<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

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

Military & Security

Politics

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

U.S.-Iran Relations

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. 

Economics

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.

Energy

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?

Snapshots

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

Peru

China

North Korea

Armenia

Russia

A banner depicting the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on June 3 in Tehran. There will be an elevated risk of sporadic U.S.-Iran clashes over the next week, as no signs of a diplomatic breakthrough in U.S.-Iran negotiations on a memorandum of understanding have emerged.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Armenian Elections, Xi Goes to North Korea

Smoke rises following Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon as seen from a position across the border in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on May 31, 2026.

Should Israel-Lebanon talks stall, the U.S. would be more likely to greenlight a broader campaign against Hezbollah, though it could also pressure Israel into a more comprehensive truce if Trump deems it necessary for an Iran deal.

U.S. Mediation Unlikely To Lead to Lasting Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire

Guests stand outside a model carriage of the "Dream of the Desert" ultra-luxury train on display during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Efforts to create new export routes via railways and pipelines will be hampered by regional mistrust, uncertain commercial viability and long construction timelines, ultimately keeping Gulf states reliant on the Strait of Hormuz.

All Roads Lead to Hormuz: The Limits of Gulf Infrastructure Diversification

A window view from Turkey's Eastern Express train. 

Improved relations could unlock strategic and economic benefits for both countries, especially if their border is reopened, though Russia's entrenched influence in Armenia remains a key constraint.

Russian Coercion Will Constrain Budding Turkey-Armenia Rapprochement

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a June 11 Truth Social post that the United States would hit Iran "VERY HARD TONIGHT" and claimed the United States would take Kharg Island and other energy infrastructure in the near future.

U.S., Iran: Trump Vows Additional Attacks on Iran After Latest U.S.-Iran Exchange

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman lifted a ban on Lebanese imports, with the Saudi press agency noting "positive steps" in Lebanon's institutional reorganization, The National reported on June 11.

Saudi Arabia, Lebanon: Riyadh Ends Trade Ban in Boon to Lebanese Agriculture

Egyptian Minister of ​Petroleum Karim Badawi announced that Egypt had cleared its outstanding international oil and gas arrears, aligning with previous government projections for finalizing the payment, Reuters reported on June 10.

Egypt: Cairo Fully Repays Outstanding Foreign Oil and Gas Arrears

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote in a June 10 Truth Social post that Iranian officials had "taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!" and threatened to order attacks on Iranian power plants and bridges.

U.S., Iran: Trump Escalates Rhetoric After U.S.-Iran Clashes

U.S. President Donald Trump said late on June 8 that the United States was in the "final throes" of a deal with Iran that could be signed within a few days, Al Jazeera reported on June 9.

U.S., Iran: Indirect Negotiations Continue, No Concessions Announced

Kuwait Petroleum Corp. is offering a tender of 4 million barrels of oil -- two very large crude carriers worth -- to Asian refiners, Kuwait's first such tender since Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran began in February, Bloomberg reported on June 9.

Kuwait: Kuwait Offers First Oil Tender Since the Iran War Began

Europe

Azerbaijan

Armenia's Central Election Commission said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party won 49.8% of the vote in the June 7 parliamentary election, giving it a projected 64 of 101 base parliamentary seats under the D'Hondt apportionment method, Armenpress reported on June 8.

Armenia: Pashinyan Wins Election but Falls Short of Constitutional Majority

Environment, Science & Technology

The 2026-30 budget for Saudi Arabia's Neom city megaproject includes 60 billion riyals ($16 billion) in penalty payments to terminate long-term contractor agreements, Semafor reported on June 7.

Saudi Arabia: Neom Megaproject Cuts Incur Penalty Payments

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Iran: Trump Vows Additional Attacks on Iran After Latest U.S.-Iran Exchange

Saudi Arabia, Lebanon: Riyadh Ends Trade Ban in Boon to Lebanese Agriculture

Egypt: Cairo Fully Repays Outstanding Foreign Oil and Gas Arrears

U.S., Iran: Trump Escalates Rhetoric After U.S.-Iran Clashes

U.S., Iran: Indirect Negotiations Continue, No Concessions Announced

Kuwait: Kuwait Offers First Oil Tender Since the Iran War Began

Armenia: Pashinyan Wins Election but Falls Short of Constitutional Majority

Saudi Arabia: Neom Megaproject Cuts Incur Penalty Payments

Forecasts

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