Egypt

Economics

The International Monetary Fund completed reviews of Egypt's Extended Fund Facility and Resilience and Sustainability Facility, agreeing to disburse nearly $1.8 billion, Reuters reported on July 30.

Egypt: IMF To Disburse Nearly $1.8B Following Reviews

Somalia

Sudan

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

Yemen

Pakistan

Military & Security

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense announced the formation of a 14-member military coalition -- including Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Somalia and Sudan -- to protect freedom of navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden amid ongoing Houthi attacks against Saudi vessels and oil facilities, Al Jazeera reported on July 30.

Saudi Arabia: Defense Ministry Announces Maritime Coalition for Red Sea Shipping

Burundi

Ethiopia

Kenya

Uganda

United States

Uganda is convening a summit of officials from countries contributing troops to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM, on July 29-31, Garowe Online reported on July 29.

Somalia: AUSSOM Troop Contributors Hold Summit After U.S. Vows to Pull Funding 

Iran

Energy

U.S.-Iran Relations

The United States conducted airstrikes overnight on Iranian territory for the first time in days, striking targets around southern Iran, including Kish Island, Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas, Al Jazeera reported on July 30.

U.S., Iran: U.S. Resumes Limited Airstrikes on Iran

Eritrea

Environment, Science & Technology

Politics

Science & Technology

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty accused Ethiopia of causing a reduction in downstream water levels on the Blue Nile in Sudan due to its unilateral operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Anadolu reported on July 22.

Nile Basin: Egypt, Sudan Slam Ethiopia Over Renaissance Dam's Unilateral Water Retention

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accused Sudan's internationally recognized government, Eritrea and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, of collaborating against Ethiopia with the support of unnamed external forces -- most likely Egypt -- in his first parliamentary address since his party's victory in the June 1 general election, Addis Standard reported on July 7.

Ethiopia: Abiy Denounces Anti-Ethiopia Coalition, Supports Two-Term Limits for Prime Minister

Speaking alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, U.S. President Donald Trump said Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, on the Blue Nile was causing "tremendous problems" for Egypt and that Cairo had been "very unfairly treated," adding that the Nile waters would be a focus of his talks with al-Sisi on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in France, Addis Standard reported on June 17.

U.S., Egypt, Ethiopia: Trump Reiterates Support for Egypt in Nile Dispute With Ethiopia

Egyptian Minister of ​Petroleum Karim Badawi announced that Egypt had cleared its outstanding international oil and gas arrears, aligning with previous government projections for finalizing the payment, Reuters reported on June 10.

Egypt: Cairo Fully Repays Outstanding Foreign Oil and Gas Arrears

Assessments

South Africa

Brazil

China

Russia

India

(From left to right) Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attend a plenary session at the BRICS summit in Kazan on Oct. 24, 2024.

The bloc's push to develop an independent payment system for trade will not immediately undermine the U.S. dollar's global dominance, though it could reduce the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions.

The Implications of an Independent BRICS Payment System

Israel

Jordan

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Syria

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

Right-wing activists gather with Israeli flags outside the Damascus Gate of the walled Old City of Jerusalem on May 26, 2025, during a flag march for Jerusalem Day, commemorating the Israeli army's 1967 capture of the city's eastern sector during the Arab-Israeli war.

Israel's quest for middle-power status will be defined by its ability to unify its Jerusalem core, which has remained divided throughout the modern state's history.

The Modern Geopolitics of Israel

Snapshots

The exterior facade of the new headquarters of Egypt's central bank is seen at the New Administrative Capital megaproject about 45 kilometers east of the current capital, Cairo, on Aug. 1, 2023. 

Egypt will try to avoid submitting to another IMF loan program, which would likely require unpopular austerity and privatization measures. But the escalating economic impact of the Iran war may eventually force its hand.

Iran War Fallout Could Force Egypt to Seek Another Unpopular IMF Bailout

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

Columns

On Geopolitics

Iraq

Libya

A dark earth map of the Middle East with glowing details of cities and human population density areas.

Two blocs are emerging in the Middle East: one focused on preserving existing states and institutions, and the other on creating new ones.

Preservation vs. Fragmentation: Two Paths Toward a New Order in the Middle East

Destroyed vehicles are strewn outside Sudan's finance ministry building in the capital Khartoum on Jan. 17, 2026, after nearly three years of devastating war in the country.

Ethiopia's apparent tilt toward the RSF paramilitary group in neighboring Sudan could trigger deadly border clashes and prompt the Sudanese military to deepen ties with Tigrayan forces.

Ethiopia Discreetly Dips Into Sudan's Civil War

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

Benin

Burkina Faso

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Madagascar

Mali

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Canada

Paraguay

Venezuela

Morocco

Australia

Cambodia

Timor-Leste

Indonesia

Japan

Mongolia

Myanmar

Philippines

South Korea

Thailand

Vietnam

Europe

Bulgaria

Ukraine

Afghanistan

Nepal

Flight routes.

Cyber

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

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 

The new headquarters for Egypt's House of Representatives, the lower house of the country's legislature, is seen on Aug. 1, 2023, at the New Administrative Capital megaproject, which is about 45 kilometers east of the current capital, Cairo. 

With the opposition sufficiently sidelined, pro-government parties will retain a strong majority in the House of Representatives, potentially enabling President al-Sisi to pursue constitutional changes to extend his term.

Egyptian Lower-House Elections To Reaffirm al-Sisi's Dominance

An Israeli military truck carries a tank in southern Israel on the border with the Gaza Strip, on Oct. 14, 2025.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The ceasefire will allow Israel to redirect resources away from Gaza toward other regional threats, particularly Iran, while temporarily easing diplomatic tensions with Egypt and the UAE.

The Regional Implications of the Oct. 8 Gaza Ceasefire

People react at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on Oct. 9, 2025, following news of a new Gaza ceasefire deal.

Violence in Gaza will almost certainly decrease as both Israel and Hamas are pressured to comply with the first phase of the ceasefire, keeping the truce intact in the coming days and possibly weeks.

After Two Years of War, a Permanent Gaza Ceasefire?

Located in the northeast corner of Africa, Egypt lies at the heart of the Arab World. Comprised of mostly uninhabitable desert, 99 percent of the country's 93 million people live along the banks of the Nile River. This region, from the Aswan High Dam to the Mediterranean shore is Egypt's core.    The Nile, while not commercially navigable, forms the basis of Egypt's irrigation-dependent agricultural sector. The long, narrow stretch of population requires expensive infrastructure development — especially related to transportation, straining the capital-poor government's resources.     The desert topography demands a great deal of investment on a national scale necessitating a strong central state, helping to explain Egypt's history of authoritarian regimes beginning with the pharaohs.     Egypt's main geographic challenge has been to develop beyond the narrow Nile corridor and project power eastward. The Saharan desert has largely insulated the Nile core from its western flank and contained Egypt's westward expansion.    Egypt has been able to translate its strong central government and border with Israel into developing a relationship with the United States, the key foreign backer protecting the Suez Canal and the northern coastline. This area contains the majority of Egypt's offshore hydrocarbon reserves.    The Sinai Desert has traditionally been the overland route of foreign invasion, but its more manageable geography also accommodates Egyptian attempts to interact with the Levant and Arabian Peninsula and competition with Saudi Arabia for the role of regional Arab hegemon.

The Difficulties of North African Reform

Egypt's Uphill Battle

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

SITUATION REPORTS

Egypt: IMF To Disburse Nearly $1.8B Following Reviews

Saudi Arabia: Defense Ministry Announces Maritime Coalition for Red Sea Shipping

Somalia: AUSSOM Troop Contributors Hold Summit After U.S. Vows to Pull Funding

U.S., Iran: U.S. Resumes Limited Airstrikes on Iran

Nile Basin: Egypt, Sudan Slam Ethiopia Over Renaissance Dam's Unilateral Water Retention

Ethiopia: Abiy Denounces Anti-Ethiopia Coalition, Supports Two-Term Limits for Prime Minister

U.S., Egypt, Ethiopia: Trump Reiterates Support for Egypt in Nile Dispute With Ethiopia

Egypt: Cairo Fully Repays Outstanding Foreign Oil and Gas Arrears

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