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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.

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...

The New Imbalance of Power in the Middle East

The strategic situation in the Middle East is a culmination of Arab states’ decades-long failure to drive regional security. The Cold War, non-Arab regional...

For the US, 2024 Isn’t 1973

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Editor’s note: The rash of student protests throughout the United States is, however you feel about them, a result of America’s unwavering support for...

Israel’s Iron Wall Doctrine

Zeev Jabotinsky was a highly influential figure in Israeli history as a co-founder of the Jewish National Fund and the Jewish Legion who served...

How Different Countries Respond to Terrorism

The fallout from Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage through Israel and the March 22 massacre at Crocus City Hall near Moscow are dreadful reminders of...

For Iran and Israel, There’s No Going Back

A decades-old norm was broken April 13 when Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel from its own territory, instead of relying...

Daily Memo: France Calls Out Azerbaijan, Russian Peacekeepers Go Home

French blowback. France recalled its ambassador to Azerbaijan for consultations after accusing Baku of taking “unilateral actions damaging to the relationship between our two...

US Strategy and the Iran Strike

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The U.S. has adopted a national strategy designed to use force without risking casualties of its own. This strategy has been on full display...

Iran’s Vulnerable Eastern Flank

Iran’s strategic position has significantly strengthened in the Middle East in the wake of the war in Gaza – even as its rear flank...

Iran’s Strategic Patience Dilemma

Iran faces a dilemma in the wake of the Israeli attack last week on its consulate in Damascus, which killed seven senior officers of...

Israel and Iran Step Toward the Brink

Iran has sworn that it will answer Israel’s recent airstrike on Tehran’s diplomatic compound in Syria, raising concerns over a wider conflict in the...

Jihadists Exploit US Conflicts with Russia and Iran

Five years after losing the last stronghold of its defunct caliphate in the Levant, the Islamic State is making a comeback. The group’s center...

In Egypt, a Hunger Revolt Is Unlikely

Egypt has been suffering an economic crisis for years, but now things are so bad that, according to observers, it threatens to result in...

Turkey Plays Defense Against Iran

Since it reemerged as a major player in the Middle East in the late 2000s, Turkey has consistently encountered the same obstacle to even...

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

Required Reads: Middle East and North Africa

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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France Battles Rioters in New Caledonia

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(click to enlarge) Mass protests and riots erupted this week across New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the South Pacific, as French lawmakers discussed...

Daily Memo: Putin-Xi Talks, Armenian Backlash

Putin in China. Chinese President Xi Jinping held informal talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Thursday. At the meeting, Xi said...

Mexico Considers a New Foreign Policy Path

On June 2, Mexican voters will go to the polls to select their next president. At a time when the dominant geopolitical players around...

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