<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

Remains of exploded pagers on Sept. 18 in southern Beirut. Israel's attacks on Hezbollah's communications likely signal a steady shift toward a more intense Lebanon campaign,

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

Politics

Israel's attacks on Hezbollah's communications likely signal a steady shift toward a more intense Lebanon campaign. 

Israel's Electronics Sabotage Signals a More Intense Military Campaign in Lebanon

Snapshots

Lebanese soldiers stand guard as an ambulance rushes wounded people to a hospital in Beirut on Sept. 17, 2024, after explosions hit locations in several Hezbollah strongholds around Lebanon amid ongoing cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah fighters.

Environment, Science & Technology

A widespread pager attack against Hezbollah raises tensions between Israel and Lebanon as their border conflict expands.

All Eyes Turn to Israel Following Hezbollah Pager Explosions Across Lebanon and Syria

Media

Podcasts

Economics

Has Saudi Arabia accomplished its Vision 2030 goals?

Essential Geopolitics: Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030

Kenya

Mexico

China

A special session of the U.N. General Assembly is held on the Palestinian bid for full membership to the United Nations at the U.N. headquarters in New York City on May 10, 2024.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Mexico Ratifies a Controversial Judicial Reform, the U.N. Votes on a Palestinian Resolution

Europe

A digital illustration shows a binary code overlaying the Iranian flag.

Cyber

In the second part of this series, we explore Iran's attempts to steal information, silence critics, and disrupt Western critical infrastructure and organizations via damaging cyberattacks and espionage campaigns.

Iran's Escalating Cyber Strategy Against the West, Part 2

U.S.-Iran Relations

In the first of this two-part series, we explore Iran's attempts to sway the upcoming U.S. presidential election and heighten anti-Israel sentiments via online influence campaigns and cyberattacks.

Iran's Escalating Cyber Strategy Against the West, Part 1

Columns

On Geopolitics

The Palestinian refugee camp of Bourj al-Barajneh on Aug. 8 in Beirut. Hamas's ascendency toward leadership of the Palestinian national movement seems likely to portend new cycles of violence and new major military operations.

Hamas's ascendency toward leadership of the Palestinian national movement seems likely to portend new cycles of violence and new major military operations.

The Future of Hamas in Gaza: Gauging Political Resilience, Part 2

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Tamim on April 15 in Washington. Although a U.S. troop drawdown from Iraq is unlikely to lead to a resurgence in the Islamic State or to have significant economic impacts, tensions between Iraqi nationalists and Iranian-backed pro-Tehran Shiites could cause violence in the event of growing Iranian influence.

Although a U.S. troop drawdown from Iraq is unlikely to lead to a resurgence in the Islamic State or to have significant economic impacts, tensions between Iraqi nationalists and Iranian-backed pro-Tehran Shiites could cause violence in the event of growing Iranian influence.

Security in Iraq After a U.S. Withdrawal

Italy

The Mexican Senate building in December 2019 in Mexico City. The Mexican Senate will begin considering a controversial judicial reform Sept. 8 that it plans to vote on by Sept. 11.

The Weekly Rundown: Judicial Reform in Mexico, An EU Competitiveness Report

People watch a televised speech of Lebanon's Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah commemorating the seventh-century killing of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Imam Hussein, in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 17, 2024.

Despite their unified vision, groups within the Iranian-led Axis of Resistance are unlikely to sacrifice their strategic imperatives for one another, leaving them vulnerable to Israeli attacks.

Assessing the Strategic Imperatives of the Iranian-Led 'Axis of Resistance'

A Tunisian court sentenced presidential candidate and leader of the liberal Azimoun Party Ayachi Zammel to 20 months in prison after security forces arrested him two weeks ago on charges of falsifying voter signatures on his candidacy paperwork, Reuters reported on Sept. 18.

Tunisia: Opposition Presidential Candidate Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison

Israel proposed a new outline for the end of the war in Gaza that would see all hostages released at once, an end to the fighting in Gaza, the exile of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his associates, the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, the demilitarization of the strip, and a new government for Gaza, The Times of Israel reported on Sept 19.

Israel, Gaza: Israel Proposes New Gaza Cease-Fire Outline, but Constraints Remain

The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a non-binding resolution calling for the withdrawal of Israeli military troops and settlers from the Palestinian Territories within 12 months, AP reported on Sept. 18.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: U.N. General Assembly Adopts Resolution for End to Israeli Occupation

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Somalia

Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, expelled Tigray interim regional administration leader Getachew Reda and 15 other senior party officials, citing embezzlement of public funds, Addis Standard reported on Sept. 17.

Ethiopia: TPLF Expels Leader of Tigray Interim Administration as Internal Rift Widens

Thousands of Hezbollah walkie-talkies exploded in Lebanon -- just one day after Hezbollah pagers exploded across Lebanon and parts of Syria -- with the Sept. 18 attack resulting in at least three deaths and hundreds more injured, the Guardian reported Sept. 18. 

Israel, Lebanon: Second Round of Explosions Hits Lebanon as Israel Moves Troops to Border

BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, Microsoft and Abu Dhabi's MGX announced the creation of the Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership to meet the growing needs for computing power to fuel artificial intelligence innovation, including energy infrastructure and data centers, Reuters reported on Sept. 17.

U.S.: New $30B Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership Announced

Australia

Energy

Australia and the United Arab Emirates reached a trade deal that will remove a wide range of tariffs and encourage Emirati investment in Australia's critical minerals and clean energy sectors, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported on Sept. 17.

Australia, UAE: Countries Strike Free Trade Agreement

A mass attack on pagers belonging to members of Lebanon's political and militant group Hezbollah injured up to 1,000 members and civilians, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry on Sept. 17, and Iranian state media reported that Iran's ambassador to Lebanon was also injured. 

Israel, Lebanon: Many Hezbollah Members Injured in Attack on Pagers

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Tunisia: Opposition Presidential Candidate Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison

Israel, Gaza: Israel Proposes New Gaza Cease-Fire Outline, but Constraints Remain

Israel, Palestinian Territories: U.N. General Assembly Adopts Resolution for End to Israeli Occupation

Ethiopia: TPLF Expels Leader of Tigray Interim Administration as Internal Rift Widens

Israel, Lebanon: Second Round of Explosions Hits Lebanon as Israel Moves Troops to Border

U.S.: New $30B Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership Announced

Australia, UAE: Countries Strike Free Trade Agreement

Israel, Lebanon: Many Hezbollah Members Injured in Attack on Pagers

Forecasts

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