If Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, how will Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states react? What Middle Eastern country is next to have a revolution? What motivates terrorists? How should U.S. policymakers respond in each case? The answers to these questions require comprehensive and innovative analyses.
Scholarship in Middle East affairs is traditionally performed either through cultural studies or security studies. Unfortunately, few academics, and even fewer policymakers, focus on the role of economics. Cultural and security studies tend to ignore the economic motivations of regional actors and how those motivations are frequently elevated above other considerations. ………………………………………Full Article: Source