<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

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa delivers a speech in Damascus on July 3, 2025, during the unveiling of the "New Visual Identity of the Syrian Arab Republic." 

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

The transitional government's decision will boost reconstruction and counter-terrorism efforts, but it will also risk alienating internal hard-liners and could eventually fuel an Islamic State resurgence if Syria's economic recovery stalls.

The Implications of Syria Joining the U.S.-Led Fight Against the Islamic State

Snapshots

A man rides past a roundabout adorned with Moroccan national flags in Laayoune, the main city of Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara, on Nov. 7, 2025.

Although Morocco's sovereignty plan is gaining momentum, the unresolved conflict will continue to complicate the region's development and fuel sporadic clashes.

U.N. Security Council Resolution Bolsters Morocco's Claims to Disputed Western Sahara

Media

Indonesia

Podcasts

What is the outlook for Indonesia-Israel normalization, and what would that process look like?

Essential Geopolitics: Indonesia's Interest in Israel-Gaza

Excavation crews work amid rubble in Hamad City, west of Khan Yunis, Gaza, on Oct. 26, 2025. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The extended timeline for reconstruction ensures dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza will likely persist for years, fueling future radicalization and significant population displacement.

Gaza Reconstruction Likely To Take Years and Fuel Palestinian Emigration

Chile

Venezuela

Cambodia

Thailand

India

Pakistan

People watch the USS Gravely, a Navy warship, departing the Port of Spain on Oct. 30, 2025. The U.S. warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 26, 2025, for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

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.-Saudi Meeting, Military Escalation in the Caribbean

A 3D logo of Vision 2030 from the obverse side of 200 Saudi Riyal banknote. Facing ballooning costs and questionable viability, Saudi Arabia is scaling back giga-projects like Neom, signaling a new market-driven discipline that nonetheless leaves the state as the primary economic driver.

Facing ballooning costs and questionable viability, Saudi Arabia is scaling back giga-projects like Neom, signaling a new market-driven discipline that nonetheless leaves the state as the primary economic driver.

The Mixed Record of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030

Yemen's Houthi fighters man machine guns mounted on trucks as they participate in a weaponized protest staged against the United States and Israel on Nov. 6, 2025 in Sanaa, Yemen. 

Energy

Global Trade

Israel is expected to soon launch another offensive against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, which will risk reigniting the civil war and exposing Gulf countries and Red Sea shipping to retaliatory attacks.

What a Renewed Israel-Houthi Conflict Would Mean for Yemen and Gulf Security

Brazil

China

Campaign posters Nov. 6 ahead of Nov. 11 Iraqi parliamentary elections in central Baghdad.

Environment, Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: Iraqi Elections, a U.S.-China Deal Enters Effect

U.S.-China Relations

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Tayr Debba on Nov. 6, 2025. 

Despite Lebanon's diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions with Israel, stalled progress on Hezbollah's disarmament portends intensified Israeli airstrikes that would risk collapsing the Lebanese government and even triggering another war.

The Growing Risk of a New Hezbollah-Israel War

Russia

Entrance signage is seen at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on July 23, 2024.

Riyadh and its Gulf partners will likely prioritize OPEC+ unity and cooperation with Moscow on oil policy over boosting production to offset Russian supply losses from U.S. sanctions, even if it risks irking Washington.

Why Saudi Arabia Won't Backfill Russia's Sanctioned Oil Exports

The three main political powers based in western Libya, including Government of National Unity Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, announced the formation of the High Authority of Presidencies designed to strengthen their coordination, especially in negotiations on the national stage with eastern Libyan officials, Al-Wasat reported on Nov. 20. 

Libya: Western Libyan Political Leaders Create Coordination Body

Iran is terminating its September agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency that allowed for limited monitoring of nuclear facilities after the IAEA's board passed a resolution calling for Iran to report details about its enriched uranium, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20, citing Iran's foreign minister. 

Iran: Tehran Terminates IAEA Inspection Agreement After IAEA Vote Against Enriched Uranium

U.S.-Iran Relations

Cyber

The U.S. Commerce Department approved the sale of up to 35,000 of Nvidia's GB300 servers or equivalents to both the United Arab Emirates' G42 and to Saudi Arabia's Humain, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20. 

U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE: U.S. Approves Sale of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi, Emirati Tech Companies

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared Beirut was ready to engage diplomatically with Israel, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20.

Lebanon, Israel: Lebanon's Prime Minister Reiterates Willingness To Negotiate With Israel

During Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Saudi Arabia would be designated as a "major non-NATO ally," elevating defense relations, Politico reported Nov. 18.

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Trump Names Kingdom 'Major Non-NATO Ally,' Signs Nuclear Cooperation Deal

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., pledged to invest $1 trillion in the United States and reportedly finalized a defense deal, while the United States plans to approve the sales of advanced artificial intelligence chips, The Guardian reported on Nov. 18.

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Crown Prince Meets With President Trump

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

Rare earth yttrium oxide prices have reached $126 per kilogram, which is roughly a 1,400% increase since the beginning of 2025, when prices were about $8 per kilogram, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 17, citing Asian Metal data.

Global: Yttrium Oxide Prices Increase by 1,400% in 2025

The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), a Bahrain-based Islamic finance standard-setting body, is delaying its controversial Sharia Standard 62 for at least one more round of talks with global stakeholders, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 18.

Bahrain: Islamic Finance Standard-Setter Delays Controversial Changes to Sukuk Standards

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Libya: Western Libyan Political Leaders Create Coordination Body

Iran: Tehran Terminates IAEA Inspection Agreement After IAEA Vote Against Enriched Uranium

U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE: U.S. Approves Sale of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi, Emirati Tech Companies

Lebanon, Israel: Lebanon's Prime Minister Reiterates Willingness To Negotiate With Israel

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Trump Names Kingdom 'Major Non-NATO Ally,' Signs Nuclear Cooperation Deal

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Crown Prince Meets With President Trump

Global: Yttrium Oxide Prices Increase by 1,400% in 2025

Bahrain: Islamic Finance Standard-Setter Delays Controversial Changes to Sukuk Standards

Forecasts

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