The Americas stretch from the Arctic Circle in Canada to the southern tip of Chile. This geographically, culturally and politically diverse region is home to the United States, a nation whose geography helped it become the foremost economic and military power in the world &mdash; an ascendance aided in part by bringing Mexico and Canada into its sphere of influence. Farther south, the nations of South America are like islands, separated by vast spaces of impenetrable mountains, rivers and jungles. Try though these countries may to integrate more closely, deeper ties such as those that characterize North America will prove elusive.

This geographically, culturally and politically diverse region is home to the United States, a nation whose geography helped it become the foremost economic and military power in the world

Americas

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Barbados

Belize

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Grenada

Guatemala

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Suriname

Bahamas

Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Uruguay

Venezuela

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Greenland

Jamaica

Venezuela's Unraveling

Colombian Peace Process

Security Challenges in Latin America

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Importance of Mexico

North America Unrivaled

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Crossing Borders

Assessments

Iran

Iraq

Members of Saraya al-Salam gather during a ceremony in the city of Samarra on June 4, 2026, marking their separation from the Sadrist movement and their integration into the Iraqi security forces.

Military & Security

Politics

Several militant factions have recently expressed a desire to integrate into Iraq's government structures, but more hard-line groups are unlikely to follow suit without Iran's approval.

Iraq's Push To Disarm Iranian-Backed Militias Will Have Only Partial Success

Columns

On Geopolitics

Israel

A 3D satellite-style visualization of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

Economics

Energy

As the Iran war drags on, the Strait of Hormuz is increasingly likely to remain closed for an extended period.

Will the Strait of Hormuz Remain Closed Until 2027?

U.S.-Iran Relations

Snapshots

A passerby walks past the Banco Master building in Sao Paulo on Jan. 22, 2026, after Brazil's central bank ordered its shutdown due to a major liquidity crunch and "serious violations" of financial regulations.

Brazil faces severe institutional friction and heightened market volatility as a widening investigation into massive financial fraud threatens to ensnare prominent politicians, justices and businesspeople.

Deepening Corruption Scandal Could Upend Brazilian Presidential Race

People pass by a building in Ramat Gan, Israel, that was destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile on May 5, 2026. 

Recent direct strikes between Israel and Iran did not immediately collapse the regional truce, but recurrent tit-for-tat escalations would reduce the chance of an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Iran-Israel Escalation Threatens Negotiations To End Iran War

Media

Podcasts

Will the United States continue to pay the "blood and treasure" tax to subsidize global energy security, or is the Hormuz war the catalyst for a fundamental retrenchment?

The Decision Advantage: What the Hormuz War Means for U.S. Grand Strategy

Lebanon

China

North Korea

Armenia

Russia

A banner depicting the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on June 3 in Tehran. There will be an elevated risk of sporadic U.S.-Iran clashes over the next week, as no signs of a diplomatic breakthrough in U.S.-Iran negotiations on a memorandum of understanding have emerged.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Armenian Elections, Xi Goes to North Korea

Taiwan

How has U.S. grand strategy in the Pacific changed over time?

The Decision Advantage: Taiwan Arms Sales and the U.S.-China Trade War

U.S.-China Relations

Smoke rises following Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon as seen from a position across the border in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on May 31, 2026.

Should Israel-Lebanon talks stall, the U.S. would be more likely to greenlight a broader campaign against Hezbollah, though it could also pressure Israel into a more comprehensive truce if Trump deems it necessary for an Iran deal.

U.S. Mediation Unlikely To Lead to Lasting Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire

Australia

Fiji

Japan

India

(From left to right) Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hold a joint press conference after their Quad meeting in New Delhi on May 26, 2026.

The meeting proved the grouping is still functional, but it faces strong constraints in turning ambitious coordination frameworks into functional maritime, infrastructure, critical minerals and energy initiatives that blunt Chinese regional influence.

Takeaways From Quad Summit: New Initiatives, Enduring Constraints and Future Uncertainty

This map shows the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups.

U.S. Naval Update Map: June 4, 2026

France

Slovakia

Environment, Science & Technology

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit France and then Slovakia from June 13-16 to hold bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Reuters reported on June 10.

India: Modi To Visit France and Slovakia Ahead of G7 Summit

Venezuela is expanding its troop presence in gold mining regions of Bolivar state, including deploying special forces from the Bolivarian National Armed Forces and conducting operations targeting illegally controlled mines in the Las Claritas mining region, Bloomberg reported on June 9.

Venezuela: Military Expands Operations Against Criminal Groups in Key Mining Region

Germany

Sweden

United Kingdom

Italy

An Airbus-led alliance of eight defense companies will launch Team Gen 6, a German-led sixth-generation fighter project intended to replace the collapsed Franco-German Future Combat Air System program, during Berlin's ILA air show on June 11, Euronews reported on June 10, citing Airbus. 

Germany, France: Airbus-Led Consortium To Launch Sixth-Generation Fighter Initiative After FCAS Collapse

Chile's finance ministry announced that the government is abandoning President Jose Antonio Kast's campaign pledge to balance the structural budget by the end of his term in 2030, and will instead target a structural deficit of 1.5% of GDP by then, La Tercera reported June 9.

Chile: Government Abandons Kast's Goal of Balancing Budget by 2030

Middle East and North Africa

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote in a June 10 Truth Social post that Iranian officials had "taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!" and threatened to order attacks on Iranian power plants and bridges.

U.S., Iran: Trump Escalates Rhetoric After U.S.-Iran Clashes

South Korea

A South Korean foreign ministry official told reporters on June 9 that during U.S.-South Korea talks on June 2-3, the South Korean side noted that it would build a nuclear-powered submarine in South Korea using local technology, and the official added that the U.S. side did not raise objections.

South Korea, U.S.: Submarine Talks Could Facilitate Broader Security Cooperation

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello ruled out dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition in a response to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's proposal to negotiate a democratic transition with the interim government, El Pais reported on June 8.

Venezuela: Interior Minister Rules Out Government Dialogue With Opposition

U.S. President Donald Trump said late on June 8 that the United States was in the "final throes" of a deal with Iran that could be signed within a few days, Al Jazeera reported on June 9.

U.S., Iran: Indirect Negotiations Continue, No Concessions Announced

Americas

SITUATION REPORTS

India: Modi To Visit France and Slovakia Ahead of G7 Summit

Venezuela: Military Expands Operations Against Criminal Groups in Key Mining Region

Germany, France: Airbus-Led Consortium To Launch Sixth-Generation Fighter Initiative After FCAS Collapse

Chile: Government Abandons Kast's Goal of Balancing Budget by 2030

U.S., Iran: Trump Escalates Rhetoric After U.S.-Iran Clashes

South Korea, U.S.: Submarine Talks Could Facilitate Broader Security Cooperation

Venezuela: Interior Minister Rules Out Government Dialogue With Opposition

U.S., Iran: Indirect Negotiations Continue, No Concessions Announced

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support