United States

Iran

Japan

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and pressed her to expand Japan's security role in the Strait of Hormuz, and while Takaichi declined to commit direct military involvement, she left open limited non-combat support, The Asahi Shimbun reported on March 20.

Japan, U.S.: Trump-Takaichi Summit Deepens Industrial Ties but Highlights Limits to Security Cooperation

China

South Korea

U.S.-China Relations

U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that countries like China, Japan and South Korea participate in a naval escort mission to ensure the safe passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on March 15.

Northeast Asia: China, South Korea, Japan Demur Over Trump Demand for Strait of Hormuz Escort Mission

Australia

Indonesia

Papua New Guinea

Australia and Indonesia announced plans to expand bilateral security cooperation to include two new trilateral arrangements with Japan and Papua New Guinea, respectively, Reuters reported on March 12.

Australia, Indonesia: Security Pact To Expand and Include Japan, Papua New Guinea

Taiwan

Energy

South Korea's presidential office pledged on March 9 to move toward implementing a price cap on fuel that week and added that Seoul is investigating tax evasion and price collusion among refineries and gas stations.

Northeast Asia: Fuel Price Controls Inbound, Oil Reserve Releases Under Consideration

Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai visited Japan in a private capacity to attend a World Baseball Classic game in Tokyo between Taiwan's national team and that of the Czech Republic on March 7.

Taiwan, Japan: Premier Cho Privately Visits Tokyo, Risking Chinese Retaliation

Canada

Israel

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

G7 finance ministers held an emergency meeting on March 9 to discuss the impact of the Iran war on global energy markets and possible stabilisation measures, including a release of strategic oil reserves, Reuters reported the same day.

Global: G7 Considers Coordinated Strategic Oil Reserve Release as Iran War Drives Crude Above $100

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, announced that bilateral ties between their countries had been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Carney's visit to Tokyo, alongside plans for an economic security dialogue focused on critical minerals, supply chains and advanced technologies, the CBC reported March 6.

Japan, Canada: Tokyo, Ottawa Elevate Ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Around 40% of U.S. naval vessels ready for operations are currently in the Middle East, including one carrier and six destroyers that are normally based in the Pacific, according to a March 3 Reuters report.

Indo-Pacific: Regional Armament Concerns Grow Amid U.S.-Iran Conflict

Assessments

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a news conference at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 18.

Global Trade

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Japanese prime minister may offer economic and security concessions during her upcoming summit with the U.S. president to avoid direct entanglement in the Iran conflict while preserving the relationship with Washington.

Iran War Heightens Stakes of Key Takaichi-Trump Summit

Ukraine

A large plume of smoke rises March 7 over Tehran after explosions were reported in the Iranian capital during the night.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: The Iran War Continues, Takaichi Meets With Trump

India

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, Australia, on March 5, 2026. 

Canada's push to deepen economic and security ties with India, Australia and Japan faces constraints and may inadvertently strengthen the U.S.-led regional structure Ottawa is trying to hedge against.

The Promise and Limitations of Canada's Push to Diversify Strategic Partnerships

Vietnam

The U.S. Supreme Court in October 2024 in Washington.

The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against the Trump administration's tariffs imposed under the IEEPA still leaves Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam vulnerable to other trade escalation mechanisms.

Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam Assess Their U.S. Trade Deals After IEEPA Tariffs

The Tehran skyline on Dec. 30, 2025. On March 2, U.S. and Iranian negotiators will meet in Vienna, Austria, to begin technical talks on a nuclear deal.

The Weekly Rundown: The Conflict in the Middle East, Merz meets Trump 

Snapshots

Mexico

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Feb. 20, 2026, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Trump's use of emergency powers to implement international trade tariffs.

The Trump administration will use other trade authorities to replace many of the IEEPA tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court, meaning U.S. trading partners will remain incentivized to engage on trade matters.

What the Supreme Court Tariff Ruling Means for Trump and U.S. Trading Partners

Japanese Prime Minister and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Sanae Takaichi reacts as she speaks with media on the day of lower house elections at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Feb. 8, 2026. 

The LDP's decisive lower house victory will enable Prime Minister Takaichi to boost social and defense spending and strengthen ties with the U.S., though at the expense of Japan’s relations with China and South Korea.

Election Landslide Stabilizes Japanese Politics, Cements Defense Modernization

Thailand

Bangladesh

Campaign posters Feb. 6 of candidates running in the upcoming Japanese House of Representatives election, in Inagi, Tokyo prefecture.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan Holds Snap Elections, U.S. Weighs Options After Iran Talks

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (top, 5th from left) speaks during the election campaign rally on Jan. 29, 2026, in Himeji, Japan. 

Global Elections

Outcomes for the Feb. 8 snap ballot include a decisive victory for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party, a weakened conservative coalition and an opposition win.

Japan's Lower House Elections: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Palestinian Territories

Egyptian trucks and heavy machinery on Oct. 26, 2025, on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Gaza Border Reopening, EU Leaders Visit India

Benin

Burkina Faso

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Madagascar

Mali

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Paraguay

Venezuela

Egypt

Lebanon

Morocco

Qatar

Syria

Turkey

Yemen

Cambodia

Timor-Leste

Mongolia

Myanmar

Philippines

Bulgaria

Russia

Afghanistan

Nepal

Pakistan

Flight routes.

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

Angola

South Africa

Banners bearing portraits of leaders of the G20 on Nov. 20 in Johannesburg. The South African government has focused the G20 summit's agenda on issues key to African countries.

The Weekly Rundown: A High-Stakes British Budget, South Africa Hosts the G20

<p>Japan is a mountainous, volcanic island chain located in the western Pacific Ocean. The islands arc from Russia in the north toward the Korean Peninsula in the south. The country has four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, plus thousands of minor ones extending through the Ryukyu island chain framing the East China Sea. Japan&#39;s rugged terrain and lack of interregional connecting rivers isolated its population into separate, densely populated coastal plains. The Yamato plain, which dominates the &quot;Inland Sea,&quot; the birthplace of Japanese civilization. The Inland Sea saw the rise of early Japanese maritime culture and facilitated communication and political control. As Japanese culture expanded over the island chain, the seat of power moved to the more productive and strategically located Kanto plain, Japan&#39;s core region and home to Tokyo, the world&#39;s largest metropolitan area. The country&#39;s primary geographic challenge is sustaining its large population on an island with little arable land and few natural resources. Japan&#39;s geography has prompted the country to alternate between periods of isolationism and expansion. When Japan unifies under strong centralized control, it is often drawn toward the continent for resources and land. This happened in the late 1500s and again in the early 1900s, leading to World War II. Given its location, the Korean Peninsula has been the corridor of invasion between Japan and China, and its status remains of strategic importance to Tokyo. The lack of natural resources in Japan continues to force the country to seek them abroad, leaving the country to balance between U.S. naval dominance and China&#39;s expanding maritime interests.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Japan, U.S.: Trump-Takaichi Summit Deepens Industrial Ties but Highlights Limits to Security Cooperation

Northeast Asia: China, South Korea, Japan Demur Over Trump Demand for Strait of Hormuz Escort Mission

Australia, Indonesia: Security Pact To Expand and Include Japan, Papua New Guinea

Northeast Asia: Fuel Price Controls Inbound, Oil Reserve Releases Under Consideration

Taiwan, Japan: Premier Cho Privately Visits Tokyo, Risking Chinese Retaliation

Global: G7 Considers Coordinated Strategic Oil Reserve Release as Iran War Drives Crude Above $100

Japan, Canada: Tokyo, Ottawa Elevate Ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Indo-Pacific: Regional Armament Concerns Grow Amid U.S.-Iran Conflict

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