<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

Somalia

Sudan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) inspect the honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on June 22, 2022.

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

After years of discord, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are finding common ground as they increasingly position themselves against Emirati- and Israeli-backed regional initiatives. 

Saudi Arabia and Turkey's New Regional Alignment

United States

China

Germany

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press Feb. 2 in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver the annual State of the Union address to Congress on Feb. 24.

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 Threatens Iran, Pledges To Reimpose Tariffs on Different Grounds

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Snapshots

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Destroyed vehicles are strewn outside Sudan's finance ministry building in the capital Khartoum on Jan. 17, 2026, after nearly three years of devastating war in the country.

Ethiopia's apparent tilt toward the RSF paramilitary group in neighboring Sudan could trigger deadly border clashes and prompt the Sudanese military to deepen ties with Tigrayan forces.

Ethiopia Discreetly Dips Into Sudan's Civil War

Columns

On Security

An F-15 fighter plane takes off from RAF Lakenheath at sunset on Jan. 7, 2026 in Mildenhall, the United Kingdom.

The variety and size of the U.S. military buildup give Trump a breadth of options and, compared with last June, suggest that a wider, longer-lasting campaign is more plausible this time around unless a nuclear deal is reached.

Assessing Trump's Options for Military Action in Iran

The national flag of Algeria flies near the Bay of Algiers against the backdrop of the old town known as the Casbah and cargo containers in Algiers, Algeria, on Aug. 25, 2022.

Divergences between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates are poised to grow and may lead to a diplomatic break.

Algeria's Grievances With the UAE Deepen Amid Strategic Divergences

Europe

U.S. Vice President JD Vance's shadow is seen as he speaks during a press conference following a military briefing at the civilian military coordination center on Oct. 21, 2025, in Kiryat Gat, Israel. 

Environment, Science & Technology

Negotiations over a new Israel-U.S. security agreement signal a pivot in the bilateral relationship as Israel increasingly focuses on strengthening its domestic defense industry.

How Israel's Defense Sector Will Evolve Amid the Government's Push for Self-Reliance

Indonesia

Vietnam

Slovakia

Hungary

Ukraine

Russia

India

U.S. President Donald Trump (C) holds up his signature on the founding charter of the Board of Peace among other world leaders at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 22 in Davos, Switzerland.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: The Board of Peace Convenes, Russia-Ukraine-U.S. Talks in Geneva

Supporters of Tunisia's General Labour Union (UGTT) wave the national flag during a rally in Tunis on Aug. 21, 2025.

If the UGTT fails to resolve internal disputes and stage an effective national strike, President Saied will likely launch an expanded crackdown that further weakens the powerful labor union and, consequently, its private-sector bargaining power.

In Tunisia, UGTT Infighting Risks Playing Into President Saied's Hands

Japan

Thailand

Bangladesh

Campaign posters Feb. 6 of candidates running in the upcoming Japanese House of Representatives election, in Inagi, Tokyo prefecture.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan Holds Snap Elections, U.S. Weighs Options After Iran Talks

Emirati flags on Feb. 4 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. On Feb. 4-5, delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States held a second round of trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates.

The talks are unlikely to produce a near-term settlement, as Russia will continue to press its territorial demands while using diplomacy to manage sanctions pressure and build leverage ahead of a spring-summer offensive.

The Limits of Russia-Ukraine-U.S. Talks

Chad

Uganda

Chad closed its eastern border with Sudan amid severe clashes between forces loyal to the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, in the locality of Tina in Sudan's North Darfur state, with RSF forces allegedly clashing with Chadian security forces near the locality, Reuters reported on Feb. 23.

Sudan: Chad Closes Border Amid Severe Clashes, SAF Lambasts Museveni's Meeting With RSF's Hemedti

U.S. forces began to withdraw from Syria's Qasrak military base in the northeast, though the United States still maintains a military presence at the Rmelan base near the Syria-Iraq border, Reuters reported on Feb. 23.

Syria, U.S.: U.S. Forces Withdraw From Qasrak, Islamic State Calls for 'New Phase' Against Syria

Protests by university students broke out on Feb. 21 at several places inside Iran and continued into Feb. 22, BBC reported.

Iran: Iranian Protests Resurface Ahead of Third Round of Talks on Feb. 26

Energy

A nuclear cooperation deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia may include provisions for the latter to domestically enrich uranium, Reuters reported on Feb. 19, citing congressional documents. 

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Nuclear Deal May Include Uranium Enrichment

Over 40 countries' representatives met in Washington for the first meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which will oversee aid distribution and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, AP reported on Feb. 19.

U.S.: Washington Hosts First Board of Peace Summit

France

Algeria and France agreed to restore security cooperation following the Feb. 16-17 visit of France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez to Algiers, where he met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, AFP reported on Feb. 18.

Algeria, France: Governments To Resume Security Cooperation

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Addis Ababa for a state visit, following which the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen bilateral energy cooperation, CNBC Africa reported on Feb. 18. 

Ethiopia: Abiy Meets Erdogan Amid Major Military Buildup Near Tigray

Niger

During a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Nigerien junta leader Abdourahamane Tchiani vowed to initiate a "new dynamic" with Algeria and strengthen bilateral ties, Jeune Afrique reported on Feb. 17.

Niger, Algeria: Countries Relaunch Trans-Saharan Pipeline Plans Despite Jihadist Expansion

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Sudan: Chad Closes Border Amid Severe Clashes, SAF Lambasts Museveni's Meeting With RSF's Hemedti

Syria, U.S.: U.S. Forces Withdraw From Qasrak, Islamic State Calls for 'New Phase' Against Syria

Iran: Iranian Protests Resurface Ahead of Third Round of Talks on Feb. 26

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Nuclear Deal May Include Uranium Enrichment

U.S.: Washington Hosts First Board of Peace Summit

Algeria, France: Governments To Resume Security Cooperation

Ethiopia: Abiy Meets Erdogan Amid Major Military Buildup Near Tigray

Niger, Algeria: Countries Relaunch Trans-Saharan Pipeline Plans Despite Jihadist Expansion

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