<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

China

India

Pakistan

Economics

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: A Shanghai Cooperation Organization Meeting, Chinese Financial Support Measures

U.S.-Iran Relations

A plume of smoke billows following an Israeli air strike above a border town in southern Lebanon on Oct. 7, 2024. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

While the country may initially come together in the face of Israel's invasion, various Lebanese factions will probably become more critical of Hezbollah as the war wears on, raising the risk of violence between the group and its domestic rivals.

How Long Will Lebanon Rally Behind Hezbollah's Fight Against Israel?

Columns

On Geopolitics

An Israeli tank Aug. 7, 2024, in southern Israel along the border with the Gaza Strip. Washington may change the regional dynamics substantially before the next Oct. 7; if not, we will likely be marking a second anniversary of regional conflict next year. 

Washington may change the regional dynamics substantially before the next Oct. 7; if not, we will likely be marking a second anniversary of regional conflict next year.

Will War in the Middle East Last Another Year?

Mozambique

Brazil

Germany

Ukraine

A man in Maputo walks past a wall covered with electoral posters in support of Daniel Chapo, the ruling party candidate in Mozambique’s presidential election, on Oct. 4, 2024. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Biden Visits Germany as Mozambique, Tunisia and Brazil Hold Elections

Ethiopia

Sudan

The Geopolitics of Water

Environment, Science & Technology

Population growth, security vacuums, bad governance and climate change will increasingly strain the desert region's already scarce water supplies, raising the risk of social unrest, interstate conflict and violence from non-state actors.

In the Middle East, Water Will Increasingly Become a Weapon and Driver of Conflict

A topographic map of Iran.

The exposure of its proxy strategy's shortcomings over the past year will force Iran to adapt its national security strategy to compensate.

Iran Grapples With a Weakened Axis of Resistance

Authorities in Israel's southern city of Gedera assess a damaged school building after a projectile exploded upon impact on Oct. 1, 2024, after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel. 

Israel will most likely strike a small number of targets inside Iran, but there is a chance it will pursue more escalatory options that would likely invite further Iranian attacks.

Gauging Israel's Options for Responding to Iran's Ballistic Missile Attack

Tunisian President Kais Saied speaks to reporters Dec. 24, 2023, in Mnihla in Ariana province, Tunisia. In a second term, Saied would likely undermine the judiciary and push for constitutional reforms to expand his powers, but will not make meaningful economic reforms for fear of protests. 

Once in office, Kais Saied will likely undermine the judiciary and push for constitutional reforms to expand his powers, but will not make meaningful economic reforms for fear of protests. 

Tunisia's President Poised for Reelection, and to Expand His Power

Eritrea

Somalia

Internally displaced people walk past the Tigrayan flag at the Tsehaye camp in Ethiopia's Shire, Tigray region, on July 16, 2024. 

Factionalism within the Tigray region's ruling party raises the prospect of resurging clashes in the region, threatening to undermine Ethiopia's recent peace and economic gains.

Tigray's Leadership Tussle Bodes Ill for Ethiopia

Israeli tanks gather by the Lebanese border on Sept. 30, 2024. 

Israel is trying to seize on the chaos its recent attacks have inflicted on Hezbollah, but no ground operation will firmly and quickly secure southern Lebanon, and could pull Israel into a prolonged and costly campaign.

Assessing Israel's Options for a Ground Invasion in Lebanon

Egypt, Eritrea and Somalia agreed to advance joint security cooperation at a trilateral summit of the three countries' heads of state, Reuters reported on Oct. 10.

Africa: Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia Advance Tripartite Security Partnership

Cyber

Pro-Palestinian hacktivist group BlackMeta claimed responsibility for a large-scale distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attack on the Internet Archive's "Wayback Machine" that lasted five hours, and the group implied plans to carry out another attack on Oct. 10, according to Oct. 9 posts on its X account.

U.S.: Pro-Palestinian Hackers Claim DDoS Attack on Internet Archive Amid Data Breach, Website Defacement

Taher al-Nono, the media advisor for the Palestinian militant and political group Hamas, said Hamas officials would travel with leaders of the rival Palestinian group Fatah to Cairo, Egypt, on Oct. 9 for another round of reconciliation talks, Reuters reported the same day.

Palestinian Territories: Hamas, Fatah To Hold More Unity Talks in Cairo

Energy

Iran warned that it would respond if Gulf Arab countries allowed the United States to use their airspace or military bases against Iran, Reuters reported on Oct. 8, a day before Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Saudi Arabia to speak with Saudi officials.

Iran: Tehran Warns Against the U.S. Using Gulf Territory, Airspace To Attack Iran

The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, started ground operations in the southwestern sector of southern Lebanon while bolstering its armed forces with an additional division, Haaretz reported on Oct. 8.

Israel, Lebanon: Israel Expands Operations in Lebanon, Risking an Extended Conflict

Tunisia's electoral authority announced incumbent Tunisian President Kais Saied's reelection for a second term after he secured 90.69% of the vote in the first round of the Oct. 6 presidential election with voter turnout of 28.8%, according to preliminary results, Reuters reported on Oct. 7.

Tunisia: Saied Wins Reelection in Landslide Victory

Europe

The European Court of Justice, or ECJ, issued a final ruling invalidating the 2019 EU-Morocco trade deals on agriculture and fisheries, saying the European Commission had violated the self-determination rights of the indigenous Sahrawi people in Western Sahara by not including them in negotiations, Reuters reported on Oct. 4.

Morocco, Western Sahara, EU: European Court of Justice Invalidates 2019 EU-Morocco Trade Deals

Egypt's supply ministry developed plans to decrease the cost of subsidized bread by cutting wheat imports and adding cheaper ingredients such as corn and sorghum, Reuters reported on Oct. 3.

Egypt: Cairo Proposes Lowering Bread Costs by Supplementing Wheat Imports

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Africa: Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia Advance Tripartite Security Partnership

U.S.: Pro-Palestinian Hackers Claim DDoS Attack on Internet Archive Amid Data Breach, Website Defacement

Palestinian Territories: Hamas, Fatah To Hold More Unity Talks in Cairo

Iran: Tehran Warns Against the U.S. Using Gulf Territory, Airspace To Attack Iran

Israel, Lebanon: Israel Expands Operations in Lebanon, Risking an Extended Conflict

Tunisia: Saied Wins Reelection in Landslide Victory

Morocco, Western Sahara, EU: European Court of Justice Invalidates 2019 EU-Morocco Trade Deals

Egypt: Cairo Proposes Lowering Bread Costs by Supplementing Wheat Imports

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