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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.

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...

Israel’s Objectives in Syria

By Andrew Davidson Bashar Assad’s abrupt flight from Syria left behind a power vacuum. The rebels who overthrew him are hard at work reassuring the...

What’s Next for Syria’s Refugees

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(click to enlarge) Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011, displaced more than 13 million people, including nearly 5 million who fled abroad. However, with...

The Weakness of Israel’s Approach to War

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The Middle East has broken down into a state of extreme combat. The collapse of the system of governance throughout the region has opened...

After the Fall of Assad, the Middle East Braces for Unrest

Jubilant crowds in some of Syria’s biggest and most politically significant cities toppled statues of former President Hafez Assad over the past week, in...

The Syrian Government Has Fallen. Now What?

The Assad regime, which had ruled Syria for nearly half a century, fell over the weekend after rebels took control the capitol of Damascus....

Saudi Arabia Hedges Its Bets

Last weekend, Saudi Arabia ditched the comprehensive defense pact it had been pursuing with the U.S. in favor of a smaller, more limited military...

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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Latest Posts

Trump 2.0 and India

What does Donald Trump’s return to the White House mean for America’s relationship with the world’s most populous country? GPF contributor Kamran Bokhari joins host Christian Smith to map the trajectory of U.S.-India relations since Trump's first term in office, and to discuss the major forces at play going forward.

Daily Memo: Germany Reports Contraction

Still struggling. The German economy contracted 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the previous quarter, according to data released Thursday by the...

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...

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