<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

China

Japan

South Korea

United Kingdom

India

Egyptian trucks and heavy machinery on Oct. 26, 2025, on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

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: A Gaza Border Reopening, EU Leaders Visit India

United States

U.S. President Donald Trump (center) holds up his signature on the founding charter among world leaders during a ceremony for the Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2026.

The U.S.-led endeavor's immediate priority will be expanding aid in Gaza, but internal divisions, international skepticism and Israeli interference will likely undermine its effectiveness, especially if the Israel-Hamas ceasefire collapses.

What To Make of Trump's 'Board of Peace'

A photo of Israeli banknotes.

Economics

While Israel's economy has proven remarkably resilient during the years-long Gaza war with Hamas, persistent security risks and an upcoming election will present new challenges.

How Israel's Economy Will Weather Persistent Political and Security Concerns in 2026

Greenland

Vietnam

Denmark

France

Switzerland

Ukraine

Russia

A sniper police officer on the Congress hotel during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Jan. 24, 2025, in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: Davos, Europe Steps Up Greenland Deployments

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Somalia

Sudan

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

Citizens gather to welcome the arrival of vehicles transporting Kurdish fighters from the northern city of Aleppo to the Kurdish-controlled northeastern city of Qamishli on Jan. 11, 2026.

The government's success in forcing the Kurdish-backed militia out of the city will likely reduce fighting there, but it may also lead to a larger localized conflict in the northeast that disrupts Kurdish integration and potentially oil exports.

In Syria, the SDF's Withdrawal From Aleppo Will Complicate Kurdish Integration Efforts

People gather during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 8, 2026. 

The severity of Iran's crackdown on protesters makes it highly likely that Trump will authorize some form of action (e.g., sanctions, cyberattacks or military strikes), with Tehran likely to respond proportionally unless the regime's survival is threatened.

The Risks and Implications of a U.S. Attack Against Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

A stock image shows the silhouettes of soldiers.

Emboldened by its recent capture of Venezuela's Maduro, the White House will likely seek to kill and potentially abduct more Middle Eastern extremists in the coming year, but pursuing high-profile targets like Iranian leaders will carry significant risks.

Potential Targets for U.S. Assassination and Abduction Operations in the Middle East

Nigeria

Colombia

Cuba

Mexico

Venezuela

Taiwan

Europe

Norway

Pakistan

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Global Trade

Social Issues

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026 highlights high-impact, low-probability risks and trends from the annual forecast presented in more extreme terms.

RANE's Top 10 Risks for 2026

U.S.-China Relations

Benin

Uganda

Canada

The Greenlandic flag on Jan. 8, 2026, on the roof of Tivoli Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ukraine security talks and a Gaza peace plan will be in the spotlight at Davos.

The Weekly Rundown: Elections in Uganda and Benin, Canada's Carney Goes to China

Hamas is reportedly looking to integrate around 10,000 of its police officers into the government led by the new Palestinian-led technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, or NCAG, as part of discussions about disarmament, Reuters reported on Jan. 27.

Palestinian Territories: Hamas Pushes for Police To Integrate Into Transitional Government

Saudi Arabia suspended the construction of another Vision 2030 project, the Mukaab, a tourist-trap giant cube in the center of Riyadh, Reuters reported on Jan. 27.

Saudi Arabia: Another Vision 2030 Project Bites the Dust

Iraq's Shiite Coordination Framework, or SCF, an umbrella organization of Iranian-aligned Shiite parties, nominated former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to become the new prime minister following the November 2025 elections, Reuters reported on Jan. 25.

Iraq: Shiite Parties Nominate Former PM al-Maliki To Become Prime Minister

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced Israel will reopen the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip -- likely within days -- after the Israel Defense Forces secured the body of the last remaining hostage taken by Hamas in 2023, Reuters reported on Jan. 26.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel To Reopen Rafah Crossing After Hostage Recovery Efforts End

Syria's Ministry of Defense announced a 15-day extension of the current ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces, though violations continued near the Kurdish-held city of Kobani and al-Hasaka in the enclaves still held by the SDF, Al Jazeera reported on Jan. 25.

Syria: Government, SDF Extend Ceasefire by Over Two Weeks

Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Jan. 22 with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Reuters reported on Jan. 23.

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Trilateral Track Opens as Moscow Holds Firm on Territory

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi met with U.S. President Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, in the presence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Reuters reported on Jan. 23.

Somaliland: Abdullahi Meets With Eric Trump, Israel's Herzog at Davos Summit

The United States is once more looking to withdraw from Syria, over a year after the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad and almost a decade after the defeat of the Islamic State's last major urban holdout at al-Bukamal in 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported on Jan. 22.

U.S., Syria: Washington Again Considers Exiting Syria

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Palestinian Territories: Hamas Pushes for Police To Integrate Into Transitional Government

Saudi Arabia: Another Vision 2030 Project Bites the Dust

Iraq: Shiite Parties Nominate Former PM al-Maliki To Become Prime Minister

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel To Reopen Rafah Crossing After Hostage Recovery Efforts End

Syria: Government, SDF Extend Ceasefire by Over Two Weeks

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Trilateral Track Opens as Moscow Holds Firm on Territory

Somaliland: Abdullahi Meets With Eric Trump, Israel's Herzog at Davos Summit

U.S., Syria: Washington Again Considers Exiting Syria

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