Joshua Krasna
@jkrasna.bsky.social
Teach at NYU CGA. Director, Forum for Regional Cooperation; political and strategic analyst at FPRI. Former diplomat.
I've been saying a while that people around Netanyahu don't seem to know exactly what the word "secret" means...
Netanyahu said to secretly fly to Abu Dhabi for meeting with Emirati president
www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-sa...
Netanyahu said to secretly fly to Abu Dhabi for meeting with Emirati president
www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-sa...
Netanyahu said to secretly fly to Abu Dhabi for meeting with Emirati president
No comment from either side on PM's reported 4-hour trip, which comes after reports that UAE's leader warned premier of Hamas attack shortly before October 7 onslaught in 2023
www.timesofisrael.com
September 28, 2026 at 10:42 AM
I've been saying a while that people around Netanyahu don't seem to know exactly what the word "secret" means...
Netanyahu said to secretly fly to Abu Dhabi for meeting with Emirati president
www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-sa...
Netanyahu said to secretly fly to Abu Dhabi for meeting with Emirati president
www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-sa...
"As vessels spend longer completing journeys and a significant share of the fleet gets caught up in Arabian Gulf logistics, tanker capacity has become increasingly scarce, sending freight rates to unprecedented levels."
www.thenationalnews.com/business/ene...
www.thenationalnews.com/business/ene...
Oil tanker earnings near $650,000 a day due to Middle East disruption | The National
Longer voyages, ship-to-ship transfers, high diesel prices and war risk premiums mean operators are charging much more
www.thenationalnews.com
September 25, 2026 at 1:31 PM
"As vessels spend longer completing journeys and a significant share of the fleet gets caught up in Arabian Gulf logistics, tanker capacity has become increasingly scarce, sending freight rates to unprecedented levels."
www.thenationalnews.com/business/ene...
www.thenationalnews.com/business/ene...
Significant, wholly anticipated, development: happened in Red Sea 3 yrs ago due to Houthis. "Before the war, [shipping] amounted to just 2-3% of crude price, compared with more than 1/4 now...war-risk/cargo insurance, STS transfers and waiting charges may add to bill".
www.agbi.com/analysis/shi...
www.agbi.com/analysis/shi...
Gulf-China supertanker freight nears 30% of oil price
Supertanker freight rates from the Gulf to China now exceed $30 a barrel as the risk of crossing the Strait of Hormuz drives up costs
www.agbi.com
September 23, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Significant, wholly anticipated, development: happened in Red Sea 3 yrs ago due to Houthis. "Before the war, [shipping] amounted to just 2-3% of crude price, compared with more than 1/4 now...war-risk/cargo insurance, STS transfers and waiting charges may add to bill".
www.agbi.com/analysis/shi...
www.agbi.com/analysis/shi...
If Israel is smart, we should help the Saudis as much as we can on issues of mutual interests and for Homeland protection, and not bring up diplomatic quid pro quo at all. Much better to build up goodwill and bank it
www.timesofisrael.com/as-iran-and-...
www.timesofisrael.com/as-iran-and-...
September 20, 2026 at 9:58 AM
If Israel is smart, we should help the Saudis as much as we can on issues of mutual interests and for Homeland protection, and not bring up diplomatic quid pro quo at all. Much better to build up goodwill and bank it
www.timesofisrael.com/as-iran-and-...
www.timesofisrael.com/as-iran-and-...
Don't read this if you ever expect to sleep soundly again..
www.timesofisrael.com/us-nearly-ra...
www.timesofisrael.com/us-nearly-ra...
US nearly raided Chinese ship after AI falsely flagged ‘nuclear’ cargo for Iran — CNN
Report says warplanes were already in the air when officials realized intel report was written by a hallucinating chatbot; it 'almost started a war,' source says
www.timesofisrael.com
September 19, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Don't read this if you ever expect to sleep soundly again..
www.timesofisrael.com/us-nearly-ra...
www.timesofisrael.com/us-nearly-ra...
While at a discussion last night regarding who is the next candidate for expanding the Abraham Accords, I thought: we need more Abraham partners, but we (Israel) need even more to prioritize deepening, strengthening and diversifying into areas of mutual benefit the relationships we already have. 1/2
September 18, 2026 at 6:48 AM
While at a discussion last night regarding who is the next candidate for expanding the Abraham Accords, I thought: we need more Abraham partners, but we (Israel) need even more to prioritize deepening, strengthening and diversifying into areas of mutual benefit the relationships we already have. 1/2
worth reading. "The Eastern Mediterranean region does not need a single winning energy corridor. It needs a network of multiple routes that provide alternatives when war, political disputes, technical failures, or maritime disruptions affect one of them/"
besacenter.org/can-israel-c...
besacenter.org/can-israel-c...
Can Israel Connect to Syria’s New Oil Routes?
Syria is reviving plans for major oil pipelines linking Iraq and other Gulf oil producers to the Mediterranean Sea. At first glance, such projects may appear to compete with Israel’s ambitions to be
besacenter.org
September 8, 2026 at 8:10 AM
worth reading. "The Eastern Mediterranean region does not need a single winning energy corridor. It needs a network of multiple routes that provide alternatives when war, political disputes, technical failures, or maritime disruptions affect one of them/"
besacenter.org/can-israel-c...
besacenter.org/can-israel-c...
Unification of Bennett and Lapid's parties was mistake from get-go. Less than sum of its parts: both parties lost from the merger. Many Bennet voters will not vote for the "leftist" Lapid, and many Lapid voters won't vote for right-wing Bennett. Eisenkot was right to ignore the chattering classes
September 7, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Unification of Bennett and Lapid's parties was mistake from get-go. Less than sum of its parts: both parties lost from the merger. Many Bennet voters will not vote for the "leftist" Lapid, and many Lapid voters won't vote for right-wing Bennett. Eisenkot was right to ignore the chattering classes
Very interesting: "Number of weekly flights between Russia and UAE is expected to rise from about 100 in mid-July to around 300 by late October...The option of direct flights to the UAE will extend far beyond Moscow and St Petersburg to cover 14 Russian cities". www.agbi.com/opinion/tour...
The UAE's marketing push in Russia pays off as tourists return
Turkey and Egypt have traditionally been Russia’s favourite holiday destinations but travellers are now opting for the UAE
www.agbi.com
September 6, 2026 at 12:31 PM
Very interesting: "Number of weekly flights between Russia and UAE is expected to rise from about 100 in mid-July to around 300 by late October...The option of direct flights to the UAE will extend far beyond Moscow and St Petersburg to cover 14 Russian cities". www.agbi.com/opinion/tour...
"Guns?" Nothing to see here, folks ...
September 2, 2026 at 9:33 AM
"Guns?" Nothing to see here, folks ...
Meet Moshe, the nonexistent 'Israeli thinker' Hezbollah loves to quote
www.timesofisrael.com/meet-moshe-t...
www.timesofisrael.com/meet-moshe-t...
Meet Moshe, the nonexistent ‘Israeli thinker’ Hezbollah loves to quote
When terror group chief Naim Qassem cited 'Yedioth journalist Moshe Yair' to prove a point in a speech last week, he joined others who have used fictitious Israeli writer to bolster group's narrative
www.timesofisrael.com
August 20, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Meet Moshe, the nonexistent 'Israeli thinker' Hezbollah loves to quote
www.timesofisrael.com/meet-moshe-t...
www.timesofisrael.com/meet-moshe-t...
Looking at Israeli strike in Syria supposedly meant to deter Turkey, and crowing of senior elected officials in its wake to rally the base, I really wish we could just tell the rest of world to ignore whatever we're doing for 2 months, until after the election. Unfortunately, doesn't work that way.
August 20, 2026 at 5:58 AM
Looking at Israeli strike in Syria supposedly meant to deter Turkey, and crowing of senior elected officials in its wake to rally the base, I really wish we could just tell the rest of world to ignore whatever we're doing for 2 months, until after the election. Unfortunately, doesn't work that way.
IAEA finds 'tons' of nuclear material in Syria; Damascus: We'll keep it for 'peaceful' energy use
www.timesofisrael.com/iaea-finds-f...
www.timesofisrael.com/iaea-finds-f...
www.timesofisrael.com
August 19, 2026 at 8:23 AM
IAEA finds 'tons' of nuclear material in Syria; Damascus: We'll keep it for 'peaceful' energy use
www.timesofisrael.com/iaea-finds-f...
www.timesofisrael.com/iaea-finds-f...
New, exciting learning opportunity. One year-three semester MA in Applied Middle East Studies in Tel Aviv, with the Moshe Dayan Center.
international.tau.ac.il/moshe-dayan-...
international.tau.ac.il/moshe-dayan-...
Inside TAU’s Middle Eastern Studies MA at the Moshe Dayan Center
Study the contemporary Middle East through an English-taught graduate degree that connects historical depth, regional expertise, and applied research.
international.tau.ac.il
August 17, 2026 at 5:44 AM
New, exciting learning opportunity. One year-three semester MA in Applied Middle East Studies in Tel Aviv, with the Moshe Dayan Center.
international.tau.ac.il/moshe-dayan-...
international.tau.ac.il/moshe-dayan-...
My new book chapter, on Gulf States' involvement in the Eastern Mediterranean Geoeconomic and geopolitical space, is available in open access:
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Geostrategic Gulf
This open access book on Arabian Gulf conflicts, exploring history, geopolitics and regional divisions shaping the Middle East and global security.
link.springer.com
August 16, 2026 at 5:07 AM
My new book chapter, on Gulf States' involvement in the Eastern Mediterranean Geoeconomic and geopolitical space, is available in open access:
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Was on Israeli TV and panelist, disagreed with my analysis and said "US has never and will never pay tolls to use the Straits of Hormuz". Not sure he was right, but I also wonder if he knows how little of commercial shipping going through Straits is from or to US...2.5%. Trump certainly knows that.
August 12, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Was on Israeli TV and panelist, disagreed with my analysis and said "US has never and will never pay tolls to use the Straits of Hormuz". Not sure he was right, but I also wonder if he knows how little of commercial shipping going through Straits is from or to US...2.5%. Trump certainly knows that.
The enormous dependence of the Egyptian economy on UAE, its single largest source of investment, is always going to be a limiting factor in their playing an active role in the "STP Alliance". www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...
UAE-Egypt ties keep growing as Cairo navigates shifting Gulf landscape
An Emirati investor could soon strike a $2.7 billion deal to develop another tourism project on Egypt's North Coast, the latest in a string of UAE-linked pacts that have continued advancing despite tu...
www.al-monitor.com
August 11, 2026 at 8:48 AM
The enormous dependence of the Egyptian economy on UAE, its single largest source of investment, is always going to be a limiting factor in their playing an active role in the "STP Alliance". www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...
Netanyahu basically emptying primary process - which Likud uses to vaunt its internal democracy - of most meaning, by appointing 1/2 the party list for coming elections. Making sure his people are taken care of, including 1 who lives abroad and has cursed Trump.
www.timesofisrael.com/saar-katz-to...
www.timesofisrael.com/saar-katz-to...
Sa’ar, Katz to get newly added reserved slots on Likud list, expanding PM’s control
Central Committee chair Haim Katz will also receive guaranteed spot, party says in late-night announcement; placements are in addition to PM's 8 reserved spaces
www.timesofisrael.com
August 11, 2026 at 7:48 AM
Netanyahu basically emptying primary process - which Likud uses to vaunt its internal democracy - of most meaning, by appointing 1/2 the party list for coming elections. Making sure his people are taken care of, including 1 who lives abroad and has cursed Trump.
www.timesofisrael.com/saar-katz-to...
www.timesofisrael.com/saar-katz-to...
Skeptical of the hoopla around the report. What are sources of this information? These are obviously extremely closely held secrets in these countries. Are there intercepts? High-access HUMINT? RUMINT (rumor intelligence)? And who leaked it to the journalists?
www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ent...
www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ent...
Hebrew reports claim two Arab states plotting to sign diplomatic deals with Israel to trick it as they plan for war
* * *
www.timesofisrael.com
August 11, 2026 at 7:28 AM
Skeptical of the hoopla around the report. What are sources of this information? These are obviously extremely closely held secrets in these countries. Are there intercepts? High-access HUMINT? RUMINT (rumor intelligence)? And who leaked it to the journalists?
www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ent...
www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ent...
“In practice, it is inconceivable that Turkey or Saudi Arabia would get involved in a conflict with India if the latter came to blows with Pakistan again...Extension of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent to cover Saudi against Iran or Turkey...looks equally implausible.”
jewishinsider.com/2026/08/new-...
jewishinsider.com/2026/08/new-...
New defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan concerns U.S. national security experts
A coalition of Sunni regional powers signed a historic joint defense pact on Friday, but national security experts expressed deep unease over the arrangement, arguing that it reflects U.S. shortcoming...
jewishinsider.com
August 11, 2026 at 6:28 AM
“In practice, it is inconceivable that Turkey or Saudi Arabia would get involved in a conflict with India if the latter came to blows with Pakistan again...Extension of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent to cover Saudi against Iran or Turkey...looks equally implausible.”
jewishinsider.com/2026/08/new-...
jewishinsider.com/2026/08/new-...
Mamdani doing as much as he can to get Netanyahu re-elected. Not a day goes by when someone in Israel doesn't ask me about him
July 28, 2026 at 9:38 AM
Mamdani doing as much as he can to get Netanyahu re-elected. Not a day goes by when someone in Israel doesn't ask me about him
This story is just unconscionable, and another sign of narratives becoming more important than reality. DoD Removes Names of Latest KIA from List of Casualties | SOF News share.google/yjYAMqQhoWJO...
DoD Removes Names of Latest KIA from List of Casualties | SOF News
The Pentagon has removed the names of four service members who died in Jordan and Iraq in the past week from the official list of casualties.
share.google
July 26, 2026 at 3:46 PM
This story is just unconscionable, and another sign of narratives becoming more important than reality. DoD Removes Names of Latest KIA from List of Casualties | SOF News share.google/yjYAMqQhoWJO...
Beginning of new, massive deal for sale of 🇮🇱 gas from Tamar field to Egypt. $20B, in addition to the 35B already included in Leviathan field deal from December. 2 partners, including UAE's Mubadala (11%) pushing deal. Doubling down on dependence on 🇪🇬 export route. www.globes.co.il/news/article...
בכ-20 מיליארד דולר: תמר תייצא גז למצרים
www.globes.co.il
July 21, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Beginning of new, massive deal for sale of 🇮🇱 gas from Tamar field to Egypt. $20B, in addition to the 35B already included in Leviathan field deal from December. 2 partners, including UAE's Mubadala (11%) pushing deal. Doubling down on dependence on 🇪🇬 export route. www.globes.co.il/news/article...
I have a chapter (Chapter 10, on Gulf States' involvement in the Eastern Mediterranean) in this new open-access book published by Springer "The Geostrategic Gulf". link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
July 17, 2026 at 5:27 AM
I have a chapter (Chapter 10, on Gulf States' involvement in the Eastern Mediterranean) in this new open-access book published by Springer "The Geostrategic Gulf". link.springer.com/book/10.1007...