If ‘Game of Thrones’ were in the Middle East

House Lannister = Saudi Arabia

House Stark = Middle East’s crushed liberals and democrats

House Baratheon = Arab autocrats

House Targaryen = United States

House Greyjoy = Turkey

House Martell = Iran

House Tyrell = Israel

Wildlings = Islamists

White Walkers = Islamic State

Night’s Watch = Kurds

The Riverlands = Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere

Read about how Ishaan Tharoor breaks it down at the Washington Post