World Events Summary: 7th-13th November 2017

Saudi Purge: arrests continued even after U.S. State Department calls for transparent investigations / trial processes – hoping to reinforce the rule of law. UAE and Kuwaiti banks have, reportedly, been cooperating with requests for information about accounts held by Saudi citizens. Questions have been raised about the potential for less press freedom as media moguls have been swept up too. 

Lebanon Next? the informal resignation of Lebanon’s PM Saad Hariri led to many claims and counter-claims. Hariri’s close ties with Saudi led many to suggest that this was an attempt to stoke tension and, potentially, ignite another proxy war with Iran – in Lebanon. The U.S. State Department warned against proxy wars but Hariri said Gulf sanctions were possible if Lebanon was not truly neutral. 

Wider Worries: the Israelis continued to declare their freedom of action in Syria, regardless of Russian and U.S. attempts to calm tensions. In Bahrain, a militant attack on an oil pipeline was blamed on Iranian-supported rebels – potentially opening-up a new tougher phase in the insurgency.