<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

Germany

United Kingdom

Slovenia

Spain

Ireland

Hungary

The EU and Israeli flags in March 2024 in central Berlin's Rotes Rathaus. Although the European Union has sanctioned extremist Israeli settlers, deep-seated internal divisions and a reliance on Israeli defense systems will likely prevent the bloc from imposing comprehensive trade restrictions.

Economics

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

Politics

Although the European Union has sanctioned extremist Israeli settlers, deep-seated internal divisions and a reliance on Israeli defense systems will likely prevent the bloc from imposing comprehensive trade restrictions.

Targeted EU Sanctions on Israeli Settlers Unlikely To Broaden Into Wider Restrictions 

United States

Right-wing activists gather with Israeli flags outside the Damascus Gate of the walled Old City of Jerusalem on May 26, 2025, during a flag march for Jerusalem Day, commemorating the Israeli army's 1967 capture of the city's eastern sector during the Arab-Israeli war.

Israel's quest for middle-power status will be defined by its ability to unify its Jerusalem core, which has remained divided throughout the modern state's history.

The Modern Geopolitics of Israel

Social Issues

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Gulf states' push to employ more local citizens in the private sector will help advance their economies and reduce public wage bills, but it will also create new risks for businesses that have traditionally relied on cheap foreign labor.

The Future of Work in the GCC: Localization, Competition and Business Risks

Mexico

China

Japan

South Korea

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 3, 2025, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Middle East, Putin Heads to Beijing

U.S.-Iran Relations

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Afghanistan

India

Pakistan

Afghan protesters burn a Pakistani flag during a demonstration in Helmand Province in 2016.

Gains from the Afghan Taliban's growing regional ties will be hindered by enduring disputes, logistical constraints, infrastructure security risks, and Pakistan's possible absence from future multilateral engagements.

How the Afghan-Pakistani Conflict Is Redrawing Regional Relations

Commercial vessels are seen offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026.

While recent revelations about the airstrikes indicate a shift in both countries' risk calculations, the UAE's hawkish, Israel-aligned posture poses a greater threat of Iranian retaliation than Saudi Arabia's more restrained approach. 

The UAE and Saudi Arabia Enter the War Against Iran, but With Separate Strategies

A digital illustration of the Turkish flag.

Continued high inflation, political uncertainty and bureaucratic hurdles will likely limit the overall effectiveness of the reforms, which come ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Turkey Pursues Tax Reforms Amid Economic Fallout From the Iran War

Part of the gas processing facilities of Europe's first helium production pilot plant in Saint-Parize-le-Chatel, France, on Sept. 11, 2024.

Energy

Qatar's halt of helium production due to the Iran war risks causing shortages that disrupt key manufacturing industries, particularly in Asia.

How the Iran War is Choking the World's Helium Flow

Kenya

France

Boats on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions between the United States and Iran will remain elevated, especially around the strait, following the May 7 U.S.-Iran exchange of attacks and Iranian attacks against the United Arab Emirates.

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, France Convenes an Africa Summit

U.S.-China Relations

Snapshots

People wave Iranian pre-1979 Islamic Revolution and American flags while members of the Iranian community celebrate in front of the Federal Building on March 1, in Los Angeles. 

The recent exchange of fire around the Strait of Hormuz reflects calculated efforts by Washington and Tehran to re-establish deterrence and project strength, complicating already fragile negotiations.


Iran and U.S. Exchange Fire, Further Straining Ceasefire

Israel's May 16 assassination of Hamas military chief Izz al-Din al-Haddad has triggered a power struggle within the Palestinian militant group, according to sources cited in a May 21 report in The National.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Report Details Hamas Infighting in Wake of Military Chief's Assassination

The latest U.S. negotiation proposal has "narrowed the gaps" between U.S. and Iranian demands, though some gaps remain, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency cited by Bloomberg on May 21.

U.S., Iran: Iranian Media Says Latest U.S. Proposal 'Narrows Gaps'

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to expand the Iran war "beyond the region" if U.S. or Israeli attacks against Iran resume, Reuters reported May 20.

Global: Iran Threatens To Expand Conflict 'Beyond the Region' if U.S. or Israeli Strikes Resume

For the first time since the Iran conflict began in late February, India has developed plans for oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz, load up unknown volumes of energy cargoes, and subsequently return to India under escort by Indian warships currently deployed to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, Bloomberg reported May 20.

India: New Delhi Plans for Oil Tankers to Transit Hormuz and Load Up on Fuel

The Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Kingdom signed a free-trade agreement (FTA) that, according to some estimates, could add $5 billion per year to the U.K. economy over the long term, the Financial Times reported May 20.

Global: GCC and the U.K. Sign Free Trade Agreement

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a May 18 Truth Social post that he had called off a planned May 19 military attack on Iran following requests from Qatari, Saudi and Emirati leaders, who reportedly informed Trump that negotiations on a deal that includes "NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN" were progressing.

U.S., Iran: Trump Calls Off Planned May 19 Attack on Iran as Negotiations Reportedly Progress

Pakistan has in recent weeks deployed approximately 8,000 troops, a squadron of 16 JF-17 fighters and other aircraft, and a Chinese HQ-9 surface-to-air missile system to Saudi Arabia under the countries' September 2025 mutual defense agreement, Reuters reported on May 18, citing three "security officials" and two "government sources."

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Report Details Military Assets Pakistan Has Deployed to Saudi Arabia Amid the Iran War

The United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense reported in a May 17 X post that air defenses successfully intercepted two drones, while a third drone started a fire at an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah nuclear power plant; a presidential adviser suggested in a May 18 X post that Iran or one of its proxies was behind the attack.

UAE, Iran, U.S.: Drone Attack on Emirati Nuclear Power Plant

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Report Details Hamas Infighting in Wake of Military Chief's Assassination

U.S., Iran: Iranian Media Says Latest U.S. Proposal 'Narrows Gaps'

Global: Iran Threatens To Expand Conflict 'Beyond the Region' if U.S. or Israeli Strikes Resume

India: New Delhi Plans for Oil Tankers to Transit Hormuz and Load Up on Fuel

Global: GCC and the U.K. Sign Free Trade Agreement

U.S., Iran: Trump Calls Off Planned May 19 Attack on Iran as Negotiations Reportedly Progress

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Report Details Military Assets Pakistan Has Deployed to Saudi Arabia Amid the Iran War

UAE, Iran, U.S.: Drone Attack on Emirati Nuclear Power Plant

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