United States

Iran

Iraq

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. forces struck Iran-linked militia targets in Iraq on Nov. 20 and 21, killing at least nine militants, in response to two ballistic missile attacks that targeted U.S. forces at al-Asad air base in western Iraq, AP reported on Nov. 21. 

Iraq: U.S. Strikes in Iraq Kill Iran-Backed Militants

Israel

Yemen

Yemen-based Houthi rebels hijacked an Israeli-owned, Bahamas-flagged cargo vessel called the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea off the Yemeni coast on Nov. 19, AP reported the next day.

Yemen: Houthi Rebels Hijack Israeli-Linked Cargo Vessel Using IRGC Tactics

Energy

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iranian stockpiles of highly enriched uranium of up to 60% purity had increased by only 6.7 kilograms to 128.3 kilograms since the last quarterly report on Sept. 4, Reuters reported on Nov. 15.

Iran: Stockpiles of Highly Enriched Uranium Increase More Slowly Than the First Half of 2023

Syria

The United States carried out fresh airstrikes on Iranian-linked targets in Syria in retaliation for attacks on U.S. forces, Reuters reported on Nov. 12.

Syria, U.S.: U.S. Airstrikes in Syria Risk Escalation With Iran

Two U.S. F-15 fighter jets bombed a weapons storage facility associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in eastern Syria in response to Iranian-linked attacks on U.S. forces in the region over U.S. support for Israel in the Israel-Hamas war, CNN reported on Nov. 9.

U.S., Iran: U.S. Strikes Iran-Linked Sites in Syria as Houthis Down Drone in Yemen

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's political and militant group Hezbollah, said in a nationwide speech that Hezbollah would not escalate the Israel-Hamas war immediately but would respond to future provocations, The Times of Israel reported on Nov. 3. 

Lebanon: Hezbollah Says It Will Not Escalate the Israel-Hamas War Without Provocation

Russia

Israel is no longer warning Russia before it carries out airstrikes in Syria, especially on targets near Israel's Golan Heights, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 3.

Syria: Israel Reduces Warnings to Russia Before Striking Targets in Syria

Kuwait

United Arab Emirates

Alwiyat al-Waad al-Haq, a facade for Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, said on Oct. 24 that U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates were "legitimate targets" due to Washington's support for Israel in the Gaza war, Le Monde reported the next day.

Iraq, U.S.: Iranian-Backed Iraqi Militia Threatens U.S. Targets in UAE and Kuwait

Assessments

A fireball erupts over the Gaza Strip during Israeli bombardment on Nov. 8, 2023. 

Growing domestic and international pushback may push Israel to either accelerate its ground offensive at the risk of spurring a sudden regional escalation, or abandon its objective of fully destroying Hamas.

Pressure at Home and Abroad Forces Israel to Mull Unattractive Changes to Its Gaza Strategy

Israeli forces prepare to fire artillery toward the Gaza Strip on Oct. 30, 2023, in Netivot, Israel. 

While it so far doesn't amount to a full-scale invasion, Israel's expanding ground incursion into Gaza still raises the risk of Iranian retaliation, as well as more violence in the West Bank and Israel.

The 'Second Phase' of Israel's War in Gaza Has Begun. What Now?

South Africa

Ukraine

Pakistan

Israeli tanks on the border with Lebanon on Oct. 26, 2023, in Israel amid the ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Economics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: A Possible Middle Eastern Escalation, an IMF Team Visits Pakistan

Snapshots

Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, answers questions about the Israel-Hamas war during a press conference on Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Virginia. 

U.S.-Iran Relations

The U.S.'s recent airstrikes in Syria suggest it's positioning itself defensively in the region. But a major attack on Israel or U.S. forces could still pull Washington into a large-scale conflict.

Wary of Another War, the U.S. Tries to Stay on the Defensive in the Middle East

Media

Podcasts

What do Israel, Hamas, Iran and the United States want?

Essential Geopolitics: What's At Stake in the Israel-Hamas War?

Turkey

Armenia

Azerbaijan

A photo taken on Oct. 3, 2023, shows a military position that was recently retaken by Azerbaijani troops in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

With the world distracted by other crises, Azerbaijan may be tempted to seize parts of southern Armenia. But for Baku, the potential benefits of such an operation are still unlikely to outweigh the costs.

Assessing the Prospect of Azerbaijan Invading Armenia

Lebanese security forces use water cannons as they clash with protesters outside the U.S. embassy near Beirut on Oct. 18, 2023, during a demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians amid the latest Hamas-Israel war.

Regardless of their veracity, allegations of Israel's involvement in the tragedy will complicate U.S. efforts to avoid an expanded conflict in the region.

The Gaza Hospital Blast Risks Widening the War and Fueling Radicalism

Saudi Arabia

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian holds a press conference at the Iranian embassy in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Oct. 14, 2023. 

Iran's recent warnings indicate a growing risk of the conflict expanding beyond its current geographic scope, with Tehran able to use multiple mechanisms to attack Israel and the West.

Iran Threatens to Join the Gaza War, Fueling Fears of an Expanded Conflict

Israeli forces launch artillery fire toward southern Lebanon from the border zone in northern Israel on Oct. 9, 2023, while Hezbollah denied involvement in clashes or ''any infiltration attempt'' into Israel.

The latest clashes between Israel and Hezbollah suggest that the constraints on direct confrontation are weakening, threatening to worsen political and economic conditions in Lebanon and significantly increase security threats in both countries.

The Growing Risk of an Israel-Hezbollah Escalation

Iranians attend a gathering in Tehran on Oct. 7, 2023, to express their support for Palestinians after Hamas militants launched a deadly assault into Israel from the Gaza Strip. 

While the exact scope of its participation is unclear, Tehran was likely involved in planning the assault, raising the risk of Israeli and/or U.S. retaliation that could spark a broader conflict.

Iran's Potential Motives for Backing the Hamas Attack on Israel

China

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is welcomed by Saudi officials upon arriving in Riyadh on June 7, 2023.

U.S.-China Relations

Riyadh's pursuit of uranium enrichment will likely remain a sticking point in its talks with the U.S. and Israel, which could bring the kingdom closer to Beijing.

In Search of U.S. Concessions, Saudi Arabia Reaches Out to China

Egypt

Qatar

Iran’s foreign minister (right) poses for a picture with his Saudi counterpart on June 17, 2023, in Tehran.

The detentes that have emerged between long-standing rivals have made the region more peaceful, but old wounds could still reopen.

In the Middle East, Shared Interests Are Turning Former Foes Into Friends -- For Now

Iran sits at the crossroads of the Islamic world. Linking the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central and South Asia, Iran has struggled to balance the benefits and risks of its geographic position.    Iran's core is located in the western Zagros mountain range. From this secure geography, the beginnings of the Persian Empire spread throughout Iran's mountainous topography securing the Alborz, the southern Zagros and much of the Iranian plateau.    Iran's primary geographic challenge has been to secure itself from the many external threats on its borders. Arabs, Mongols and Turks all conquered ancient Persia at various times, prompting Persia to expand its territorial control whenever possible to establish a buffer to protect its core.    At its height, the Persian Empire stretched from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Hindu Kush mountains, bridging modern-day Europe and Asia. Echoes of this former empire can be seen even today, with Iran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, the al Assad regime in Damascus and the Shiite-led government in Iraq.    Iran has also struggled to unite and control the various language and ethnic groups located within its core territories, a process impeded by the country's difficult terrain. Modern-day Tehran is aided by its large hydrocarbon reserves; Iran boasts the fourth-largest oil reserves and largest natural gas reserves in the world. The 20th century saw British, Russian and American interests competing not only to control Iran's strategic geographic location, but its significant energy reserves as well.    This modern-day reliance on energy revenues has resulted in Iran's focus on securing the Strait of Hormuz and expanding control over the Persian Gulf to secure its core territories from the threat of outside invasion.

SITUATION REPORTS

Iraq: U.S. Strikes in Iraq Kill Iran-Backed Militants

Yemen: Houthi Rebels Hijack Israeli-Linked Cargo Vessel Using IRGC Tactics

Iran: Stockpiles of Highly Enriched Uranium Increase More Slowly Than the First Half of 2023

Syria, U.S.: U.S. Airstrikes in Syria Risk Escalation With Iran

U.S., Iran: U.S. Strikes Iran-Linked Sites in Syria as Houthis Down Drone in Yemen

Lebanon: Hezbollah Says It Will Not Escalate the Israel-Hamas War Without Provocation

Syria: Israel Reduces Warnings to Russia Before Striking Targets in Syria

Iraq, U.S.: Iranian-Backed Iraqi Militia Threatens U.S. Targets in UAE and Kuwait

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