Shahram Akbarzadeh is Research Professor of Middle East and Central Asian Politics and Convenor of Middle East Studies Forum (MESF) at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University, Australia. He held the prestigious ARC Future Fellowship in 2013–2016.

• 1. Historical Context 2. The formation of the state of Israel 3. The Arab-Israeli wars 4. Palestinian politics: The failure of the ‘peace-process’ 5. Pan-Arabism and Islamism 6. The Iranian Revolution and pan-Shi’ism 7. Playground of the Superpowers 8. The US-led War on Terror 9. The Arab Uprising 10. The Syrian War 11. The Islamic State 12. Iran-US Relations and the Nuclear Deal 13. Shifting geopolitics in the Middle East

"The MENA region, or should we begin to call it the WANA (West Asia and North Africa) region in recognition of the region’s rapidly changing orientation, is a complex regional system whose fate and fortunes will continue to influence the workings of the international system for decades to come. So, understanding the fundamentals of WANA region, forces that shape it, countries that influence it, and its prospects, are key to understanding the ebb and flow of world politics as well. In his new edition, Prof. Akbarzadeh makes that job easy for us as he not only discusses the main forces and factors shaping this critical region, but provides a detailed guide for exploring the issues further and in more depth. If you thought his first edition was excellent, be ready to be pleasantly surprised by how much he has added here as well!"Anoush Ehteshami, Professor of International Relations, Nasser al-Sabah Chair and Director, HH Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah Research Programme, Director, Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University

Shahram Akbarzadeh is Research Professor of Middle East and Central Asian Politics and Convenor of Middle East Studies Forum (MESF) at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University, Australia. He held the prestigious ARC Future Fellowship in 2013–2016.

• 1. Historical Context 2. The formation of the state of Israel 3. The Arab-Israeli wars 4. Palestinian politics: The failure of the ‘peace-process’ 5. Pan-Arabism and Islamism 6. The Iranian Revolution and pan-Shi’ism 7. Playground of the Superpowers 8. The US-led War on Terror 9. The Arab Uprising 10. The Syrian War 11. The Islamic State 12. Iran-US Relations and the Nuclear Deal 13. Shifting geopolitics in the Middle East

"The MENA region, or should we begin to call it the WANA (West Asia and North Africa) region in recognition of the region’s rapidly changing orientation, is a complex regional system whose fate and fortunes will continue to influence the workings of the international system for decades to come. So, understanding the fundamentals of WANA region, forces that shape it, countries that influence it, and its prospects, are key to understanding the ebb and flow of world politics as well. In his new edition, Prof. Akbarzadeh makes that job easy for us as he not only discusses the main forces and factors shaping this critical region, but provides a detailed guide for exploring the issues further and in more depth. If you thought his first edition was excellent, be ready to be pleasantly surprised by how much he has added here as well!"Anoush Ehteshami, Professor of International Relations, Nasser al-Sabah Chair and Director, HH Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah Research Programme, Director, Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University

Shahram Akbarzadeh is Research Professor of Middle East and Central Asian Politics and Convenor of Middle East Studies Forum (MESF) at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University, Australia. He held the prestigious ARC Future Fellowship in 2013–2016.

• 1. Historical Context 2. The formation of the state of Israel 3. The Arab-Israeli wars 4. Palestinian politics: The failure of the ‘peace-process’ 5. Pan-Arabism and Islamism 6. The Iranian Revolution and pan-Shi’ism 7. Playground of the Superpowers 8. The US-led War on Terror 9. The Arab Uprising 10. The Syrian War 11. The Islamic State 12. Iran-US Relations and the Nuclear Deal 13. Shifting geopolitics in the Middle East

"The MENA region, or should we begin to call it the WANA (West Asia and North Africa) region in recognition of the region’s rapidly changing orientation, is a complex regional system whose fate and fortunes will continue to influence the workings of the international system for decades to come. So, understanding the fundamentals of WANA region, forces that shape it, countries that influence it, and its prospects, are key to understanding the ebb and flow of world politics as well. In his new edition, Prof. Akbarzadeh makes that job easy for us as he not only discusses the main forces and factors shaping this critical region, but provides a detailed guide for exploring the issues further and in more depth. If you thought his first edition was excellent, be ready to be pleasantly surprised by how much he has added here as well!"Anoush Ehteshami, Professor of International Relations, Nasser al-Sabah Chair and Director, HH Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah Research Programme, Director, Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Durham University