cooperation. A roundtable was also held with several of the Center’s […]
Iranian Policies on Arabian Gulf andRegional Securityfrom the 1979 Revolution to the 2026 War
The Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat) recently published a research paper titled “Iranian Policies Toward the Security of the Arabian Gulf and Regional Security from the 1979 Iranian Revolution to the 2026 War,” prepared by Dr. Ashraf Mohammed Keshk, Director of the International and Strategic Studies Program at the Center. The […]
Dr. Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Dr. Shaikh Mohamed Bin Hamad Al Khalifa currently serves as the Chief of Requests and Investigations at the Ministry of Interior in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He is a seasoned professional in crisis and strategy management, with extensive experience in leadership and advisory roles across diverse industries. With a career marked by significant contributions in […]
Europe’s Role in Ensuring Maritime Security in the Strait of Hormuz
Although European countries—whether members of the European Union or NATO—have not heeded President Donald Trump’s call to establish an international maritime coalition to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in the face of Iranian threats, this does not mean that these countries have remained uninvolved in the issue, for three reasons. First: The sharp […]
Fourth episode of the sound of thoughts podcast
The Hormuz Disruption and Rethinking Energy Security
The ongoing war in the Arabian Gulf has returned the Strait of Hormuz to the center of global strategic focus, transforming what had long been treated as a theoretical vulnerability into an immediate and unfolding reality. This narrow waterway, barely measuring 34 kilometers at its narrowest point, carries close to one fifth of the world’s […]
Iran’s Missile and Drone Programs and Security in the Arabian Gulf
Amid discussions about holding a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, controversy has arisen regarding the terms of the anticipated agreement—whether it will be a framework agreement laying the groundwork for negotiations toward a final agreement, or the final agreement itself reached during these negotiations. While it is important for the […]
The Non-Financial Benefits of Bahrain’s Demands for Compensation
The Kingdom of Bahrain’s latest communication with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) explicitly raises the issue of compensation from Iran for the damage caused by its extrajudicial attacks on the Kingdom. Behind the ostensibly financial motivation for lodging the demands is a more subtle strategy aiming at locking in Iran’s legal liability at an […]
Combating Iran’s “Mutually Assured Destruction” Doctrine: Lessons from History
The principle of mutually assured destruction (MAD) that emerged during the Cold War disincentivized aggression by making adversaries scared that an attack would result in total global annihilation. During the 21st century, Iran has developed an economic version, whereby its response to an existential threat is for it to induce a catastrophic contraction in the […]
