<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

Cameroon

United States

Japan

France

Palestinians on Oct. 10 on Al-Rashid road headed toward Gaza City. U.S. President Donald Trump said he might visit the Middle East just as 20 hostages are meant to be released by Hamas after surviving two years in captivity as the White House pushes for the solidification of a frail ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

Politics

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

The Weekly Rundown: Trump Tries To Solidify the Gaza Ceasefire, a Presidential Vote in Cameroon

Snapshots

People react at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on Oct. 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal.

Violence in Gaza will almost certainly decrease as both Israel and Hamas are pressured to comply with the first phase of the ceasefire, keeping the truce intact in the coming days and possibly weeks.

After Two Years of War, a Permanent Gaza Ceasefire?

Demonstrators lift banners during a youth-led protest demanding reforms to public healthcare and education in Casablanca, Morocco, on Oct. 6, 2025.

Economics

The government will likely make some, mostly symbolic, concessions to the youth-led protest movement, which already appears to be weakening, but ongoing grievances related to economic inequality will sustain the risk of future mass protests.

Moroccans' Socioeconomic Grievances Will Persist, Even if Current Gen Z Protests Abate

Columns

On Geopolitics

An antique map showing the area around modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories. 

Current conflict dynamics suggest an uneasy ''one-and-a-half-state'' solution may emerge, where Palestinians are granted limited autonomy in reservation-style territories under Israeli control, potentially mitigating violence but leaving Israel more internationally isolated.

A Palestinian 'Half-State' Could Reduce Violence, but Deepen Israel's Isolation

Tajikistan

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Russia

The assembly hall of the Syrian parliament Oct. 1 in Damascus. An Oct. 5 indirect election for parliament will mark the first time Syrians have had an electoral say in their government since the 1960s.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan's Election, Syria's Political Transition

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.

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

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

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

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

Indonesia

A U.S. defense official said Indonesia, Azerbaijan and Pakistan were leading contenders to contribute troops to a post-war Gaza stabilization force, as talks continued for the second phase of the Trump peace plan meant to permanently end the Israel-Hamas war, Politico reported on Oct. 15.

Indonesia, Gaza, U.S.: Trump Throwing Wide Net for Multinational Force in Gaza

amas has released all of the hostage bodies it can access, a spokesperson claimed after it handed over nine of 28 dead hostages, though Israel suspects the group has access to at least an additional six bodies, CNN reported Oct. 16.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Says It Has Released All the Hostage Bodies It Can

Israel is expected to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza and increase humanitarian aid inflows into the strip in a reversal of its Oct. 14 decision following Hamas' release of four additional deceased bodies, though one is reportedly not that of an Israeli hostage, Reuters reported on Oct. 15. 

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Reverses Course and Will Open Rafah Crossing, Increase Aid

Israel is refusing to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Oct. 15 in accordance with the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which took effect on Oct. 10, due to Hamas' refusal to release the majority of the remaining 24 bodies of deceased hostages in Gaza, though four more are expected to be released on Oct. 14, The Times of Israel reported on Oct. 14.

Israel, Gaza: Israel Refuses To Reopen Rafah Border Crossing, Decreases Humanitarian Aid

Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev announced that construction of the Horadiz-Agbend railway and highway, key links in the North-South and Araz transport corridors, will be completed by 2026, Azerbaijan State News Agency reported on Oct. 13.

Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran: Azerbaijan Positions Itself as Core of Russia-Iran Logistics Network

Hamas released the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages still held in Gaza and Israel began to release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in return, Reuters reported Oct. 13.

U.S., Israel, Palestinian Territories: Gaza Ceasefire Holds as Hamas Releases Remaining Living Israeli Hostages

Around 200 U.S. troops will oversee the implementation of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire, although reports conflict over whether these troops will be stationed in Egypt or Israel, the BBC reported Oct. 10.

US, Israel, Palestinian Territories: 200 U.S. Troops To Monitor Gaza Ceasefire

The Syrian army and the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reached a ceasefire on Oct. 7, easing tensions after clashes in the Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo, Reuters reported the same day.

Syria: Army and SDF Reach Ceasefire After Aleppo Clashes

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Indonesia, Gaza, U.S.: Trump Throwing Wide Net for Multinational Force in Gaza

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Says It Has Released All the Hostage Bodies It Can

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Reverses Course and Will Open Rafah Crossing, Increase Aid

Israel, Gaza: Israel Refuses To Reopen Rafah Border Crossing, Decreases Humanitarian Aid

Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran: Azerbaijan Positions Itself as Core of Russia-Iran Logistics Network

U.S., Israel, Palestinian Territories: Gaza Ceasefire Holds as Hamas Releases Remaining Living Israeli Hostages

US, Israel, Palestinian Territories: 200 U.S. Troops To Monitor Gaza Ceasefire

Syria: Army and SDF Reach Ceasefire After Aleppo Clashes

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support