<p>The Middle East and North Africa is the world&#39;s crossroads. It encompasses the Arabian Peninsula, the mountains of Iran, the plains of Turkey, the deserts of the Levant, the lands north of the Sahara and all coasts in between. The story of the region, as is so often the case of places stuck between foreign players, is the story of trade, exchange and conflict. The traditional powers of the region are Turkey and Iran &mdash; Saudi Arabia and Egypt are the current Arab powers &mdash; and their competition for influence over the region&#39;s weaker states makes the Middle East and North Africa an arena of violence and instability.</p>

The Middle East and North Africa encompasses the Arabian Peninsula, the mountains of Iran, the plains of Turkey, the deserts of the Levant, the lands north of the Sahara and all coasts in between.

Middle East and North Africa

Algeria

Bahrain

Egypt

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Libya

Morocco

Oman

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Tunisia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Western Sahara

Yemen

The Syrian Civil War

The Yemen Civil War

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Saudi Survival Strategy

The Kurdish Struggle

Iran's Arc of Influence

Israel's Survival Strategy

The Difficulties of North African Reform

Egypt's Uphill Battle

The Battle for Mosul

Assessments

United States

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. and Qatari military personnel at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, on May 15, 2025.

Military & Security

Politics

The U.S. president's pledge to defend Qatar may deter future Israeli attacks, but it is unlikely to deter Iranian aggression or allay Gulf states' greater concerns about Washington's commitment to their security.

Trump's Security Guarantees for Qatar Unlikely To Offer Enough Reassurance

Columns

On Geopolitics

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a press conference in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 29, 2025. 

The once-unshakable consensus on Israel within U.S. politics is fracturing under the weight of generational change, a growing values gap and a misalignment of geopolitical imperatives.

'A Little Sparta': Why the U.S.-Israeli Relationship Is Destined To Change 

Media

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

Forecast Webcast

Economics

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast Webcast

U.S.-China Relations

China

Russia

The U.N. Security Council holds a meeting on Iran at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, on Sept. 19, 2025. 

Energy

The increased isolation will make Iran more reliant on China and Russia, while the added economic strain could fuel domestic protests and empower Iranian hard-liners calling for more aggressive action against the West.

U.N. Sanctions Snapback: What's Next for Iran?

U.S.-Iran Relations

The fourth quarter will bring shifting trade tactics, evolving wars, and pivotal elections and flashpoints worldwide that will test governments’ stability and market confidence.

2025 Fourth-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Denmark

Ukraine

Moldova

Representatives are pictured ahead of a working session during the informal EU foreign ministers' meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Aug. 30, 2025.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: EU Leaders Meet in Denmark, Moldova Elects a New Parliament

Israeli military vehicles drive along a border fence, near the town of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on July 17, 2025. 

Syria and Israel will likely ink a security pact to ease border tensions before the end of the year, but the deal's likely narrow scope and other unresolved disputes will keep it fragile.

The Implications of a Syria-Israel De-Escalation Agreement

Australia

France

United Kingdom

Dignitaries attend a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestinian statehood, during the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2025, in New York City. 

Western countries' growing recognition of Palestinian statehood is largely symbolic and will likely galvanize Israel's push for West Bank annexation, risking further Israeli diplomatic isolation abroad and sporadic violence at home.

The West's Growing Support for Palestinian Statehood Will Have Limited Concrete Impacts

This aerial photograph shows dry areas near the Alacati Kutlu Aktas Dam in Izmir, Turkey, on July 30, 2025. 

Environment, Science & Technology

The absence of a national water strategy leaves local authorities and businesses exposed to the mounting pressures of climate change, inefficient agricultural practices and population growth.

Water Scarcity Likely to Worsen With Climate Change, Deepening Turkey's Economic Challenges

Egyptian army vehicles are deployed along the border with the Gaza Strip on July 4, 2024, in the north Sinai Peninsula. 

While an all-out war remains improbable, Egypt's military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula will increase the risk of sporadic border incidents and could prompt Israel to suspend a major energy deal with Cairo.

Is an Israel-Egypt Conflict on the Horizon?

Hamas agreed to certain parts of the U.S.-backed proposal to end the war with Israel in Gaza, including the release of all Israeli hostages and the exchange of prisoners, as well as the formation of a post-Hamas government for Gaza, BBC reported on Oct. 3. 

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Announces Partial Agreement to U.S.-Backed Peace Proposal

Italy

Israel's navy intercepted 40 of the 47 ships of the so-called Global Sumud Flotilla and prepared to deport hundreds of the activists onboard, who were attempting to bring aid to Palestinians in Gaza, Reuters reported on Oct. 2.

Israel, Gaza: Aid Flotilla Intercepted, Italian Unions Call Solidarity Strike

Colombia

Colombian President Gustavo Petro ended a free trade agreement with Israel and expelled all Israeli diplomats from Bogota, El Pais reported on Oct. 1. 

Colombia, Israel: Colombia Ends FTA and Breaks Diplomatic Ties With Israel

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order reaffirming the United States' commitment to Qatar's security on Sept. 29, publishing it on Oct. 1.

U.S., Qatar: U.S. Issues Executive Order To Re-Guarantee Qatari Security

Thousands of young Moroccans took to the streets in numerous cities, including Rabat, Casablanca and Agadir, for a third consecutive day on Sept. 29 to protest dire economic conditions, Reuters reported on Sept. 30.

Morocco: Gen Z Protests Continue

Sources close to the Israel-Hamas negotiation process said the Palestinian militant group was inclined to agree with the current U.S.-backed 21-point ceasefire proposal, and Hamas publicly said it was "studying" the plan, CBS News reported on Sept. 30.

Israel, Gaza: Hamas To 'Study' U.S.-Backed Ceasefire Proposal

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Venezuela

OPEC+ will likely decide to increase its oil production in November by at least 137,000 barrels per day when the group meets on Oct. 5, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 28.

Global: OPEC+ Likely To Approve Another Production Hike at Next Meeting

The United Nations formally reimposed economic and military sanctions on Iran following a failed last-ditch effort by Russia and China on Sept. 26 to delay sanctions, Reuters reported on Sept. 28.

Iran: U.N. Reimposes Sanctions on Iran

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Announces Partial Agreement to U.S.-Backed Peace Proposal

Israel, Gaza: Aid Flotilla Intercepted, Italian Unions Call Solidarity Strike

Colombia, Israel: Colombia Ends FTA and Breaks Diplomatic Ties With Israel

U.S., Qatar: U.S. Issues Executive Order To Re-Guarantee Qatari Security

Morocco: Gen Z Protests Continue

Israel, Gaza: Hamas To 'Study' U.S.-Backed Ceasefire Proposal

Global: OPEC+ Likely To Approve Another Production Hike at Next Meeting

Iran: U.N. Reimposes Sanctions on Iran

Forecasts

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