<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

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Libya

Morocco

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Qatar

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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

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Forecast Webcast

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Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2026 Third-Quarter Geopolitical Forecast.

2026 Third-Quarter Forecast Webcast

U.S.-Iran Relations

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Sudan

Sudan's de facto leader and army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, waves to spectators after attending a soccer match at Kober Stadium in Khartoum on May 15, 2026.

Military & Security

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The outbreak of the Iran war has redirected Western and Arab diplomatic attention away from Sudan, worsening the country's long-running civil war.

Humanitarian Disaster Looms in Sudan as RSF Prepares New Offensive

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A fragile truce in the Middle East, persistent energy-driven inflation, shifting U.S. trade policy and escalating regional pressures from Europe to Africa will collectively shape geopolitical risk in the third quarter.

2026 Third-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

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Cargo ships June 19 off the coast of the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal in Sharjah emirate, along the Gulf of Oman.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Japan's Takaichi Goes to India, an Unsteady U.S.-Iran Ceasefire

Maps4media-processed Sentinel-2 satellite imagery shows a broad overview of the Strait of Hormuz on June 16, 2026.

U.S.-Iran talks will face increasingly large obstacles as negotiators approach more contentious topics, namely Iran's nuclear program.

For the U.S. and Iran, the Hardest Negotiations Lie Ahead

Columns

On Geopolitics

The U.S. Treasury Department building in Washington, D.C.

The legal and geographical constraints of Washington's jurisdiction make freezing the assets of countries like Iran a far more flexible and effective diplomatic tool than outright seizure. 

American Financial Power: Freezing vs. Seizing Other Countries' Foreign Assets

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C, top) meets with GCC foreign ministers during his visit to the Middle East to discuss with Arab Gulf allies the interim deal between the U.S. and Iran on June 25 in Manama.

While Qatar and Saudi Arabia explore restoring trade ties with Iran, the United Arab Emirates is aligning its security with Israel and the United States.

Divergent Approaches to Iran Expose Gulf Arab Splits

Botswana

Lesotho

Namibia

South Africa

Eswatini

Colombia

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.

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

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

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

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

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa selected 70 parliamentary legislators -- including 15 women and some representatives of minority groups -- ahead of the parliament's first session on July 6, AP reported July 1.

Syria: Al-Sharaa Appoints 70 Lawmakers to Parliament

U.S. President Donald Trump indicated a willingness to allow U.S.-Iran negotiations to extend beyond the official Aug. 18 deadline, despite being briefed on escalatory military operations against Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported June 30.

U.S., Iran: Trump Indicates Preference for Diplomacy Despite Briefing on Military Options

A delegation of high-level EU officials, including foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, visited Ankara, Turkey, on June 30 to discuss economic and security cooperation with senior Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

EU, Turkey: Brussels Sends High-Level Delegation to Ankara for Wide-Ranging Talks

Oman has submitted a proposal to Western countries that shipping companies pay voluntary service fees to transit the Strait of Hormuz days after reportedly warning European countries that the prewar status quo could not reemerge, while Iranian officials have called the fees mandatory, The New York Times reported June 30.

U.S., Iran: Oman Proposes Plan for Voluntary Services Fees in Strait of Hormuz

The United States and Iran have agreed to halt the latest round of exchanges, which were triggered by a June 25 Iranian attack on a cargo vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz on a U.S.-backed route, Axios reported June 28.

U.S., Iran: Countries Agree to Halt Strait of Hormuz Clashes as Talks Resume

Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement that calls for the Israel Defense Forces' withdrawal from two locations in Lebanon, one north of the Litani River and one south of it, Axios reported on June 26.

Israel, Lebanon: Israel Agrees to Limited Withdrawal From Southern Lebanon

The United States is weighing the provision of a $700 million package of GE-made engines for Turkey's KAAN 5th-generation fighter jet, Interesting Engineering reported on June 24.

U.S., Turkey: U.S. Set To Greenlight Engine Sale for Turkey's Stealth KAAN Fighter

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded his three-day tour of Gulf countries with a visit to Bahrain, Reuters reported June 25.

U.S., Iran: Rubio Wraps Up Gulf Tour

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Syria: Al-Sharaa Appoints 70 Lawmakers to Parliament

U.S., Iran: Trump Indicates Preference for Diplomacy Despite Briefing on Military Options

EU, Turkey: Brussels Sends High-Level Delegation to Ankara for Wide-Ranging Talks

U.S., Iran: Oman Proposes Plan for Voluntary Services Fees in Strait of Hormuz

U.S., Iran: Countries Agree to Halt Strait of Hormuz Clashes as Talks Resume

Israel, Lebanon: Israel Agrees to Limited Withdrawal From Southern Lebanon

U.S., Turkey: U.S. Set To Greenlight Engine Sale for Turkey's Stealth KAAN Fighter

U.S., Iran: Rubio Wraps Up Gulf Tour

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