List of Middle East and North Africa articles
-
On the left are five people, presumably a family, in the door of their home. On the right are two people, with one of them mostly out of frame but holding a tablet with an identification card on top and the other person fully in frame holding a tablet. Iraq’s Long-Awaited Census Reveals a Demographic Gift
The country stood still for its first count in more than 25 years. Now, it must take action to capitalize on the findings.
-
Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus on Oct. 31, 2001. Will the West Miss a Secular Syria?
The former Syrian dictator warned the world about ever trying to partner with his successors.
-
An illustration shows airpods over the logos of five podcasts: Back to Rwanda, The Afghan Impasse, Counterpoint, Hero, and The Catch The World as We Hear it
FP’s five best podcast episodes of 2024.
-
The defaced portraits of toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and Russia's President Vladimir Putin hang above an entrance to a building, reportedly used by the Russian Army, in the Syrian town of Al-Bassah in the Latakia province on Dec. 12. Who Were the Winners and Losers of 2024?
Matt and Emma take a look back at a turbulent year in global politics.
-
A man pulls a dolley stacked high with boxes across the floor of a warehouse room. Another stack of boxes looms in the foreground, with a paper taped to the top box labeling it as from USAID in English and Arabic writing. Samantha Power on Biden’s Foreign Aid Legacy
The USAID chief on Gaza and why she feels she can make more of a difference in government than outside it.
-
People sit across from a poster depicting then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a gas mask during an event in the rebel-held northern city of Afrin, Syria, on Aug. 20, 2023. The Race to Secure Syria’s Chemical Weapons
The sudden collapse of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has created concerns about the country’s dangerous arsenal.
-
Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and Russian President Vladimir Putin greet each other at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 27, 2023. Why Russia Is Not a Great Power in Africa
Moscow’s mercenaries are overstretched, and the loss of Syria could undermine them further.
-
Attendees take part in celebrations in Damascus, Syria, on Dec. 13. Without Women’s Rights, Syria Risks Failed-State Status
Misogyny is not a cultural issue—it is a driver of extremism.
-
Portraits of Bashar al-Assad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stand as Palestinians sit at the entrance of the Yarmuk camp for Palestinian refugees, south of Damascus, during a delivery of humanitarian aid provided by Iran as part of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan on March 26, 2024. Iran’s 3 Possible Post-Assad Paths
The differences between them are huge—and the United States can affect Tehran’s calculations.
-
A young Iranian woman, not wearing the mandatory headscarf, walked past a group of young veiled women near a sports hall during a gathering in support of the hijab on November 2, 2023. The Middle East Is in Chaos. Iran Is Focused on the Veil.
The fate of Iran’s reformist government could turn on a controversial new hijab law.
-
Papers are stuck sporadically to the dark-red gate of a prison in Syria. Most papers show a photograph of a person with writing beneath them in Persian. Some posters are handwritten; others are typed. Syria’s Paper Trail of Atrocity Must Be Preserved
Amid the chaos of Assad’s fall, vital documents may be lost.
-
Taliban fighters ride on a U.S.-made Humvee to celebrate the first anniversary of their return to power in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2022. Who Lost More Weapons—Russia in Syria or America in Afghanistan?
After the collapse of their client states, both patrons left behind a trove of military equipment.
-
People dance and sing as they take part in victory celebrations in Damascus, Syria, on Dec. 13. How Post-Assad Syria Could Unleash a New Regional Order
Turkey can calm Arab nations fearful of an Islamist takeover by inviting Syria’s neighbors and the Gulf states to play a central role in the political transition.
-
French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Élysée Palace in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. Can Trump Really End the War in Ukraine?
A Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize winner weighs in on his prospects.
-
A militiaman wearing military garb and a face covering while holding a gun stands in the doorway of a building. Why Militancy Is Spreading in Mali
Leaders who fail to protect their citizens while allowing ethnic hatred to spread are fueling extremism.