United States

Iran

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Energy

Military & Security

Politics

U.S.-Iran Relations

A nuclear cooperation deal between the United States and Saudi Arabia may include provisions for the latter to domestically enrich uranium, Reuters reported on Feb. 19, citing congressional documents. 

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Nuclear Deal May Include Uranium Enrichment

Somalia

Egypt

Saudi Arabia's and Somalia's defense ministers signed a new defense agreement on the sidelines of the World Defense Show in Riyadh on Feb. 9, the two governments said.

Saudi Arabia, Somalia: Defense Agreement Will Bolster Somalia's Capabilities

Algeria

Economics

Algeria began canceling its 2013 air service agreement with the United Arab Emirates, marking the latest deterioration in ties between the two countries, Reuters reported on Feb. 7.

Algeria, UAE: Algeria Begins Canceling Air Service Agreement With UAE

Yemen

In southern Yemen, Saudi Arabia is planning to commit approximately $3 billion to replace subsidies and support previously provided by the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported Feb. 5, citing Saudi and Yemeni officials.

Yemen: Saudi Arabia Commits $3 Billion to Support Southern Yemen After UAE's Withdrawal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Feb. 3 trip to Saudi Arabia yielded multiple agreements, including a deal for Saudi companies to build solar plants in Turkey.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia: Erdogan's Trip to Riyadh Yields Multiple Deals, Cooperation Pledges

Saudi and Israeli officials are arriving in Washington the week of Jan. 26 to discuss the potential impacts of and possible de-escalation plans for U.S. President Donald Trump's widely anticipated campaign against Iran, Axios reported on Jan. 29.

U.S., Iran: Coordination Increases as Trump Signals Desire To Reignite Protests in Iran

Sudan

Saif al-Nasr Haroun, the infrastructure minister with Sudan's Sudanese Armed Forces-backed government, said the SAF would grant priority to Saudi companies in reconstruction projects to repair infrastructure damaged by the civil war, with a focus on port and rail initiatives, Sudan Tribune reported on Jan. 27.

Sudan: SAF-Backed Government Vows To Prioritize Saudi Companies in Reconstruction Projects

Syria

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said he would introduce the Save the Kurds Act, which would impose sanctions on those threatening Syria's Kurdish population, and criticized the Syrian government and Turkey for their lightning offensive against the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, The National reported on Jan. 27.

U.S., MENA: Sen. Graham Warns Against Anti-Kurdish Actions in Syria, Saudi-UAE Rivalry in Yemen

Assessments

The national flag of Algeria flies near the Bay of Algiers against the backdrop of the old town known as the Casbah and cargo containers in Algiers, Algeria, on Aug. 25, 2022.

Divergences between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates are poised to grow and may lead to a diplomatic break.

Algeria's Grievances With the UAE Deepen Amid Strategic Divergences

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Residents wave Somali flags as they attend a rally denouncing Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland at Mogadishu Stadium in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec. 30, 2025. 

Two regional alignments are coalescing along the Red Sea and in the Horn of Africa, risking the escalation of proxy conflicts and longstanding rivalries.

The Unfolding Regional Realignments Along the Red Sea and Their Implications

Saudi-backed forces are seen on the outskirts of Yemen's Hadramawt province, where the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) recently launched an offensive, on Jan. 3, 2026. 

Social Issues

The Gulf nations' growing battle for influence is straining bilateral ties and fueling proxy conflicts in places like Yemen and Sudan, though both sides will likely avoid any escalation that could harm their economies.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE Pursue Divergent Paths in a Multipolar World

Venezuela

China

North Korea

South Korea

Ukraine

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet takes off from Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport on December 15, 2025 in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. If U.S. strikes escalate and cause significant casualties, it could make retaliatory measures -- including the arbitrary detention of U.S. citizens in Venezuela or the harassment of energy sector vessels in the region -- more likely.

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: South Korea's President Visits Beijing, U.S. Operations in Venezuela

Snapshots

Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognizing Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on Dec. 26, 2025. 

Israel establishing military facilities in Somaliland would invite Houthi attacks against the territory and raise the likelihood of renewed disruptions to Red Sea shipping.


Israel's Recognition of Somaliland Raises the Stakes Along the Red Sea Corridor 

Columns

On Geopolitics

Yemenis gather during a rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), which wants to revive an independent South Yemen, as they wave the old South Yemen flag in Khormaksar Square, in the coastal port city of Aden on Dec. 14, 2025. 

Achieving South Arabian independence will require Yemen's Southern Transitional Council to overcome the historical challenges that have long plagued the governance of Yemen writ large, like tribalism and regionalism.

The Precarious Path to South Arabian Independence

YemenYemenis rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council on Dec. 14, 2025.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Escalating tensions and potential violence between the Southern Transitional Council and Saudi-backed forces create security vacuums that Houthi rebels will likely exploit.



Yemen's Anti-Houthi Bloc Is Fracturing

Chile

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.

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. 

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

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

An aerial photo shows the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

An aspiring middle power, Riyadh must still balance ancient imperatives with modern challenges before it reaches the kind of geopolitical security enjoyed by neighbors like Turkey, Iran and Egypt.

The Modern Geopolitics of Saudi Arabia

Comprising a majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is surrounded by Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.  The kingdom's main geographic challenges are controlling its sparsely populated territory and maintaining shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.    Surrounded by vast deserts, the central Najd plateau is the core of Saudi Arabia and is home to the country's capital, Riyadh. Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, are protected by mountains in the west and flanked by the Red Sea. The security of these cities is a key to the monarchy's legitimacy.    The collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I set the stage for the House of Saud to unify the territory that became Saudi Arabia in 1932. Oil and natural gas have been the country's main exports and source of wealth since their discovery in 1938.     A restive Eastern Province holds a majority of the kingdom's reserves and makes the country vulnerable to invasion from the north or the Persian Gulf. Cross border tribal ties also expose the kingdom to unrest in the south on the border with Yemen.    A scarcity of fresh water and a small population density limit Saudi Arabia's defensive capabilities. Since the vast majority of Saudi oil exports pass via the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, the kingdom has historically relied on a foreign power to balance regional rival, Iran and keep the Strait open.    As global oil consumption continues to rise, Saudi Arabia will continue to play a dominant role in the Middle East despite its geographic challenges.

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Saudi Nuclear Deal May Include Uranium Enrichment

Saudi Arabia, Somalia: Defense Agreement Will Bolster Somalia's Capabilities

Algeria, UAE: Algeria Begins Canceling Air Service Agreement With UAE

Yemen: Saudi Arabia Commits $3 Billion to Support Southern Yemen After UAE's Withdrawal

Turkey, Saudi Arabia: Erdogan's Trip to Riyadh Yields Multiple Deals, Cooperation Pledges

U.S., Iran: Coordination Increases as Trump Signals Desire To Reignite Protests in Iran

Sudan: SAF-Backed Government Vows To Prioritize Saudi Companies in Reconstruction Projects

U.S., MENA: Sen. Graham Warns Against Anti-Kurdish Actions in Syria, Saudi-UAE Rivalry in Yemen

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