A billboard in Manama with the inscription: "Bahrain is safe... because you are its people," June 25, 2026. (Credit: Eric Lee/Pool/AFP)
It's April 15, and the atmosphere is tense in Jeddah. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is preparing to receive Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is leading mediation efforts in the war between the United States and Iran. At the same time, Pakistan's powerful army chief, Asim Munir, is traveling to Tehran. For the Saudi crown prince, the stakes are high. A week after a cease-fire between the two sides, preventing a return to hostilities has become imperative, especially after Washington announced a blockade of Iranian ports.The irony is cruel. After six weeks of conflict that thrust Saudi Arabia onto the front line of Iranian missile attacks despite its efforts to stay out of the war, the kingdom and its Gulf neighbors have concluded that their own security now depends on the survival of the regime they have...
It's April 15, and the atmosphere is tense in Jeddah. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is preparing to receive Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is leading mediation efforts in the war between the United States and Iran. At the same time, Pakistan's powerful army chief, Asim Munir, is traveling to Tehran. For the Saudi crown prince, the stakes are high. A week after a cease-fire between the two sides, preventing a return to hostilities has become imperative, especially after Washington announced a blockade of Iranian ports.The irony is cruel. After six weeks of conflict that thrust Saudi Arabia onto the front line of Iranian missile attacks despite its efforts to stay out of the war, the kingdom and its Gulf neighbors have concluded that their own security now depends on the survival of the regime they...