United States

Iraq

Jordan

Syria

Military & Security

Politics

More than 100 Iraqi parliamentarians signed a request to create a law removing foreign forces from Iraq, Shafaq News reported on Feb. 8.

Iraq, U.S.: Iraqi Parliamentarians Request Law To Remove Foreign Forces

Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

The United States approved strikes against Iranian-linked targets in Syria and Iraq in the upcoming days following a deadly drone attack that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan on Jan. 28, CBS News reported on Feb. 1, citing U.S. officials.

U.S., MENA: U.S. Approves Strikes on Iran-linked Targets in Response to Deadly Jordan Attack

Syrian media reported that several suspected Jordanian airstrikes killed 10 people, including women and children, in a residential area in Orman in southwestern Syria, Reuters reported on Jan. 18.

Jordan, Syria: Airstrikes in Syria Kill 10, Likely Part of Jordanian Crackdown on Drugs

Economics

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached an agreement with Jordan for a four-year $1.2 billion loan to support economic reforms, Reuters reported Jan. 10.

Jordan: Country Inks $1.2 Billion Loan Agreement With the IMF

Egypt

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Saudi Arabia

China

China hosted top diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia in Beijing to discuss ways to end the Israel-Hamas war, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20.

China, MENA: China Looks to Align With Arab States on Gaza

Energy

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi announced that Jordan will not move forward with an energy-for-water deal with Israel that was expected to be ratified in October and signed at the 2023 U.N. Climate Change Conference in November, Al Jazeera reported on Nov. 16.

Jordan, Israel: Jordan Refuses to Move Forward With Energy-for-Water Deal With Israel

Turkey

During U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's tour of the Middle East, he proposed humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas war, increased aid, reduced civilian casualties, and the inclusion of Palestinians in post-war governance discussions, Reuters reported on Nov. 4.

U.S., MENA: Blinken's Proposal for Humanitarian Pauses in Gaza Falls Flat

Bahrain

Bahrain's ambassador to Israel, Khalid Yusuf Ahmed Aljalahma, returned to Manama after his Israeli counterpart had returned to Israel earlier, Bahrain News Agency reported Nov. 2.

Bahrain, Israel: Bahrain and Israel's Ambassadors Return to Their Respective Countries 

Assessments

The Jordanian flag. Jordan will remain aligned with the United States and Israel, which will result in a heightened risk of attacks by Iranian proxies and growing risks of radicalization.

Jordan will remain aligned with the United States and Israel, which will result in a heightened risk of attacks by Iranian proxies and growing risks of radicalization.

Jordan's Alignment With Israel Will Put It in Iran's Crosshairs

Lebanon

Yemen

Iran's large missile and drone attack will prompt an Israeli retaliation that will focus on reestablishing deterrence and preventing future similar attacks on Israel, but in doing so, Israel risks expanding the conflict, further sinking the region into turmoil and possibly dragging in the United States.

How Israel Might Respond to the Iranian Attack

A ship transits the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea on Jan. 10, 2024, in Ismailia, Egypt.

Compared with crisis-ridden Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan's access to IMF loans will enable them to better weather the tourism and business disruptions brought on by the nearby Hamas-Israel conflict.

How Will the Gaza War Impact Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon's Economies? 

U.S. and Jordanian forces participate in the "Eager Lion" multinational military exercise on Sept. 14, 2022, in the Al-Zarqa governorate of Jordan.

The initial U.S. retaliation to a lethal attack by Iran-backed militias on U.S. forces in Jordan will likely focus on limited attacks against targets in Iraq and potentially Syria.

Potential U.S. Responses to a Lethal Attack by Iranian Allies in Jordan

Australia

Ukraine

Georgia

Moldova

India

U..S Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Oct. 14, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Arab counterparts Nov. 4 in the Jordanian capital in a bid to garner regional support for U.S. policies in the Israel-Hamas war.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Blinken Meets Arab Ministers, State Assembly Elections in India

Members of Jordan's gendarmerie stand on guard as protesters gather for a rally in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in Amman, Jordan, on Oct. 27, 2023. 

Jordan's criticism of the war in Gaza will dampen ties with Israel, but not at the expense of their peace treaty.

Amid the Israel-Hamas War, Jordan Balances a Fine Line Between Criticism and Peace With Israel 

Kuwait

Morocco

Oman

Qatar

Tunisia

United Arab Emirates

Students from the American University of Beirut (AUB) rally in support of Palestinians outside the main gate of the university in the Lebanese capital on Oct. 9, 2023. 

Social Issues

Israel's likely ground invasion in Gaza will alienate many Muslims in the Middle East, pressuring their governments to respond in support of Palestinians.

Gauging the Regional Response to the Gaza Conflict

Snapshots

Middle East and North Africa

Part of a new solar plant, funded by the German government, is seen at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan on Nov. 13, 2017.

Environment, Science & Technology

Security

Israel's Survival Strategy

Environmental Issues

Science & Technology

The pact could be the first of many that help Arab states prepare for a hotter and drier future by fusing Isreal’s technological expertise with the UAE’s wealth. 

Normalized UAE-Israeli Ties Yield a Climate-Focused Trade Deal With Jordan 

Media

Podcasts

Jordan and Israel are to sign a water-for-energy deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.

Essential Geopolitics: A Landmark Jordan-Israel Environmental Deal

Egypt's Uphill Battle

Overarching policy continuity aside, the administration has signaled a shift that could allow for more direct engagement with Egypt, and other key allies.

U.S. Policy Continuity Toward Egypt Persists Under Biden, With a Subtle Shift

Where is it coming from, and what should we expect from Iraq, Jordan and Egypt's new alliance?

Essential Geopolitics: The New Levant Initiative

A photo shows a stretch of Jordan’s King Abdullah Canal on March 12, 2018.

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

The new Israeli government’s hawkish Palestinian policies will impede its push to start anew with Jordan after years of stormy relations.



Jordan-Israel Rapprochement Will Hinge on West Bank Tensions

Jordan lies in the heart of the Middle East in an area known as the Levant, surrounded by Israel, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea. Rather than being determined by discrete topographical features, Jordan's northern, eastern and southern borders are the result of early 20th century imperial politics. The core of the country is the northern portion of the Jordan Valley and the adjacent highland plateaus, where most of Jordan's nearly 10 million inhabitants reside. Jordan's three biggest cities, Amman, Irbid and Zarqa, are all located in this area. The fertile east bank of the Jordan River is responsible for most of Amman's agricultural production. Most of the rest of the country is desert, containing portions of both the Syrian and Northern Arabian Deserts. Jordan's two primary geographic challenges are its lack of natural resources and its diverse population. For domestic energy needs, Jordan depends on imported oil and natural gas, though it is a significant exporter of phosphates, potash and fertilizers. Native Jordanians are descendants of the Bedouin tribes historically from the region, but over half of Jordan's population is made up of Palestinian Arabs, a reflection of Jordan's shared border and deep historic ties with the Palestinian Territories. Hundreds of thousands of Syrian and Iraqi refugees also live in the country, as well as pockets of Circassians, Armenians and Assyrians. Despite its artificial borders, dearth of natural resources and proximity to regional conflicts in Iraq, Syria and the Palestinian Territories, Jordan has been relatively stable since its founding in 1946. It has succeeded in fostering strategic relationships with countries such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States. But this stability is a delicate balance, and the country faces a constant uphill struggle against its geographic constraints as it seeks to provide for its population and manage its security.

SITUATION REPORTS

Iraq, U.S.: Iraqi Parliamentarians Request Law To Remove Foreign Forces

U.S., MENA: U.S. Approves Strikes on Iran-linked Targets in Response to Deadly Jordan Attack

Jordan, Syria: Airstrikes in Syria Kill 10, Likely Part of Jordanian Crackdown on Drugs

Jordan: Country Inks $1.2 Billion Loan Agreement With the IMF

China, MENA: China Looks to Align With Arab States on Gaza

Jordan, Israel: Jordan Refuses to Move Forward With Energy-for-Water Deal With Israel

U.S., MENA: Blinken's Proposal for Humanitarian Pauses in Gaza Falls Flat

Bahrain, Israel: Bahrain and Israel's Ambassadors Return to Their Respective Countries

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