<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

Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran, Iran, on March 7, 2026.

Military & Security

Politics

Limited commando raids are Trump's most viable option, as larger ground incursions in Iran would face severe logistical, political and strategic risks and remain unlikely without a major shift in regional and U.S. domestic support.

Strategic Risks and Political Hurdles for a U.S. Ground War in Iran

People attend the funeral of a person killed during an Iranian drone attack on a high-rise apartment building in Bahrain's capital, Manama, on March 10, 2026.

Economics

Energy

A sharp rise in domestic sectarian issues and disruptions to key exports through the Strait of Hormuz are converging to threaten the political and economic stability of the kingdom.

Iran War Exposes Bahrain to Fiscal Risks, Sectarian Tensions

Snapshots

Demonstrators wave Iranian national flags and hold pictures of the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, at Enghelab Square in central Tehran on March 9, 2026.

The selection of hard-line cleric Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his slain father will entrench Tehran's resolve to continue the war and preserve its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

Iran's New Supreme Leader Will Strengthen Hard-Liner Influence

Jordanian Armed Forces, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps forces and other international forces conduct a combined Arms Live Fire Exercise on May 23, 2024 in the desert near Azraq, Jordan. 

As the United States prepares to withdraw its final troops from Syria, Amman will likely expand cross-border security operations to counter Islamic State and disrupt drug smuggling networks.

Jordan Likely To Step Up Anti-Islamic State, Countersmuggling Operations in Syria

Chile

Colombia

China

Germany

Greece

France

United Kingdom

Cyprus

Netherlands

Spain

Italy

Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran on March 2, 2026, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top military leaders, prompting a new wave of Iranian retaliatory missile attacks across the region. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: War in the Middle East, U.S.-China Trade Talks

U.S.-Iran Relations

A an Iranian missile that landed March 4 near the Turkish border in the Qamishli district of al-Hasaka, Syria. Although direct strikes as part of Iranian regional retaliation remain unlikely, the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran threatens Egypt and Turkey with energy disruptions and security challenges.

Although direct strikes as part of Iranian regional retaliation remain unlikely, the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran threatens Egypt and Turkey with energy disruptions and security challenges.

Evaluating the Spillover Risks of the Iran War for Egypt and Turkey

The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) on Feb. 25 at the quay of the North Port in Malmo, Sweden. A prolonged conflict in the Middle East would increase Europe's exposure to security risks, including potential attacks on European-linked assets, renewed migration pressures and an elevated terrorism threat, particularly if European capitals assume a more active military or diplomatic role against the Iranian regime.

A protracted regional war threatens to expose the Continent to risks ranging from cyberattacks against critical infrastructure to a renewed influx of asylum seekers.

Prolonged Conflict in Iran Would Elevate Security, Migration Threats Against Europe

Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) participate in a military drill in an outpost near Arbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, on Jan. 15, 2026.

Although arming Iranian Kurdish factions might increase pressure on Tehran, such an uprising alone would be unlikely to collapse the regime, while significantly raising the risk of drawing Turkey and Iraq into the conflict.

The Risks and Constraints of a U.S.-Backed Kurdish Uprising in Iran

Volunteers clean up the rubble outside a government building in Tehran, Iran, that was destroyed by U.S. and Israeli strikes on March 4, 2026.

The war will most likely end in a tenuous ceasefire in the coming weeks, though a faster or slower truce is possible, depending on the U.S.'s political resolve to maintain its campaign against Iran.

The Iran War Will Last as Long as U.S. Political Resolve Does

People attend a gathering honoring Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on March 1, 2026, at Ashura Square in southern Beirut, Lebanon. 

The Iran war has thrown a wrench in Iraq's and Lebanon's political stalemates, likely further prolonging government formation and delaying elections.

Political Stalemates in Iraq and Lebanon Deepen Amid Regional Instability

Russia

The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a 30-day license authorizing the delivery and sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels on or before March 12 and currently at sea, Reuters reported on March 13.

Russia: U.S. Waiver Will Ease Near-Term Oil Tightness but Complicate Russia Sanctions Strategy

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel could destroy Lebanese national infrastructure allegedly used by Hezbollah if the group is not disarmed, The Times of Israel reported on March 13.

Israel, Lebanon: War Expands as Israel Strikes Bridges in Southern Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on March 12 that Israel would create the "optimal conditions" for Iran's regime to fall, though he acknowledged that he was uncertain that Iranians would overthrow the government, the Times of Israel reported March 13. 

MENA: Netanyahu Seeks To Create "Optimal Conditions" for Iran Regime Collapse

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that if Lebanon does not prevent Hezbollah from attacking Israel, Israel "will take the territory and do it ourselves," and Katz, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ordered the Israeli military to prepare for an expanded operation, Reuters reported on March 12.

MENA: Israel Is Poised To Escalate Against Lebanon as Strikes on Iran Continue

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a March 12 CNBC interview that the U.S. Navy was "not ready" to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian attacks but that the Navy would likely be ready to do so by the end of March.

MENA: U.S. Energy Secretary Says U.S. Navy Not Ready for Strait of Hormuz Escorts

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Pro-Iran hacktivist group Handala claimed a cyberattack on U.S.-based medical technology company Stryker Corp. that crippled its operations, Bloomberg reported on March 11.

Iran, U.S., Israel: Pro-Iran Hackers Reportedly Cripple U.S.-Based Medical Technology Company

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the 2022 Istanbul agreements on Ukraine "no longer correspond to the current situation" and that "the reality has changed," Russian state news agency TASS reported on March 11. 

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Kremlin Hardens Negotiating Line as Patriot Stocks Face Strain

South Korea

South Korea's energy ministry announced on March 11 that it would aim to approve two nuclear reactors to begin operations later in March and another four more by mid-May, as well as consider easing operational restrictions on coal-fired power plants in the event that liquefied natural gas deliveries are disrupted due to the Iran war.

South Korea: Nuclear, Coal Power Boosted as Seoul Considers New Budget

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia: U.S. Waiver Will Ease Near-Term Oil Tightness but Complicate Russia Sanctions Strategy

Israel, Lebanon: War Expands as Israel Strikes Bridges in Southern Lebanon

MENA: Netanyahu Seeks To Create "Optimal Conditions" for Iran Regime Collapse

MENA: Israel Is Poised To Escalate Against Lebanon as Strikes on Iran Continue

MENA: U.S. Energy Secretary Says U.S. Navy Not Ready for Strait of Hormuz Escorts

Iran, U.S., Israel: Pro-Iran Hackers Reportedly Cripple U.S.-Based Medical Technology Company

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Kremlin Hardens Negotiating Line as Patriot Stocks Face Strain

South Korea: Nuclear, Coal Power Boosted as Seoul Considers New Budget

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