<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

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The Syrian Civil War

The Yemen Civil War

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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

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Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran on March 2, 2026, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top military leaders, prompting a new wave of Iranian retaliatory missile attacks across the region. 

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

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

The Weekly Rundown: War in the Middle East, U.S.-China Trade Talks

U.S.-Iran Relations

A an Iranian missile that landed March 4 near the Turkish border in the Qamishli district of al-Hasaka, Syria. Although direct strikes as part of Iranian regional retaliation remain unlikely, the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran threatens Egypt and Turkey with energy disruptions and security challenges.

Although direct strikes as part of Iranian regional retaliation remain unlikely, the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran threatens Egypt and Turkey with energy disruptions and security challenges.

Evaluating the Spillover Risks of the Iran War for Egypt and Turkey

The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) on Feb. 25 at the quay of the North Port in Malmo, Sweden. A prolonged conflict in the Middle East would increase Europe's exposure to security risks, including potential attacks on European-linked assets, renewed migration pressures and an elevated terrorism threat, particularly if European capitals assume a more active military or diplomatic role against the Iranian regime.

A protracted regional war threatens to expose the Continent to risks ranging from cyberattacks against critical infrastructure to a renewed influx of asylum seekers.

Prolonged Conflict in Iran Would Elevate Security, Migration Threats Against Europe

Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) participate in a military drill in an outpost near Arbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, on Jan. 15, 2026.

Although arming Iranian Kurdish factions might increase pressure on Tehran, such an uprising alone would be unlikely to collapse the regime, while significantly raising the risk of drawing Turkey and Iraq into the conflict.

The Risks and Constraints of a U.S.-Backed Kurdish Uprising in Iran

Volunteers clean up the rubble outside a government building in Tehran, Iran, that was destroyed by U.S. and Israeli strikes on March 4, 2026.

Energy

The war will most likely end in a tenuous ceasefire in the coming weeks, though a faster or slower truce is possible, depending on the U.S.'s political resolve to maintain its campaign against Iran.

The Iran War Will Last as Long as U.S. Political Resolve Does

People attend a gathering honoring Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on March 1, 2026, at Ashura Square in southern Beirut, Lebanon. 

The Iran war has thrown a wrench in Iraq's and Lebanon's political stalemates, likely further prolonging government formation and delaying elections.

Political Stalemates in Iraq and Lebanon Deepen Amid Regional Instability

Media

Podcasts

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is gone, and the U.S. and Israel-Iran war is widening. Here's what you need to know to navigate the immediate aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

RANE Red Alert: What To Watch Following the U.S.-Israeli Attacks on Iran

Smoke plumes billow following Israel's bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs on March 2, 2026. 

Israel is set to escalate its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the Lebanese government's accelerated efforts to disarm the militant group.

Lebanon Joins the Region's Growing Conflict After Hezbollah Strikes Israel

Cargo ships and tankers are seen in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates, on Feb. 25, 2026. 

Although most of the Middle East's crucial oil and gas assets have so far been spared, a prolonged conflict would raise the risk of material supply disruptions and price shocks, particularly for LNG markets.

How Will the Iran War Impact the World's Oil and Gas Supplies?

Europe

A woman holds a photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iranians protest against attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States on Feb. 28, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. 

Global Trade

Depending on the duration of maritime disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the escalating conflict is set to subject European economies to significant energy market volatility.

European Economic Growth Likely To Suffer From Impact of U.S. and Israel-Iran War

Russia

Russia has been providing Iran with targeting intelligence on U.S. military assets in the Middle East since the outbreak of hostilities on Feb. 28, including the locations of warships and aircraft, The Washington Post reported on March 6, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

Russia, Iran, U.S.: Moscow Reportedly Sharing Targeting Intelligence With Tehran

China is negotiating with Iran to secure safe passage of oil and liquefied natural gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, transit that has been heavily disrupted amid the U.S. and Israel-Iran war, according to three diplomatic sources quoted by Reuters on March 5. 

China, Iran: Beijing in Talks With Tehran for Safe Passage of Tankers

European crude oil benchmark Brent broke through $90 per barrel on March 6 for the first time since April 2024, Bloomberg reported the same day.

Global: Brent Tops $90 per Barrel for the First Time in Nearly Two Years

The U.S. Trump administration is set to meet with defense contractors to push for accelerated weapons production amid diminished munitions stockpiles while the United States escalates its attacks on Iran, using B-2 bombers to drop 2,000 pound bombs on underground ballistic missile sites in the second phase of the war, Reuters reported on March 6.

MENA: U.S. Looks To Accelerate Weapons Production, Israel Launches Attacks on Beirut Suburbs

The Turkish intelligence agency MIT asked the British spy agency MI6 in February to help protect Syrian provisional President Ahmad al-Sharaa amid Islamic State efforts to kill him, Reuters reported March 6.

Syria: Turkey Requests MI6 Protection From U.K. for al-Sharaa

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to share Ukraine's expertise in countering Iranian Shahed drones with the United States and Gulf partners in exchange for additional Patriot missiles and interceptors, Bloomberg reported on March 5.

Ukraine, U.S.: Kyiv Offers Drone Expertise for Patriot Missiles

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Iran had committed a "terrorist act" and instructed the armed forces to prepare retaliatory measures after four Iranian drones crossed into the Naxcivan exclave, injuring four people and damaging the airport terminal and a nearby school, Reuters reported on March 5.

Azerbaijan, Iran: Drone Strike on Naxcivan Raises Escalation Risks

Cyber

The Israel Defense Forces said on March 4 that it conducted airstrikes against a facility in Tehran used as Iran's cyber warfare headquarters.

Iran, Israel: IDF Says It Struck Iran's Cyber Warfare Headquarters

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia, Iran, U.S.: Moscow Reportedly Sharing Targeting Intelligence With Tehran

China, Iran: Beijing in Talks With Tehran for Safe Passage of Tankers

Global: Brent Tops $90 per Barrel for the First Time in Nearly Two Years

MENA: U.S. Looks To Accelerate Weapons Production, Israel Launches Attacks on Beirut Suburbs

Syria: Turkey Requests MI6 Protection From U.K. for al-Sharaa

Ukraine, U.S.: Kyiv Offers Drone Expertise for Patriot Missiles

Azerbaijan, Iran: Drone Strike on Naxcivan Raises Escalation Risks

Iran, Israel: IDF Says It Struck Iran's Cyber Warfare Headquarters

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