<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

Botswana

Lesotho

Namibia

South Africa

Eswatini

Colombia

United States

Russia

Vessels at anchorage June 18 in Bandar Abbas, Iran, along the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding signed June 17 is highly likely to remain in effect over the coming week, and negotiations toward a final deal will begin.

Military & Security

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. and Iranian Talks, Colombia's Presidential Runoff

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Council of the National Assembly, Algeria's primary legislative body, is seen in Algiers.

Economics

Energy

Upcoming elections are unlikely to change the pro-president composition of Algeria's lower house, making significant policy change or reforms unlikely.

Algeria's Parliamentary Elections Will Yield Policy Continuity

Snapshots

An Iranian woman walks past a mural depicting Iran and the United States at the negotiation table, painted on the outer walls of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran, on Feb. 6, 2026.

While the deal will reduce the immediate threat of renewed conflict, shipping through Hormuz will likely resume only gradually amid the risk that talks stall, flare-ups resume and vessels face renewed harassment.

U.S.-Iran Deal Pauses Conflict, but the Path to Peace Remains Fraught

Europe

France

United Kingdom

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a meeting with leaders of the G7 Engagement Groups ahead of the upcoming G7 summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris on June 10, 2026. 

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Talks Continue, France Hosts G7 Summit

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Declining public approval and notable primary losses for traditional pro-Israel lawmakers suggest that a future U.S. Congress will increasingly push for military assistance to be conditioned.

U.S.-Israeli Ties Likely To Continue Cooling as Public Opinion Sours

The ousted chair of Turkey's opposition Republican People’s Party, Ozgur Ozel, addresses lawmakers during his party's group meeting in the Turkish parliament on June 2, 2026, in Ankara, Turkey. 

Turkey's main opposition party will struggle to gain traction amid legal battle and deepening internal divisions, freeing up the ruling party to consider returning to more unorthodox economic policies ahead of the 2028 election.

Turkey's Opposition Struggles To Stay United in the Face of Legal Strife

Members of Saraya al-Salam gather during a ceremony in the city of Samarra on June 4, 2026, marking their separation from the Sadrist movement and their integration into the Iraqi security forces.

Several militant factions have recently expressed a desire to integrate into Iraq's government structures, but more hard-line groups are unlikely to follow suit without Iran's approval.

Iraq's Push To Disarm Iranian-Backed Militias Will Have Only Partial Success

Columns

On Geopolitics

A 3D satellite-style visualization of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

As the Iran war drags on, the Strait of Hormuz is increasingly likely to remain closed for an extended period.

Will the Strait of Hormuz Remain Closed Until 2027?

People pass by a building in Ramat Gan, Israel, that was destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile on May 5, 2026. 

Recent direct strikes between Israel and Iran did not immediately collapse the regional truce, but recurrent tit-for-tat escalations would reduce the chance of an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Iran-Israel Escalation Threatens Negotiations To End Iran War

Media

Podcasts

Will the United States continue to pay the "blood and treasure" tax to subsidize global energy security, or is the Hormuz war the catalyst for a fundamental retrenchment?

The Decision Advantage: What the Hormuz War Means for U.S. Grand Strategy

Sudan

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, has escalated drone attacks over recent days on the central city of el-Obeid and on the neighboring town of Er Rahad, targeting fuel stations and power substations and forcing the closure of several medical facilities, Sudan Tribune reported on June 23, quoting a U.N. spokesperson. 

Sudan: RSF Drone Attacks, Deployments Near el-Obeid Portend Upcoming Ground Offensive 

Tehran is set to receive $12 billion in unfrozen funds through intermediary accounts in two installments of $6 billion, following the first round of U.S.-Iran negotiations on June 21-22, Bloomberg reported on June 23, citing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked Mehr News Agency.

U.S., Iran: Iran To Receive $12B in Unfrozen Funds

U.N. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone told the U.N. Security Council that efforts to improve relations between the Syrian provisional government and the local authorities of Sweida province had made "no progress" since both sides agreed to a roadmap to prevent further conflict in 2025, Reuters reported on June 22.

Syria: U.N. Says No Progress in Sweida's 2025 Peace Roadmap

Somalia

A senior Somali official speaking on condition of anonymity said Somali intelligence assessed that Israel had dispatched 50 soldiers to Somaliland following its recognition of the breakaway region's independence in December 2025, Middle East Eye reported on June 22.

Somaliland: Senior Somali Official Claims Israel Dispatched 50 Soldiers to Territory

The United States and Iran agreed to establish a deconfliction cell to help ensure adherence to the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon, Axios reported on June 22.

Lebanon: U.S., Iran Agree on a Ceasefire Deconfliction Mechanism for Lebanon and Israel

On June 21-22, the United States and Iran held their first round of talks since signing a ceasefire-centered memorandum of understanding on June 17, The New York Times reported on June 22.

U.S., Iran: Vance Claims Progress in U.S.-Iran Negotiations

Ethiopia

Environment, Science & Technology

Speaking alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, U.S. President Donald Trump said Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, on the Blue Nile was causing "tremendous problems" for Egypt and that Cairo had been "very unfairly treated," adding that the Nile waters would be a focus of his talks with al-Sisi on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in France, Addis Standard reported on June 17.

U.S., Egypt, Ethiopia: Trump Reiterates Support for Egypt in Nile Dispute With Ethiopia

U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding to de-escalate the regional conflict and open talks on reaching a final agreement, AP reported on June 17.

U.S., Iran: U.S.-Iran MoU Enters Into Effect

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Sudan: RSF Drone Attacks, Deployments Near el-Obeid Portend Upcoming Ground Offensive

U.S., Iran: Iran To Receive $12B in Unfrozen Funds

Syria: U.N. Says No Progress in Sweida's 2025 Peace Roadmap

Somaliland: Senior Somali Official Claims Israel Dispatched 50 Soldiers to Territory

Lebanon: U.S., Iran Agree on a Ceasefire Deconfliction Mechanism for Lebanon and Israel

U.S., Iran: Vance Claims Progress in U.S.-Iran Negotiations

U.S., Egypt, Ethiopia: Trump Reiterates Support for Egypt in Nile Dispute With Ethiopia

U.S., Iran: U.S.-Iran MoU Enters Into Effect

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