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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.

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...

Saudi Araba and the UAE’s New Islamist Problem

The fall of the Assad regime in Syria created a unique problem for Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. They...

Daily Memo: Turkey Considers Syrian Military Operation

Ankara's warning. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that his country could launch a joint military operation with the new administration in Syria if...

Smoke on the Water: Maritime Tension in 2025

For all the attention paid to the world’s many terrestrial conflicts – in Ukraine, the Palestinian Territories, Syria, Myanmar and elsewhere – tensions on...

Turkey vs. Iran vs. the US

A few developments over the past week bode ill for the Middle East’s sectarian rivalries, with implications for U.S. strategy in the region. On...

Why Syria Remains Ungovernable

Syria was for centuries a meeting place for disparate civilizations and cultures, turning it into one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries...

In Syria, the Future Depends on Turkey and Israel

The fall of the Syrian regime degraded Iran’s position in the country and, in doing so, has made Syria a battleground for the competition...

Russia’s Presence in Africa After Assad’s Fall in Syria

Bashar Assad’s ouster in Syria will likely have far-reaching consequences for close ally Russia, extending even into its operations in Africa. For decades, Syria...

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

Daily Memo: Moscow’s Advice for Tehran

Mediation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reportedly told his Iranian counterpart during a trip to Tehran that Moscow was willing to act as a...

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,...

Daily Memo: Britain Expands Defense Budget, US and Ukraine Agree on Preliminary Deal

Britain's defense spending. Britain plans to increase its defense spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced....

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2025 Forecast: The World Without an Anchor

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