<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

A picture taken from a distance shows the damaged building (L) in the Qatari compound housing members of Hamas' political bureau on Sept. 10, 2025. Israel targeted the building the previous day in a strike in Qatar's capital, Doha. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

Politics

Israel's Sept. 9 airstrikes in Qatar will likely harden the stances of Iranian-backed groups, keep normalization with Saudi Arabia off the table and drive more assertive postures from other regional states.

The Regional Implications of Israel's Strikes in Qatar

A vehicle in a U.S. military convoy drives in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Economics

The U.S. drawdown from Iraq will weaken Washington's direct influence while creating more space for Turkey to expand economically and Iran to gradually reassert itself through political and militia networks. 

Iraq's Shifting Power Dynamics After U.S. Withdrawal

Snapshots

Smoke billows after explosions in Qatar's capital of Doha on Sept. 9. The attack will reduce the odds of a ceasefire in Gaza as Qatar walks back from its role as mediator and reassesses its regional diplomatic and security strategy.

The attack will reduce the odds of a ceasefire in Gaza as Qatar walks back from its role as mediator and reassesses its regional diplomatic and security strategy.

Israel's Attack on Hamas' Political Leadership Scrambles Qatar's Regional Role

Ethiopia

Brazil

Japan

France

United Kingdom

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou leaves after the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Aug. 27, 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: France's Bayrou Faces a Confidence Vote, Ethiopia Inaugurates Its Mega-Dam

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

The Geopolitics of Trade

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Global Trade

Geopolitical, security and environmental risks threaten to disrupt trade through crucial waterways, including the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the Suez Canal, the Danish and Turkish straits, and the Panama Canal.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Threats to Maritime Chokepoints Endanger Global Trade, Part 2

Diverse security risks threaten maritime chokepoints around the world, presenting unique challenges to international trade.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Threats to Maritime Chokepoints Endanger Global Trade, Part 1

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks after the Presidential Cabinet meeting on May 12, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey.

The process remains fragile amid the risk of stalled progress on the PKK's disarmament, the lingering threat of Kurdish militant attacks, and the potential for empty government promises.

Threats to the Turkish-Kurdish Peace Process

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

Germany

The Maanshan nuclear power plant is seen next to a beach in Pingtung, in southern Taiwan, on April 29, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: Iran Meets With European Powers, Taiwan Holds a Nuclear Referendum

Saudi Mining and Industry Minister Bandar Al-Khorayef addresses the Future Mineral Forum in Riyadh on Jan. 10, 2024. 

Despite recent deals, the kingdom's mining sector will struggle to secure the level of investment needed to accomplish its Vision 2030 goals, though certain minerals adjacent to oil production, like lithium, are poised for greater growth.

The Challenges and Opportunities in Saudi Arabia's Mining Sector

A tank is seen during Turkey's International Defense Industry Fair on July 22, 2024, in Istanbul.

Turkey's push to improve its air defenses in Syria amid Israel's ongoing aerial campaign raises the risk of tactical incidents and a brief crisis, although a larger conflict remains unlikely.

In Syria, Turkey and Israel's Parallel Deployments Heighten Flashpoint Risks

Canada

EU ambassadors discussed whether the bloc’s 150 billion euro ($176 billion) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan facility for defense investments and joint procurement could be used to finance arms purchases from the United Kingdom and Canada, with France pushing to cap such purchases at 50% of their value to prioritize EU-based defense manufacturers, Euractiv reported on Sept. 12.

EU: Member States Debate Third-Country Participation in SAFE Defense Joint Procurement Initiative

Somalia

Egypt is reportedly set to deploy troops to Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission (AUSSOM) to counter the al Qaeda-affiliated militia al Shabaab, which maintains strongholds in central and southern Somalia, Garowe Online reported on Sept. 9.

Somalia, Egypt: Cairo Prepares To Deploy Troops in Somalia, Identifies Key Military Bases

Following Israel's strike on Doha, Qatar, on Sept. 9, the European Union, the United States, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Iraq and others criticized the attack, Al Jazeera reported the same day.

Israel: International Condemnation Follows Israeli Airstrike on Qatar

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency reached an agreement on Sept. 9 that will eventually allow IAEA inspectors to resume visits to Iranian nuclear sites, Reuters reported the same day.

Iran: Tehran, IAEA Reach Agreement on Process To Resume Nuclear Inspections

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, called for all residents of Gaza City to evacuate south to a newly established humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, BBC reported on Sept. 9.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Issues Complete Gaza City Evacuation Order

Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a crowded bus stop in Jerusalem's Ramot Junction, killing six people and injuring more than a dozen others before being killed at the scene by an off-duty soldier and a civilian, The Times of Israel reported on Sept. 8.

Israel, West Bank: Palestinian Militants Launch Mass-Casualty Attack Near Jerusalem

Hundreds of Turkish police officers blocked the Istanbul headquarters of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in what CHP leadership decried as a "siege," Bloomberg reported Sept. 7.

Turkey: Authorities Impose Protest Restrictions after Crackdown on Opposition Party

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Venezuela

Russia

On Sept. 7, OPEC+ agreed to increase its oil production quota by 137,000 barrels per day in October, though it did not publish any guidance on production levels beyond October.

OPEC+: Bloc To Lift Oil Production Further in October

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

EU: Member States Debate Third-Country Participation in SAFE Defense Joint Procurement Initiative

Somalia, Egypt: Cairo Prepares To Deploy Troops in Somalia, Identifies Key Military Bases

Israel: International Condemnation Follows Israeli Airstrike on Qatar

Iran: Tehran, IAEA Reach Agreement on Process To Resume Nuclear Inspections

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Issues Complete Gaza City Evacuation Order

Israel, West Bank: Palestinian Militants Launch Mass-Casualty Attack Near Jerusalem

Turkey: Authorities Impose Protest Restrictions after Crackdown on Opposition Party

OPEC+: Bloc To Lift Oil Production Further in October

Forecasts

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