Middle East and Muslim World Politics MCQs 2026

The Iran–Saudi rivalry in the Gulf is often described as

1. A a sectarian and geopolitical competition for regional influence ✓
2. B a border dispute over Antarctica ✓
3. C primarily a trade tariff issue only ✓
4. D cooperation within single alliance ✓

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) headquarters is in

1. A Cairo, Egypt ✓
2. B Ankara, Turkey ✓
3. C Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ✓
4. D Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ✓

The OIC was founded after

1. A the 1948 Arab–Israeli war only ✓
2. B the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969 ✓
3. C the 2003 Iraq invasion ✓
4. D the Arab Spring only ✓

The Arab Spring began prominently in

1. A Tunisia in late 2010 ✓
2. B Saudi Arabia in 2005 ✓
3. C Morocco in 1990 ✓
4. D Lebanon in 1982 ✓

The Arab Spring in Egypt led to

1. A immediate stable democracy without upheaval ✓
2. B the fall of Hosni Mubarak in 2011 ✓
3. C Israeli withdrawal from Sinai ✓
4. D GCC dissolution ✓

Syria's civil war began in

1. A 2003 ✓
2. B 2015 ✓
3. C 2011 ✓
4. D 2008 ✓

The Abraham Accords (2020) normalized relations between Israel and

1. A Iran and Syria only ✓
2. B Palestinian Authority only ✓
3. C Lebanon and Iraq only ✓
4. D UAE and Bahrain (later expanded) ✓

Hezbollah is primarily based in

1. A Jordan ✓
2. B Egypt ✓
3. C Turkey ✓
4. D Lebanon ✓

Hamas controls Gaza and originated as

1. A a secular Marxist party in Jordan ✓
2. B an Israeli political party ✓
3. C an Islamist Palestinian movement opposing Oslo ✓
4. D a GCC military wing ✓

The two-state solution envisions

1. A Israel and an independent Palestine living side by side ✓
2. B single binational state only ✓
3. C Jordanian annexation of all Palestine ✓
4. D complete depopulation of Gaza ✓

The intifadas refer to

1. A Israeli elections only ✓
2. B Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation ✓
3. C GCC summit protests ✓
4. D Iranian revolutions only ✓

The Suez Crisis (1956) involved

1. A Egypt's nationalization of the canal and Anglo-French-Israeli response ✓
2. B Syrian invasion of Lebanon ✓
3. C Ottoman collapse only ✓
4. D JCPOA negotiations ✓

The Islamic Revolution in Iran occurred in

1. A 1953 ✓
2. B 1988 ✓
3. C 1979 ✓
4. D 2005 ✓

Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 aims at

1. A nuclear weapons acquisition publicly declared ✓
2. B merger with Israel ✓
3. C withdrawal from OIC ✓
4. D economic diversification beyond oil dependence ✓

The Yemen civil war involves primarily

1. A NATO and Russia directly ✓
2. B Houthi forces and the internationally recognized government with regional backing ✓
3. C India and Pakistan only ✓
4. D Antarctic claimants ✓

The Kurdistan Regional Government operates in

1. A Iran only ✓
2. B Syria only ✓
3. C Egypt ✓
4. D Iraq ✓

The Al-Aqsa/intifada linkage in OIC politics reflects

1. A Jerusalem's religious significance for Muslim states ✓
2. B exclusive Christian jurisdiction ✓
3. C Irrelevance to pan-Islamic identity ✓
4. D Antarctic territorial claims ✓

Pan-Arabism peaked under leaders like

1. A Begin in Israel ✓
2. B Shah in Iran ✓
3. C Nasser in Egypt ✓
4. D Erdogan in Turkey only ✓

The Baghdad Pact/CENTO linked

1. A GCC and Israel ✓
2. B Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and the UK (later renamed CENTO) ✓
3. C OIC and EU ✓
4. D ASEAN and NATO ✓

Turkey's role in the Muslim world includes

1. A NATO membership and regional mediation in conflicts ✓
2. B OIC headquarters location ✓
3. C GCC membership ✓
4. D Arab League founding membership only ✓

The Palestinian Authority was established under

1. A Camp David 1978 only ✓
2. B Abraham Accords only ✓
3. C Balfour Declaration ✓
4. D Oslo Accords ✓

UNRWA provides assistance to

1. A Syrian refugees in Europe only ✓
2. B Venezuelan migrants only ✓
3. C Palestine refugees ✓
4. D all global refugees replacing UNHCR ✓

The Golan Heights were annexed by Israel in

1. A 1948 ✓
2. B 1981 (Syrian territory occupied since 1967) ✓
3. C 1993 ✓
4. D 2015 ✓

Saudi–Iran rapprochement in 2023 was brokered partly by

1. A United States only ✓
2. B Israel ✓
3. C China ✓
4. D France only ✓

The Muslim Brotherhood originated in

1. A Saudi Arabia in 1979 ✓
2. B Turkey in 2002 ✓
3. C Iran in 1979 ✓
4. D Egypt in 1928 ✓

The Arab League headquarters is in

1. A Cairo, Egypt ✓
2. B Riyadh ✓
3. C Damascus ✓
4. D Abu Dhabi ✓

The Nakba refers to

1. A Egyptian victory in 1973 war ✓
2. B the displacement of Palestinians associated with Israel's 1948 creation ✓
3. C Oslo signing ceremony ✓
4. D GCC founding summit ✓

GCC member states include

1. A Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria ✓
2. B Iran, Iraq and Turkey ✓
3. C Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen only ✓
4. D Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman ✓

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was founded in

1. A 1945 ✓
2. B 1981 ✓
3. C 1979 ✓
4. D 2003 ✓

The US withdrew from the JCPOA in

1. A 2015 ✓
2. B 2020 ✓
3. C 2022 ✓
4. D 2018 ✓

Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear program in exchange for

1. A territorial concessions to Israel ✓
2. B withdrawal from OIC ✓
3. C sanctions relief ✓
4. D NATO membership ✓

The Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) was concluded in

1. A 2015 ✓
2. B 2003 ✓
3. C 2010 ✓
4. D 2020 ✓

The Oslo process was conducted between

1. A Hamas and Egypt ✓
2. B Jordan and Syria ✓
3. C Saudi Arabia and Iran ✓
4. D Israel and the PLO ✓

The Oslo Accords (1993) established

1. A mutual recognition and a framework for Palestinian self-government ✓
2. B full independent Palestinian state immediately ✓
3. C Israeli annexation of Gaza ✓
4. D Syrian–Israeli peace ✓

The Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty was signed in

1. A 1973 ✓
2. B 1979 ✓
3. C 1982 ✓
4. D 1993 ✓

The Camp David Accords (1978) were signed by

1. A Syria and Israel only ✓
2. B Jordan and Iraq ✓
3. C Egypt and Israel with US mediation ✓
4. D Iran and Saudi Arabia ✓

UN Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) calls for

1. A immediate destruction of Israel ✓
2. B annexation of all occupied lands ✓
3. C nuclear disarmament of Egypt only ✓
4. D withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the conflict ✓

The 1967 Six-Day War resulted in Israel occupying

1. A the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Sinai and Golan Heights ✓
2. B only Tel Aviv ✓
3. C Iranian territory ✓
4. D Saudi Mecca ✓

The State of Israel was declared in

1. A 1917 ✓
2. B 1967 ✓
3. C 1948 ✓
4. D 1973 ✓

The Balfour Declaration (1917) expressed British support for

1. A an independent Arab kingdom in Morocco ✓
2. B a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine ✓
3. C partition of Egypt only ✓
4. D Ottoman restoration ✓