MUST-READS

• Scenario-mapping: Iranian conservative media think out Israel’s next steps

  Amid anticipation of Israeli reprisals for Iran’s Apr. 14 attack on military sites in Israel, Iranian media is rife with speculations about possible scenarios ahead. Speaking to pro-reform Sharq daily, controversial pundit and retired professor Sadeq Zibakalam said it would be unwise not to get prepared for the worst-case scenario, referring to all-out war. Reviled by hardliners, Zibakalam has come under sharp criticism from conservatives in recent days over his warnings about major threats ahead.

• Amid threat of war, Iran faces public backlash over hijab crackdown

  Iran has renewed a push to impose the mandatory Islamic dress code. The move follows a call by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for hijab regulations to be respected. In the aftermath of nationwide anti-establishment protests in 2022, a rising number of women have abandoned headscarves. The current crackdown has prompted strong criticism on Iranian social media, reviving the battle of wills between the state and much of society over obligatory hijab.

• Saudi Arabia Seeks Data Law Balance: Streamlining Business While Upholding International Standards

  Saudi Arabia's Proposed amendments to its Data Protection Law (DPL) could significantly impact international companies operating in the region. These changes focus on streamlining the process of transferring personal data outside the country, potentially offering greater flexibility and cost savings for businesses.

• Hiba Husseini: Peacemaking After Oslo

  Hiba Husseini is a Ramallah-based lawyer who lives in Jerusalem. She served as a legal advisor to Palestinian peace negotiators for 30 years. About a year ago, she and longtime Israeli peace negotiator Yossi Beilin released a plan called the Holy Land Confederation, which seeks to lay the groundwork for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

• Perspective: Israel Exposes the Contradictions in Biden’s Foreign Policy

  The main non sequitur at issue concerned Biden’s dual message to Israel following this weekend’s massive barrage of drones and missiles from Iran. Part I says that American support for Israel is, and will forever remain, “ironclad.” Part II qualifies that the US is determined to “prevent escalation,” meaning a wider regional or even global war. That second aspect requires leaning on Israel to show restraint in its retaliation. But which of the two parts has priority?

• Miscalculation Led to Escalation in Clash Between Israel and Iran

  Aides quickly alerted Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser; Jon Finer, the deputy national security adviser; Brett McGurk, Mr. Biden’s Middle East coordinator; and others, who saw that the strike could have serious consequences, a U.S. official said. Publicly, U.S. officials voiced support for Israel, but privately, they expressed anger that it would take such aggressive action against Iran without consulting Washington.

• Iraq Moves to Tackle Climate Challenge

  Although Iraq is the second-largest oil producer in OPEC after Saudi Arabia, it is a net natural gas importer because lack of infrastructure investment has meant that until 2023 it was flaring roughly half of the estimated 3.12 billion cubic feet per day of gas produced in association with crude oil. According to the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Tracker, Iraq is the world’s second-largest emitter after Russia. Iraq’s West Qurna 2 oil field, operated by Russia’s Lukoil, is the biggest source of flaring in the world.

• Iran Attack on Israel: Implications and Oil Market Concerns

  Iran and Israel are now officially out of the shadow war, which was becoming more and more open, especially as the Houthis increased their ability to target Israeli territory with drones and missiles since February.[5] The long-standing threat of Hezbollah on the northern Israeli border has been somewhat contained in a pattern of retaliatory rocket strikes, but may be expanding.[6]  Hezbollah leadership and the US government are communicating indirectly and more frequently, such that the White House was successful in discouraging Israel to directly attack Hezbollah forces in Lebanon shortly after October 7.[7] The daylight between US and Israeli policy toward Lebanon is increasing. The Biden administration does not want to see an Israeli war in Lebanon, but Israel may calculate that now is the best time to both attack Iranian interests and settle its threat on the northern border.

• Saudi Arabia poised to become clean netting jurisdiction

  Saudi Arabia is set to become the final G20 country to implement close-out netting legislation, with the Gulf state’s central bank having recently finalised new rules. The draft regulation on netting agreements and collateral arrangements sets out that netting is permitted once bankruptcy procedures have commenced and is broadly aligned with the International Swaps and Derivatives Association’s model netting law.

• Flooded UAE counts cost of epic rainstorm, airport still facing disruptions
  Emergency workers tried to clear waterclogged roads and people assessed the damage to homes and businesses on Thursday after a rare and epic rainstorm swamped the United Arab Emirates.
  Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of flights and many roads were still flooded in the aftermath of Tuesday's deluge.
  The rains were the heaviest experienced by the Gulf state in the 75 years that records have been kept. They brought much of the country to a standstill and caused significant damage.

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