<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

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan hold the movement's flag during a demonstration in the capital, Amman, on Nov. 28, 2014.

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Militant factions of the Muslim Brotherhood will likely go underground in Jordan following the government's ban on the organization, but Iranian influence and persistent socioeconomic grievances will sustain risks of violence.

In Jordan, a Ban Pushes the Muslim Brotherhood Underground

Media

Podcasts

How does Turkey's political uncertainty affect its economic outlook?

Essential Geopolitics: Turkey's Current Political Environment

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters aboard Air Force One on May 14, 2025, as he flies to Doha, Qatar, for his first trip to the Middle East since returning to the White House. 

Trump's decision to lift sanctions will help kickstart Syria's war-torn economy and strengthen its new government, but sectarian infighting, Israeli aggression and a resurging Islamic State could still hamper progress.

In Syria, the Promise and Limits of U.S. Sanctions Relief

A Syrian Kurdish woman waves a flag bearing a picture of the founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, as people gather in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria to listen to a message from the jailed leader on Feb. 27, 2025. 

While the disbandment will reduce the near-term risk of Kurdish militant attacks, the peace process could still collapse, which would rob the government of the political support it needs to secure Erdogan's 2028 reelection bid.

What the PKK's Disbandment Means for Turkish Politics and Security

Columns

On Geopolitics

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B aircraft over the North Sea having taken off from RAF Fairford on July 1, 2016 in Gloucestershire, England. The tactic designed to allow intervention without deepening withdrawalism will instead do the opposite, and Washington will face more and more calls to retrench from the Middle East.

The tactic designed to allow intervention without deepening withdrawalism will instead do the opposite, and Washington will face more and more calls to retrench from the Middle East.

Washington Bumps up Against the Limits of Airpower in the Middle East

Kazakhstan

The OPEC logo is seen outside the bloc's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on Oct. 4, 2022.

Energy

The production boost will further decrease oil prices, which will provide some financial relief for oil-consuming countries affected by U.S. tariffs, while further straining the budgets of poorer oil producers like Iraq. 

The Mixed Economic Impact of OPEC's Production Increase

Israeli soldiers conduct a raid in the West Bank on March 19, 2025. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Israel's newly approved plan to expand its offensive against Hamas will invite more Houthi attacks on its territory, worsen Gaza's humanitarian crisis, and fuel backlash both at home and abroad. 

To Break Hamas, Israel Prepares to Reoccupy Gaza

Fighters gather outside a building that was seized by jihadists in Syria's northern Aleppo province on Nov. 29, 2024, amid the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) offensive against government forces.

The two countries will seek to avoid direct conflict amid U.S. pressure to de-escalate tensions, but their competing military presence in Syria and elevated risk tolerances leave the door open to miscalculations and limited clashes.

Can Israel and Turkey Avoid a Conflict in Syria?

Benin

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Cote d'Ivoire

Djibouti

Gabon

Guinea

Madagascar

Mali

Mauritania

Niger

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Senegal

Togo

France

A Gabonese brigade participates in a training exercise as part of a military program linked to the Franco-Gabonese partnership at the French military base Camp de Gaulle in Libreville on March 19, 2025. 

France's reduced influence in Africa will create space for local and foreign actors to take on greater leadership roles, but their inability to fill the security vacuum left by France's withdrawal would threaten to destabilize the region.

France, Africa and the Future, Part 2: The Age of Multi-Alignment 

A woman walks by anti-U.S. murals on the walls of the former U.S. embassy in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 11, 2025. 

The U.S. will likely have to allow some Iranian uranium enrichment to ink a nuclear deal, likely resulting in Saudi Arabia seeking similar provisions for its own civilian nuclear program.

With Iran and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Faces a Uranium Enrichment Dilemma

U.S.-Iran Relations

A Houthi spokesperson announced a "maritime blockade" on Israel's southern port of Haifa, Reuters reported on May 19. 

Yemen, Israel: Houthis Announce 'Maritime Blockade' on Haifa

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 19 that Israel will "take control" of all of the Gaza Strip, AFP reported.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Netanyahu Pledges to Take Over Gaza as IDF Expands Military Operations

Aguila Saleh, the president of Libya's eastern parliament, the House of Representatives, called on May 19 for Government of National Unity Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah to give up power "voluntarily or involuntarily," Al-Wasat reported the same day.

Libya: Eastern Parliament Leader Calls on Dbeibah To Step Down Amid Clashes in Tripoli 

Libyan Finance Minister Khalid Al-Mabrouk and more than five other ministers and deputy ministers of the internationally recognized Government of National Unity resigned from the government on May 16, Libya Review reported the same day.

Libya: Several Ministers Resign From Libya's Western Government Amid Protests

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States would look to issue a 180-day waiver for Congressional sanctions on Syria, with eventual aspirations to permanently remove the sanctions, though that would require Congressional approval, Bloomberg reported May 16. 

U.S., Syria: Trump Administration Pushes for 180-Day Sanctions Waiver

Environment, Science & Technology

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reaffirmed the country's commitment to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion framework for investment in the United States, including in artificial intelligence and semiconductors, initially reached in March, Reuters reported on May 15.

U.S., UAE: United Arab Emirates Reaffirms AI Investment, Deepening Partnership

The United States and Qatar committed to a $1.2 trillion "economic exchange," Qatar Airways' $200 billion purchase of 160 Boeing jets, and defense deals, including the Qatari acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles, Reuters reported on May 14.

U.S., Qatar: Governments Sign Economic Commitments, Defense Deals

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would soon lift U.S. sanctions on Syria, though he did not mention specific demands Syria had met to earn such sanctions relief, Al Jazeera reported on May 13.

U.S., Syria: Trump Says U.S. Will Lift Sanctions on Syria

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Yemen, Israel: Houthis Announce 'Maritime Blockade' on Haifa

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Netanyahu Pledges to Take Over Gaza as IDF Expands Military Operations

Libya: Eastern Parliament Leader Calls on Dbeibah To Step Down Amid Clashes in Tripoli

Libya: Several Ministers Resign From Libya's Western Government Amid Protests

U.S., Syria: Trump Administration Pushes for 180-Day Sanctions Waiver

U.S., UAE: United Arab Emirates Reaffirms AI Investment, Deepening Partnership

U.S., Qatar: Governments Sign Economic Commitments, Defense Deals

U.S., Syria: Trump Says U.S. Will Lift Sanctions on Syria

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