HomeRegional DirectoryMiddle East and North Africa

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.

The Houthis and the Israel-Iran Conflict

Israeli warplanes needed just under three hours on July 21 to travel 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) to their targets in Yemen’s port city of...

Turkey’s Uphill Battle to a Rapprochement With Syria

Since the 1950s, Turkey has expressed interest in the domestic affairs of Syria more than any other Arab country, driven by a long shared...

Why Iran’s Establishment Let a Reformist Become President

For the first time in nearly a generation, Iran has elected a reformist who is not a cleric as president. But Masoud Pezeshkian’s victory...

Israel’s Graduated Escalation Against Hezbollah

Talk of war between Israel and Hezbollah has been making news since the latter began attacking the former in solidarity with Hamas. Israel has...

Graphic Essay: Global Chokepoints in Maritime Trade

Editor’s note: The following is the first of what we hope will be many Monthly Graphics, a visual-rich, subscriber-only essay that complements our long-form...

Daily Memo: Hezbollah Considers Its Options

Plan for Hezbollah. A senior officer from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps met in Baghdad with leaders of pro-Iranian factions in Iraq to discuss...

The Arab-Israeli Conflict and Asymmetric Warfare

Arabs and Israelis fought conventional wars in 1948, 1956 and 1967. The Six-Day War convinced Arabs that their militaries were no match for Israel’s...

A Fundamental Rift in Israel

After Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, Israel’s intention was to annihilate the group, or at least cripple it to the point that it could no...

The Incomparable Risk of an Israeli War With Hezbollah

Israeli forces have been waging war in Gaza for eight months, yet the countries to Israel’s north currently pose its greatest security challenge. On...

Saudi Arabia’s Quest for Peace With Israel

Saudi Arabia has always sought peace with Israel, although it dreaded the consequences of publicizing its intent. In 1965, the Arab public ridiculed Tunisian...

Egypt, Caught in the Crossfire

On May 27, an Egyptian border guard was fatally shot at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. According to a...

Iran: From the Death of Raisi to Khamenei’s Successor

The death of Iran’s president comes at a critical moment for the Islamic Republic. The country’s political system is approaching an inflection point, when...

The Rift Between Iran and Syria

Syrian President Bashar Assad has reason to distance himself from his erstwhile ally Iran. It’s true that Iran helped stabilize the government in Damascus...

For India, What’s an Iranian Port Worth?

Anyone attempting to do business with Iran runs the risk of U.S. sanctions. This was the U.S. State Department’s reply to the news on...

Israel’s Gaza Operation Nears the Endgame

The seven-month-old war between Israel and Hamas appears to have reached a decisive stage. While an end to the fighting remains elusive, it is...

The Myth of the ‘Axis of Resistance’

The term “axis of resistance” was first coined as the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. Though the occupation allowed Iran to gain influence...

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

Continue to the category

More from the Middle East and North Africa

Continue to the category

Latest Posts

Israel, Hezbollah, and the Future of the Middle East

Will the Israel-Hamas War spread across the region? After months of Hezbollah and the IDF exchanging fire, attacks have escalated in recent weeks. Middle East Analyst Hilal Khashan joins host Christian Smith to discuss the conflict at the border, how realistic a full-scale war might be, and what a Trump presidency could mean for the region.

Foreign Investment in 2023

FREE
(click to enlarge) The 2023 data for greenfield foreign direct investment presents a mixed picture but overall one of resilience. According to the U.N. Conference...

Daily Memo: Russian Interest Rates, More Money for Ukraine

Rate hike. Russia’s central bank on Friday raised the key lending rate by 200 basis points to 18 percent. The bank explained that inflation...

Get Geopolitical Futures FREE newsletter

Understanding Our Geopolitical Model

Sign up now and receive our special report Understanding our Geopolitical Model

Get weekly analysis from New York Times bestselling author George Friedman and our global team of analysts, plus special offers.

Subscribe Now


The Geopolitics of the American President

FREE with an annual subscription to Geopolitical Futures.

Subscribe Now