<p>The Middle East and North Africa is the world&#39;s crossroads. It encompasses the Arabian Peninsula, the mountains of Iran, the plains of Turkey, the deserts of the Levant, the lands north of the Sahara and all coasts in between. The story of the region, as is so often the case of places stuck between foreign players, is the story of trade, exchange and conflict. The traditional powers of the region are Turkey and Iran &mdash; Saudi Arabia and Egypt are the current Arab powers &mdash; and their competition for influence over the region&#39;s weaker states makes the Middle East and North Africa an arena of violence and instability.</p>

The Middle East and North Africa encompasses the Arabian Peninsula, the mountains of Iran, the plains of Turkey, the deserts of the Levant, the lands north of the Sahara and all coasts in between.

Middle East and North Africa

Algeria

Bahrain

Egypt

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Libya

Morocco

Oman

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Tunisia

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Western Sahara

Yemen

The Syrian Civil War

The Yemen Civil War

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Saudi Survival Strategy

The Kurdish Struggle

Iran's Arc of Influence

Israel's Survival Strategy

The Difficulties of North African Reform

Egypt's Uphill Battle

The Battle for Mosul

Sub-Saharan Africa

South Sudan

Burkina Faso

Forecasts

Cyber

Economics

The Importance of Mexico

Personal Security

The Civil War in Libya

Intensifying trade wars, a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, continued volatility in the Middle East and consequential elections in key countries will shape the quarter.

Stag - 2025 Second-Quarter Forecast  updated

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On Security

United States

Social Issues

The Dec. 4, 2024, assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City was a shocking event that has focused attention on the safety and security posture of corporate executives.

Stag Columns :  Considerations for Corporate Security in the Wake of the UHC CEO Assassination

U.S.-Iran Relations

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 all+ato

On Geopolitics

Germany

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Russia

A compressor gas station of the Yamal–Europe pipeline is seen on Feb. 19, 2022, in Wloclawek, Poland. 

Politics

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The expiration of the Russia-Ukraine transit deal underscores Europe's ongoing efforts to sever its reliance on Russian resources, with far-reaching implications for energy markets and geopolitics in the region and beyond. 

The End of Russian Gas via Ukraine Cements Europe's Energy Landscape

China

Europe

Military & Security

Nation-states' growing use of hacktivist personas to obfuscate responsibility will increasingly enable them to attack targets they would otherwise avoid and spread propaganda.

Hacktivism Offers Plausible Deniability for State-Backed Cyber Actors

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

Annual

Trade disruptions, shifting military conflicts and domestic political turbulence will shape global affairs in 2025. 

2025 Geopolitical Forecast

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed a Strategic Partnership Commission Charter at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Reuters reported on Jan. 14. Blinken said the commission would provide the framework to expand economic and security cooperation in the years ahead, and he named several bilateral initiatives that would soon commence as a result of the agreement, including in nuclear cooperation, counterterrorism, border security and people-to-people exchanges. Assessment

Turkey: AKP Indicates Push for Erdogan To Run for Reelection in 2028

justin title

The leader of Canada's left-wing New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, said in a letter addressed to the Canadian people that his caucus plans to present a formal motion of no-confidence against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after Parliament returns from the winter break on Jan. 27, 2025, Reuters reported on Dec. 20. In the letter, Singh also called for Trudeau to resign and said the move to "bring this government down" is to "give Canadians a chance to vote for a government who will work for them."



Canada: New Democratic Party Leader Plans No-Confidence Motion Against Trudeau in 2025

Snapshots

The Iranian capital of Tehran. An Israeli attack on a previously undisclosed active Iranian nuclear weapons research facility demonstrates that Iran is trying to reduce the timeline to develop nuclear weapons.

The Israeli attack on a previously undisclosed active Iranian nuclear weapons research facility demonstrates that Iran is trying to reduce the timeline to develop nuclear weapons.

Israel's October Strike on an Iranian Nuclear Facility Indicates More Strikes Ahead

A photo taken on June 24, 2024, shows the aftermath of a fire at a manufacturing facility in Berlin, Germany, that was allegedly linked to Russia.

Intelligence agencies are increasingly using third parties to do their dirty work abroad, raising the risk of miscalculations with potentially violent consequences.

The Saboteur's Dilemma: The Risk of Using Proxies for Espionage

Ethiopia

Somalia

Somali State Foreign Minister Ali Balcad said obstacles hindering Ethiopia’s participation in the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, or AUSSOM, had been overcome, Voice of America reported on Jan. 12.

Somalia: Government Open to Ethiopia Participating in AUSSOM

Iraqi Kurdistan held parliamentary elections for 100 lawmakers on Oct. 20, and Rudaw reported a 72% voter turnout rate the next day.

Iraq: KDP Wins Largest Bloc in Kurdistan Parliamentary Elections

Mali

Niger

An attack targeting Nigerien security forces in the northern town of Assamaka resulted in seven fatalities and five injuries, Afrique sur 7 reported on Oct. 20.

Niger: Attack on Town Near Algerian Border Kills Seven

The U.S. Biden administration dispatched special envoy Amos Hochstein -- who brokered the 2022 maritime agreement between Lebanon and Israel -- to Lebanon to present proposed Israeli conditions for de-escalation, Axios reported on Oct. 21.

Israel, Lebanon: Israel Proposes Maximalist Conditions for Diplomatic Settlement With Lebanon

Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based leader of Turkey's banned Islamist Hizmet movement, died on Oct. 20, according to Herkul, a website associated with the group.

Turkey, U.S.: Islamist Leader's Death Removes Thorn in U.S.-Turkish Relations

Environment, Science & Technology

Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi said Egypt reduced its 2040 renewable energy target from 58% to 40%, Reuters reported on Oct. 20.

Egypt: Government Cuts Renewable Energy Target To Drum Up Gas Exploration, Investment

The Israeli military exchanged fire with several suspects crossing from Jordan into Israel south of the Dead Sea region, Reuters reported on Oct. 18. 

West Bank: Gunmen Entering From Jordan Injure Two Israeli Soldiers

The United States used its B-2 stealth bombers to strike underground bunkers holding advanced conventional weapons belonging to Yemen's Houthi rebels in and around Sanaa and Saada on Oct. 16, CNN reported on Oct. 17.

U.S., Yemen: U.S. Uses B-2 Bombers Against Houthi Underground Bunkers

Middle East and North Africa

SITUATION REPORTS

Somalia: Government Open to Ethiopia Participating in AUSSOM

Iraq: KDP Wins Largest Bloc in Kurdistan Parliamentary Elections

Niger: Attack on Town Near Algerian Border Kills Seven

Israel, Lebanon: Israel Proposes Maximalist Conditions for Diplomatic Settlement With Lebanon

Turkey, U.S.: Islamist Leader's Death Removes Thorn in U.S.-Turkish Relations

Egypt: Government Cuts Renewable Energy Target To Drum Up Gas Exploration, Investment

West Bank: Gunmen Entering From Jordan Injure Two Israeli Soldiers

U.S., Yemen: U.S. Uses B-2 Bombers Against Houthi Underground Bunkers

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