With Islamists apparently gaining the most seats in Egypt's parliament, CFR's Steven Cook spells out challenges in the transition process, including the writing of a new constitution.

Iran's threat to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz is intended to signal its deterrent capacity to the United States and bolster leadership at home amid biting economic sanctions, says expert Michael Elleman.

Looking ahead to the Iowa caucuses and upcoming primaries in January, CFR's James Lindsay says Republican candidates are taking aim at President Obama's foreign policies, yet it's unclear what they would do differently.

As the last U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq this month, an emerging political battle among the country's top leaders has raised concerns over its stability. It underscores the difficult road ahead for the fragile democracy and potential for greater violence, says CFR's Ned Parker.

Arab states in the throes of political change must embrace economic policies that combat cronyism, spur private sector growth, and ensure safeguards for the poor, says the World Bank's Manuela Ferro.

The increasing resort to violence signals the likely fall of Syria's Bashar al-Assad and could trigger shifts in the regional balance of power away from Iran, says former senior U.S. Mideast adviser Dennis Ross.

Will Kim Jong-il's twenty-seven-year-old son assume power in a smooth transition or is a destabilizing succession struggle ahead for reclusive North Korea? CFR's Scott Snyder says the next few weeks will provide crucial signals.

Attacks on Shia Muslims in Afghanistan claimed by a Pakistani militant group are a disturbing omen -- for sectarian ties and the prospects for a peace deal with insurgents, says counterterrorism expert Brian Fishman.

The mass protests in Russia challenging the parliamentary vote reflect increasing hostility to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and have the potential to change Russian politics in a fundamental way, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.

With the upheavals in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia must grapple with a changing political landscape, including Salafis participating in elections, says F. Gregory Gause. At the same time, he says the country remains vested in curbing Iranian influence in Arab affairs.

An agreement by EU leaders to create a new fiscal union signals a political commitment to the future of the euro. Economist Iain Begg explains why it will not immediately solve the eurozone sovereign debt crisis.

The eurozone and Saudi Arabia are elevated threats in 2012 under CFR's new Preventive Priorities Survey, while Afghanistan and Sudan are reduced. CFR's Micah Zenko discusses.

The Islamists' lead in parliamentary polls has aroused some concerns over Egypt's democratic future. But the real threat, says CFR's Ed Husain, comes from those secular elites who prefer the former autocratic regime or military rule over elected Islamists.

The sharp drop in support for the ruling United Russia party in parliamentary elections reflects growing public discontent with Vladimir Putin's decision to seek the presidency again next year, says analyst Maria Lipman.

The attack on the UK embassy in Tehran was clearly endorsed by the regime and signals more troubles ahead on the effort to contain its nuclear program, says expert Robin Wright.

Syria is faced with an increasing number of international sanctions for its bloody crackdown against protesters. CFR's Mohamad Bazzi says the crises facing the regime are unprecedented, but the regime doesn't appear to be giving in.

With fresh political violence erupting ahead of elections, Shibley Telhami points to new polling data showing Egyptians are concerned the military is attempting to undo the gains of the revolution.

Despite the failure of a supercommittee deficit deal, budget expert Peter Orszag says there will still be opportunity for policies, such as more economic stimulus and cutting healthcare costs, to avert a U.S. fiscal crisis.

Greece's new prime minister is seeking crucial parliamentary support for an EU bailout package that will require restructuring its sovereign debt. Economist William Cline says Uruguay's 2003 default offers a constructive model.

President Obama's nine-day tour of Asia is focused on economic and security partnerships in the region that CFR's Evan Feigenbaum says represents efforts to strengthen longstanding U.S. ties to a region undergoing tremendous change.