Current Situation in the Middle East

Current Leader: King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa

Political System: Monarchical rule, limited role for a semi-elected parliament

Current Situation: Civil unrest

Further Details: Mass pro-democracy protests erupted in February 2011, prompting a government crackdown aided by troops from Saudi Arabia. But unrest continues, as a restless Shiite majority confronts a state dominated by the Sunni minority. The ruling family has yet to offer any significant political concessions.

• Why the Crisis in Bahrain Won’t Go Away

Current Leader: President Mohammad Morsi / Army Chief Mohammad Hussein Tantawi

Political System: Political System: Elected president/ Interim military governing body

Current Situation: Transition from autocratic rule

Further Details: Popular unrest has brought down the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak in early 2011, but the remnants of the old regime have put brakes on the democratic transition. Egypt’s first democratic parliament in decades was dissolved in June 2012, and real power remains in the hands of an interim military governing body.

• Egypt’s Constitutional Crisis in 2012: How It Happened
• Can the US Work with Egypt’s Islamists?

Continue to Egypt's full-page profile

Current Leader: Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki

Political System: Parliamentary democracy

Current Situation: High risk of political and religious violence

Further Details: Iraq’s Shiite majority dominates the governing coalition, placing growing strain on the power-sharing agreement with Sunnis and Kurds. Al Qaeda is using the Sunni resentment of the government to mobilize support for its escalating campaign of violence.

• Al Qaeda in Iraq: “Islamic State in Iraq”
• Iraq War Effect on the Middle East

Current Leader: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Political System: Islamic republic

Current Situation: Regime infighting / Tensions with the West

Further Details: Iran’s oil-dependent economy is under severe strain due to sanctions imposed by the West over the country’s nuclear program. Meanwhile, supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vie for power with factions backed by Ayatollah Khomeini, ahead of presidential elections in mid-2013.

• The Cold War Between Iran and Saudi Arabia
• Why Iran Supports the Syrian Regime

Current Leader: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Political System: Parliamentary democracy

Current Situation: Political stability / Tensions with Iran

Further Details: Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party came on top of the early elections held in January 2013, but faces a hard time keeping its diverse government coalition together. Prospects for a breakthrough in peace negotiations with Palestinians are close to zero, and military action against Iran is possible in Spring 2013.

• Can Israel Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Program?
• Iran’s Response To An Israeli Attack
• Israeli Position on the Syrian Conflict

Continue to Israel's full-page profile

Current Leader: President Michel Suleiman / Prime Minister Najib Mikati

Political System: Parliamentary democracy

Current Situation: High risk of political and religious violence

Further Details: Lebanon’s governing coalition backed by the Shiite militia Hezbollah has close links to the Syrian regime, while the opposition is sympathetic to Syrian rebels who have established a rear base in northern Lebanon. Clashes erupted between rival Lebanese groups in the north, capital remains calm but tense.

• The Impact of Syrian Uprising on Lebanon
• Assassination of Lebanese Security Chief Wissam al-Hassan in 2012

Current Leader: Prime Minister Ali Zeidan

Political System: Interim governing body

Current Situation: Transition from autocratic rule

Further Details: July 2012 parliamentary elections were won by a secular political alliance. However, large parts of Libya are controlled by militias, former rebels that brought down the regime of Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi. Frequent clashes between rival militias threaten to derail the political process.

• 2012 Parliamentary Elections: Islamists Lose
• The Rise of Libya’s Militias

Current Leader: King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud

Political System: Absolutist monarchy

Current Situation: Royal family rejects reforms

Further Details: Saudi Arabia remains stable, with anti-government protests limited to areas populated with the Shiite minority. However, growing uncertainty over the succession of power from the current monarch raises the possibility of tension within the royal family.

• How Stable is Saudi Arabia?
• Royal Succession in Saudi Arabia

Current Leader: President Bashar al-Assad

Political System: Family-rule autocracy dominated by minority Alawite sect

Current Situation: Civil war

Further Details: After a year and a half of unrest in Syria, conflict between the regime and the opposition has escalated to full-scale civil war. Fighting has reached the capital and key members of the government have been killed or have defected.

• In Depth: Syrian Civil War Explained
• Who Supports the Syrian Regime

Continue to Syria's full-page profile

Current Leader: Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh

Political System: Parliamentary democracy

Current Situation: Transition from autocratic rule

Further Details: The birthplace of the Arab Spring is now ruled by a coalition of Islamist and secular parties. A heated debate is underway on the role that Islam should be accorded in the new constitution, with occasional street scuffles between ultra-conservative Salafis and secular activists.

• Tunisia's and Ben Ali's Corruptions: The Wikileaks Revelations

Current Leader: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Political System: Parliamentary democracy

Current Situation: Stable democracy

Further Details: Ruled by moderate Islamists since 2002, Turkey has seen its economy and regional influence grow in recent years. The government is battling a Kurdish separatist insurgency at home, while supporting the rebels in neighboring Syria.

• Turkey’s Role in the Arab Spring
• Turkey’s Intervention in Syria

Current Leader: Interim President Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi

Political System: Autocracy

Current Situation: Transition / Armed insurgency

Further Details: Long-serving leader Ali Abdullah Saleh resigned in November 2011 under a Saudi-brokered transition deal, after nine months of protests. Interim authorities are battling Al Qaeda-linked militants and a growing separatist movement in the south, with moot prospects for a transition to a stable democratic government.

• Profile: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh
• Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula (AQAP): Profile