<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

A satellite view of the Persian Gulf, with the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint seen on the right.

Economics

Energy

Global Trade

Military & Security

Fears that U.S.-Iran talks will collapse, along with Iran's ongoing efforts to formalize its authority over the strait by imposing transit fees and limiting traffic, will likely keep shippers cautious.

Strait of Hormuz Shipping Likely To Remain Disrupted, Despite Ceasefire

U.S.-Iran Relations

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Cuba

Mexico

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Forecast Webcast

Politics

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

2026 Second-Quarter Forecast Webcast

Snapshots

Iranians hold national flags as they gather in Tehran's Revolution Square after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, on April 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Upcoming negotiations face substantial hurdles as both sides present maximalist demands that could precipitate a return to high-intensity conflict.


Despite 11th-Hour U.S.-Iran Truce, Stumbling Blocks to Lasting Agreement Remain

Columns

On Geopolitics

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Geopolitics of Demographics

Social Issues

Demographic decline, driven by falling fertility rates worldwide, is likely irreversible but will also increasingly differentiate countries based on their ability to adapt through sound immigration, labor, technological and fiscal policies.

Adapting to Demographic Decline: Policy Tradeoffs and Global Divergences

Myanmar

Afghanistan

India

Nepal

Pakistan

A freight train carrying cargo containers rides along a railway track in Ajmer, India, on Aug. 26, 2025.

New Delhi's decisions to permit specific imports and fast-track minority investments highlight its strategy of addressing critical manufacturing shortages, though relations are unlikely to extend beyond low-level confidence-building measures.

India Cautiously Opens up to Chinese Investment

Djibouti

Vietnam

Damage at the Azadi Sport Complex in the Iranian capital of Tehran on April 3.

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

The Weekly Rundown: The Iran War Continues, Taiwan's KMT Restarts China Talks

Iraqi women light candles in memory of the victims of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon during a rally in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on April 2, 2026.

Violent spillover from the Iran war will further complicate Iraq's government formation process, while disrupted oil exports will heavily strain Baghdad's finances and raise the risk of unrest.

Iraq Is Caught in the Crossfire of Another Destabilizing War

Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balendra Shah is sworn in as Nepal's new prime minister in Kathmandu on March 27, 2026.

Prolonged global supply chain disruptions and threats to foreign remittances linked to the war will constrain the new administration's ability to deliver on its economic promises.


New Nepalese Government's Agenda Threatened by Iran War Fallout

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

Environment, Science & Technology

As competition for natural resources and critical raw materials intensifies, companies -- not just countries -- must be more mindful of risks in their physical supply chains.

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources: An Introduction

Houthi loyalists chant slogans on March 27, 2026, in Sanaa, Yemen, as they participate in a protest staged to show support for Iran in its ongoing war against the United States and Israel.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis will likely progressively expand their target set beyond Israel if the war intensifies, raising the risk of more economically disruptive attacks on regional shipping and energy infrastructure.

The Implications of the Houthis Joining the Iran War

Russia

The U.S. Trump administration is considering measures to punish NATO allies it views as insufficiently supportive of U.S. action during the Iran war, including potentially redeploying U.S. troops from those countries to more supportive partners, The Wall Street Journal reported on April 8, citing U.S. officials.

NATO: U.S. Considers Troop Redeployment in Europe To Penalize NATO Allies Over Iran War

Niger

Nigerien Defense Minister Gen. Salifou Modi and his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler, signed an agreement whereby Turkey will deploy an unspecified number of military instructors to Niger to train Nigerien security forces, Jeune Afrique reported on April 8. 

Niger: Turkey To Deploy Military Instructors

U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. forces in the Middle East would "remain in place" until U.S. and Iranian negotiators reach and implement a permanent agreement to end the war, and he threatened to resume strikes if Iran did not capitulate to U.S. demands, AP reported on April 8.

U.S., Iran: U.S. Forces To Remain in Region, Iran Alleges Ceasefire Violations Ahead of U.S.-Iran Talks

Iran struck targets in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was announced on April 7, Reuters reported on April 8.

MENA: Iran Strikes GCC Targets, Despite Ceasefire Announcement 

Madagascar

Madagascar declared a two‑week nationwide state of energy emergency in response to severe fuel shortages caused by the U.S. and Israel-Iran war, BBC reported on April 8.

Madagascar: Junta Declares State of Emergency Amid Fuel Shortages Linked to Iran War

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would grant vessels safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz with the coordination of Iranian armed forces if U.S.-Israeli attacks against Iran stopped during the two-week ceasefire announced on April 7, Reuters reported on April 7.

Iran, U.S.: Iranian Armed Forces To Coordinate Strait of Hormuz Maritime Transit During Two-Week Ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an April 8 Truth Social post that any country supplying Iran with "military weapons" would be immediately subject to a 50% tariff,  without specifying the authority under which the tariff would be implemented.

U.S.: Trump Threatens Tariffs on Countries Providing Weapons to Iran

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to the Gulf on April 8 to meet regional leaders and support efforts to sustain the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a government statement.

Europe, Iran: Starmer Leads European Diplomatic Push To Sustain Hormuz Ceasefire

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

NATO: U.S. Considers Troop Redeployment in Europe To Penalize NATO Allies Over Iran War

Niger: Turkey To Deploy Military Instructors

U.S., Iran: U.S. Forces To Remain in Region, Iran Alleges Ceasefire Violations Ahead of U.S.-Iran Talks

MENA: Iran Strikes GCC Targets, Despite Ceasefire Announcement

Madagascar: Junta Declares State of Emergency Amid Fuel Shortages Linked to Iran War

Iran, U.S.: Iranian Armed Forces To Coordinate Strait of Hormuz Maritime Transit During Two-Week Ceasefire

U.S.: Trump Threatens Tariffs on Countries Providing Weapons to Iran

Europe, Iran: Starmer Leads European Diplomatic Push To Sustain Hormuz Ceasefire

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