YANG GUANG/XINHUAA fierce rivalry between the forces of peaceful development and those of turmoil dominated the Middle East landscape in 2025. Yet, amid this turbulence, a new security architecture is beginning to take shape in the Middle East. Regional countries are exercising greater strategic autonomy while engaging with multilateral diplomacy to forge a new regional order. The Middle East has witnessed intense confrontation in recent years, particularly between the Iran-led regional forces and the US-Israel alliance. Meanwhile, Brussels rolled out a range of policies on West Asia and North Africa, signaling its attempt to reengage with the Middle East.