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Middle East and North Africa

Special Collection on the Middle East

This complete work consists of several dozen essays spread out over 8 parts tackling the region’s conflicts and historical evolution, relating them to contemporary issues. Divided into distinct regions and critical issues, the Special Collection of the Middle East is your source to better understand this volatile region and to be prepared for what comes next.

US and Russia Find Common Ground in the Middle East

The United States and Russia held their third round of talks on Ukraine in Riyadh this week, reportedly focused on a ceasefire in the...

Israel’s Minority Alliance Strategy

After the dramatic fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel must understand that it will always be...

The Limits of a US-Russia Detente

The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are linked, at least in U.S. efforts to resolve them. In many ways, a contiguous shatter...

Turkey and Turmoil in Europe and the Middle East

Massive changes on Turkey’s northern and southern flanks are reshaping its strategic landscape. U.S.-Russia diplomacy has important implications for European security, creating an opening...

Rethinking Arab Summits

U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and permanently resettle its residents sparked an uproar throughout the Arab world. In response, Egyptian...

The Constraints Shaping US Conflict Resolution

The international system has been in flux for more than three decades, yet the United States has relied on outdated tools and strategies to...

Israel’s Intelligence Failure

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Hamas' attack on Oct. 7, 2023, was not Israel’s first intelligence failure. In the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, Israel was surprised by Egypt and Syria's...

Reaction in the Russian Periphery

Though still in its early stages, forged U.S.-Russia diplomacy has compelled several nations on Russia’s periphery to rethink some of their strategic positions. Poland,...

Trump’s Gaza Plan: A Test for Arab Leaders

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his plan to take over the...

Turkey and the Geopolitical Roads Ahead

Turkey is resurging as a regional power. The fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria in 2024 and Azerbaijan’s takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023...

Kuwait’s Denaturalization Policy

Over the past year, Kuwait has undertaken a massive campaign to revoke citizenship based on a decree by the ruling emir, Sheikh Meshal Al...

The World in 2025

Editor's note: Below are the compiled links to our entire 2025 annual forecast. Please follow the links for quick navigation, or download the PDF...

2025 Forecast: Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East is an Arab-majority region, but with the exception of a 200-year period that began in the early 7th century, Arabs have...

2025 Forecast: A World Without an Anchor

Throughout history, world order has been shaped by great powers. In the competition with them – and sometimes among them – lesser powers would...

New Hope for Lebanon

There’s a broad sense of optimism in Lebanon that the election of Joseph Aoun as president earlier this month could bring genuine change after...

The Never-ending Battle for Syria

Syria has been the target of countless attempts at subjugation undertaken by external powers throughout its history. Since the rise of modern-day Syria after...

Latest Posts

The meltdown of autocratic regimes currently underway in the Arab world has led to the growth of ungoverned spaces. The resulting vacuum is being dominated by armed Islamist non-state actors – in particular Salafist-jihadist militias.

The three non-Arab powers – Turkey, Iran and Israel – are trying to manage the regional commotion according to their national interests.

It was during the Cold War era that a deep ideological chasm in the Middle East began to coagulate. The struggle between those who adopted European secularism and those who crafted an ideology based on religious tradition had its roots in late 19th century Ottoman Empire. Roughly 100 years later, this struggle had polarized the region.

Read Regional Assessment

Read Assessment of Saudi Arabia

Read Assessment of Turkey

From our Forecast...

The Vienna nuclear talks will result in a settlement. The Israeli Air Force will not attack Iran’s nuclear sites.

Middle East and North Africa in our Memos

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Latest Posts

Plans for Greenland’s Development

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(click to enlarge) Greenland’s newly elected parliament has formed a coalition government that prioritizes business development and eventual independence, though parties differ on the timeline....

Daily Memo: Chinese Tariffs, Ukraine Security Guarantees

Chinese retaliation. China announced that it will impose 34 percent tariffs on all U.S. imports in retaliation against the Trump administration’s announcement on Thursday...

For the US, Deep-Sea Mining Is a Matter of Urgency

Outside the clamor of tariffs, the negotiations over Ukraine and various institutional reforms, the U.S. government has been devising new ways to strengthen its...

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