<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

Turkish and Syrian flags wave above Syria's al-Salameh border crossing with Turkey on Aug. 27, 2023. 

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

The two countries will take steps to restore their diplomatic and economic ties, but competing security imperatives will make full-scale normalization difficult. 

Evaluating the Prospects of Turkey-Syria Normalization

Kenya

South Africa

United States

Venezuela

China

Europe

Ukraine

Russia

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference at the 75th NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., on July 11, 2024. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Biden's exit from the U.S. presidential race will free him to pursue more aggressive action against Russia over Ukraine and increase pressure on Israel to end its war with Hamas. 

What To Expect from Biden's Foreign Policy Farewell Tour

U.S.-China Relations

U.S.-Iran Relations

Snapshots

A giant fire erupts at an oil storage facility following Israeli strikes in Yemen's Houthi-held port city of Hodeida on July 20, 2024. 

Geographical and military limitations will discourage Israel from starting a long-term campaign in Yemen, but increased coordination among pro-Iranian militias could escalate the conflict.

Competing Military Goals and Geographical Constraints Limit Israel's Campaign in Yemen

France

India

Parc des Champions on July 4, 2024, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower at the Trocadero in Paris.

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 Paris Olympics, Netanyahu Addresses Congress

Turkish lira bills over a financial chart background.

Turkey will likely maintain its orthodox economic strategy for the next few years, but government priorities may shift as the 2028 general election approaches.

Will Political Imperatives Reverse Turkey's Tighter Monetary Policy?

Jordan's King Abdullah II (right) and the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, pose for a photo during the 2024 G-7 Summit in Savelletri, Italy, on June 14, 2024.

Over the next year, Jordan will pursue growth-focused economic reforms as part of its IMF program, but ongoing regional instability will likely still give some businesses and investors pause.

As Conflicts Rage on Around It, Jordan Sets Out To Boost Its Business Appeal

Israeli soldiers guard a barrier, silhouetted against afternoon sun.

As Gaza moves closer to a post-war reality, political limitations in Israel and competing interests abroad muddy the waters of the region's future governance.

For Israel, the Challenge of Gaza's Future Governance Deepens

A media department run by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is seen inside a mountain north of Iraq's Dohuk province in June 2013.

The offensive will seek to eliminate the threat posed by Kurdish militants near the Gara region, but fears of international backlash will deter Turkey from expanding its efforts into other areas of Iraq or Syria.

What To Make of Turkey's Renewed Offensive in Northern Iraq

Media

Podcasts

What are the immediate implications of likely conflict scenarios?

Essential Geopolitics: Israel's and Hezbollah's Incentives and Constraints

Columns

On Geopolitics

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a press conference during the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 12, 2023.

Erdogan's consolidation of power has made Turkish economic policies more beholden to the president's personal and political whims, and less to institutional checks and balances.

Turkey: A Case Study in Economic Policymaking Under Increased Political Centralization

Mali

Clashes erupted on July 25 between the Malian army, supported by Russian Africa Corps mercenaries, and Tuareg rebel groups in the northern Kidal region, Jeune Afrique reported on July 26.

Mali: Security Forces Clash With Tuareg Rebels Near Algerian Border

Tunisian President Kais Saied signed a presidential pardon for over 1,700 individuals detained for their critical social media posts about the government, The National reported on July 26.

Tunisia: Saied Pardons Social Media Critics

Ethiopia

Sudan

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, seized a military camp from the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, located in the southeastern state of Sennar and launched attacks in neighboring White Nile state, Sudan Tribune reported on July 23.

Sudan: RSF Advances in White Nile and Sennar States

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the U.S. Congress on July 24 in his first such speech since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, but he will face a chorus of protestors and numerous high-profile boycotts and abstentions as congressional support for Israel changes, AP reported the same day. 

U.S., Israel: Protests, Boycotts Mar Netanyahu's Washington Visit

Yemen's Houthi rebels and the county's internationally backed federal government agreed to stop their tit-for-tat banking sanctions, canceling all recent decisions, in a Saudi-brokered deal, Al Arabiya reported on July 23.

Yemen: Houthis, Yemeni Government To Halt Tit-for-Tat Banking Sanctions

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Palestinian political rivals Fatah and Hamas had agreed to establish a provisional reconciliation government and a plan for post-war governance in Gaza, CNN reported on July 23.

Palestinian Territories: Hamas and Fatah Sign Unity Agreement

Burkina Faso

Togo

Al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, killed at least 12 Togolese soldiers at a military outpost near the locality of Kpekankandi in Togo's northern Savanes region, LSI Africa reported on July 21.

Togo: Al Qaeda Affiliate Launches Large-Scale Attack on Northern Military Outpost 

The International Court of Justice, or ICJ, published a non-binding advisory opinion that Israel's policies and practices in the West Bank and east Jerusalem constitute illegal annexations of parts of the Palestinian Territories, Axios reported on July 19.

Israel: International Court of Justice Rules Israel Illegally Annexed Palestinian Territory

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Mali: Security Forces Clash With Tuareg Rebels Near Algerian Border

Tunisia: Saied Pardons Social Media Critics

Sudan: RSF Advances in White Nile and Sennar States

U.S., Israel: Protests, Boycotts Mar Netanyahu's Washington Visit

Yemen: Houthis, Yemeni Government To Halt Tit-for-Tat Banking Sanctions

Palestinian Territories: Hamas and Fatah Sign Unity Agreement

Togo: Al Qaeda Affiliate Launches Large-Scale Attack on Northern Military Outpost

Israel: International Court of Justice Rules Israel Illegally Annexed Palestinian Territory

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