<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

Columns

On Geopolitics

United States

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B aircraft over the North Sea having taken off from RAF Fairford on July 1, 2016 in Gloucestershire, England. The tactic designed to allow intervention without deepening withdrawalism will instead do the opposite, and Washington will face more and more calls to retrench from the Middle East.

Military & Security

The tactic designed to allow intervention without deepening withdrawalism will instead do the opposite, and Washington will face more and more calls to retrench from the Middle East.

Washington Bumps up Against the Limits of Airpower in the Middle East

Assessments

Kazakhstan

The OPEC logo is seen outside the bloc's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on Oct. 4, 2022.

Economics

Energy

The production boost will further decrease oil prices, which will provide some financial relief for oil-consuming countries affected by U.S. tariffs, while further straining the budgets of poorer oil producers like Iraq. 

The Mixed Economic Impact of OPEC's Production Increase

Israeli soldiers conduct a raid in the West Bank on March 19, 2025. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Politics

Israel's newly approved plan to expand its offensive against Hamas will invite more Houthi attacks on its territory, worsen Gaza's humanitarian crisis, and fuel backlash both at home and abroad. 

To Break Hamas, Israel Prepares to Reoccupy Gaza

Fighters gather outside a building that was seized by jihadists in Syria's northern Aleppo province on Nov. 29, 2024, amid the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) offensive against government forces.

The two countries will seek to avoid direct conflict amid U.S. pressure to de-escalate tensions, but their competing military presence in Syria and elevated risk tolerances leave the door open to miscalculations and limited clashes.

Can Israel and Turkey Avoid a Conflict in Syria?

Benin

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Cote d'Ivoire

Djibouti

Gabon

Guinea

Madagascar

Mali

Mauritania

Niger

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Senegal

Togo

France

A Gabonese brigade participates in a training exercise as part of a military program linked to the Franco-Gabonese partnership at the French military base Camp de Gaulle in Libreville on March 19, 2025. 

France's reduced influence in Africa will create space for local and foreign actors to take on greater leadership roles, but their inability to fill the security vacuum left by France's withdrawal would threaten to destabilize the region.

France, Africa and the Future, Part 2: The Age of Multi-Alignment 

A woman walks by anti-U.S. murals on the walls of the former U.S. embassy in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 11, 2025. 

The U.S. will likely have to allow some Iranian uranium enrichment to ink a nuclear deal, likely resulting in Saudi Arabia seeking similar provisions for its own civilian nuclear program.

With Iran and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Faces a Uranium Enrichment Dilemma

U.S.-Iran Relations

Canada

Europe

Italy

Ukraine

India

Pakistan

Indian soldiers stand guard atop their vehicle in Srinagar, India, on April 23, 2025, following a deadly militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Escalating Pakistan-India Tensions, Canadian Elections and Pope Francis' Funeral

Yemeni soldiers stand guard during a protest against the United States on April 18, 2025 in Sanaa, Yemen. 

As intensified U.S. airstrikes fail to halt Houthi attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping, Washington is increasingly likely to seek on-the-ground Yemeni partners to pressure the militant movement.


In Yemen, the U.S.'s Anti-Houthi Campaign Raises the Specter of a Government Ground Offensive

A Lebanese flag painted on a damaged building in the village of Meiss El-Jabal in southern Lebanon is seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on Jan. 23, 2025, in northern Israel. 

Hezbollah's military losses and the formation of Lebanon's new government have opened the door to a new chapter in Lebanese history, although external pressure will complicate the country's next steps.

Hezbollah's Future in Lebanon

United Kingdom

Workers at a quarry Feb. 26, 2025 in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine.

Cyber

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Von der Leyen Meets Starmer, a U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal

Qatar will provide $29 million a month to Syria to help pay civil servant salaries for at least the next three months, Reuters reported on May 7, citing Syria's finance minister.

Syria: Qatar Gains U.S. Sanctions Exemptions To Pay Syrian Civil Servant Salaries

A Houthi spokesperson said that the Yemeni group's new ceasefire with the United States does not extend to Israel, after U.S. President Donald Trump on May 6 declared an end to the U.S. military campaign against the Houthis, Reuters reported May 7.

Yemen: Houthi Spokesperson Says Ceasefire With U.S. Does Not Include Israel

The United States may begin deporting migrants to Libya the week of May 5, soon after an April 29 meeting between U.S. officials and Saddam Hifter, a powerful son of Libyan National Army commander and eastern Government of National Stability supporter Khalifa Hifter, Reuters reported on May 6.

Libya, U.S.: Washington May Soon Begin Sending Migrants to Libya 

Israel and Syria established a back channel not long after provisional Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the United Arab Emirates in April, with the talks focusing on security matters but not directly touching on Israel's current occupation of and military campaign in Syria, Reuters reported on May 7.

Syria, Israel: Back Channel Security Talks May Improve Relations Over Time

Speaking to reporters, U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. forces would end their campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels, who allegedly requested an end to U.S. strikes and pledged to stop attacking civilian ships in the Red Sea, Axios reported on May 6. 

U.S., Yemen: Trump Claims Houthis Have Capitulated, Orders End of Bombing Campaign

Tanzania

Deputy President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed several agreements with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, The Chanzo reported May 6.

Tanzania: Government Expands Cooperation With UAE on Healthcare, Mining and Trade

A senior Hamas official said there is "no sense" in continuing negotiations or exploring the possibility of another ceasefire between Hamas and Israel while Israel's total blockade on the Gaza Strip continues, The Guardian reported May 6.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Says 'No Sense' in Continuing Ceasefire Negotiations

Israel conducted airstrikes on Yemen's port of al-Hudaydah using around 20 fighter jets in retaliation for the Houthis' May 4 missile attack on Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, The Wall Street Journal reported on May 5.

Israel, Yemen: Israel Bombs the Houthis Following Ben-Gurion Attack

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Syria: Qatar Gains U.S. Sanctions Exemptions To Pay Syrian Civil Servant Salaries

Yemen: Houthi Spokesperson Says Ceasefire With U.S. Does Not Include Israel

Libya, U.S.: Washington May Soon Begin Sending Migrants to Libya

Syria, Israel: Back Channel Security Talks May Improve Relations Over Time

U.S., Yemen: Trump Claims Houthis Have Capitulated, Orders End of Bombing Campaign

Tanzania: Government Expands Cooperation With UAE on Healthcare, Mining and Trade

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Says 'No Sense' in Continuing Ceasefire Negotiations

Israel, Yemen: Israel Bombs the Houthis Following Ben-Gurion Attack

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