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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.

Global Disruption at the Strait of Hormuz

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(click to enlarge) After the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, traffic fell to an average of just six ships per day, compared with...

Hormuz and the Slow-Burn Fertilizer Supply Shock

Oil and gas are not the only critical commodities shut in by the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz....

Sketches of the Middle East After the Iran War

The war in Iran is likely to wind down soon – at least in its current phase – making this a moment to step...

What to Know About the Artesh, Iran’s Conventional Military

Rather than a single, unified military force, Iran operates a two-headed machine comprising the conventional armed forces, known as the Artesh, and the more...

The Future of War Is Here

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In my book “The Future of War,” which was published in 1996, I wrote that the future of warfare would be based on unmanned...

George Answers Your Questions: Beyond Iran: China, Russia and Europe

Beyond Iran: China, Russia and Europe March 23, 2026 Question: Isn’t the Trump administration’s real goal in the Iran war to limit China’s future capability to...

How Iran Is Repricing Geography

Last week, the International Maritime Organization submitted a proposal to protect shipping in the Persian Gulf that’s modeled on the Black Sea grain initiative,...

Lebanon on the Brink of Civil War

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem recently asserted that the Iranian-backed Shiite group will defend Lebanon until the areas of the country that were captured by...

Beyond Iran: China, Russia and Europe

The war in Iran continues, its outcome uncertain and length unknown. And though the conflict has already affected the global system significantly, things are...

George Answers Your Questions: Geopolitics, War and Iran

Geopolitics, War and Iran March 17, 2026 Question: Why are you saying that there was a miscalculation? Trump has repeatedly said this would take 4-5 weeks....

Assessing Iran’s Capacity Amid Decapitation and Degradation

In the assessment of U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on March 18, three weeks of sustained bombardment by U.S. and Israeli forces...

Geopolitics, War and Iran

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In 1940, the United States placed Japan in a difficult position. Japan was a country with very limited resources. It had to import oil,...

Inside Iran’s Mosaic Defense

Modern military conflicts follow a certain operational logic, which goes something like this: The less centralized an enemy’s command and control is, the less...

George Answers Your Questions: A Summary of the Iran War, So Far


A Summary of the Iran War, So Far March 11, 2026 Question: Is your first option effectively the so-called mowing the lawn strategy? That would be...

Iran’s Doctrine of Protracted War

The war between Iran and the U.S.-Israeli coalition is unlikely to produce a rapid or decisive outcome. Rather than a short campaign defined by...

How the Iran War Creates a New Strategic Environment

A change has come to the Iranian government. While airpower alone is unlikely to take down the regime, it will never be the same...

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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.

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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

Global Disruption at the Strait of Hormuz

FREE
(click to enlarge) After the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, traffic fell to an average of just six ships per day, compared with...

Daily Memo: Update on Hormuz, Intel on Iranian Weapons

A first. A French-owned container ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, becoming the first known vessel flying a flag from a...

Hormuz and the Slow-Burn Fertilizer Supply Shock

Oil and gas are not the only critical commodities shut in by the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz....

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