Iran

Syria

Russia

Military & Security

Syria's army said it was withdrawing from Hama to avoid civilian casualties after Turkey-backed Hayat Tahir al-Sham rebels entered the central city, AP reported on Dec. 5. 

Syria: Key Provincial Capital Falls to Rebels in Another Major Setback for al Assad

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Nigeria

Venezuela

Algeria

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Economics

Energy

OPEC+ countries agreed to delay the phase-out of 2.2 million barrels of oil per day of production cuts from Jan. 1, 2025, until April 1 and to phase those cuts out over 18 months instead of the originally planned 12 months, Argus Media reported on Dec. 5. 

OPEC+: Members To Delay Boosting Oil Production for Third Time

Niger

France

France's state-owned uranium miner Orano said Nigerien authorities had taken over the operations of its Somair mine, Le Monde reported on Dec. 4.

Niger: France's Orano Lost Operational Control of Somair Mine

United States

Turkey

Politics

The Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces captured several Syrian government-controlled villages on the far side of the Euphrates River on Dec. 2 and called on U.S. air support in the course of their operations, according to sources on the ground, Reuters reported on Dec. 3.

Syria: SDF Joins Anti-Government Fighting Near Key Eastern City

Israel

Syrian rebel forces led by Hayat Tahir al-Sham took control of Syria's second largest city, Aleppo, multiple media outlets reported Nov. 30. 

Syria: Government Forces Crumble in Northwest as Aleppo Falls

U.S.-Iran Relations

Iran announced on Nov. 22 that it had issued an order to launch a ''significant series of new and advanced centrifuges of various types'' after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Nov. 21 adopted a motion to censure Iran over its failure to fully cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog's inspectors. 

Iran: Tehran To Launch 'Advanced' Centrifuges in Response to IAEA Censure

On Nov. 11-12, representatives from Russia, Turkey, Iran, Syria and the United Nations, among others, attended the 22nd meeting of the Astana Format held in Astana, Anadolu Agency reported on Nov. 12.

Russia, Iran, Turkey: Guarantor Countries Remain Committed to the Astana Format for Syria

Iran reportedly postponed its retaliation against Israel's Oct. 26 strike to open negotiations with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump after it received a warning through Baghdad, Sky News Arabia reported on Nov. 13, citing Iranian sources.

Iran, Israel: Tehran Reportedly Postpones Retaliation on Israel, Floats Olive Branch to Trump on Talks

Assessments

Yemen

An anti-regime fighter tears off a poster depicting Syrian President Bashar al Assad (left) and his brother Maher at the airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Dec. 2, 2024. 

With its proxy network weakened, developing nuclear weapons will become a more attractive option for Iran as it tries to rebuild deterrence against the U.S. and Israel.

Assad's Fall in Syria Deals Another Blow to Iran's Axis of Resistance

Snapshots

Lebanon

A military vehicle burns after it was hit by Syrian regime forces Dec. 7 in Syria's Hama governorate. After the regime's fall, competing rebel factions will vie to create a provisional government, a slow process prone to violence as foreign actors try to shape the postwar balance of power.

After the regime's fall, competing rebel factions will vie to create a provisional government, a slow process prone to violence as foreign actors try to shape the postwar balance of power.

Syrian Rebels Pushing to Damascus, Regime Facing Imminent Collapse

Ghana

South Korea

Protesters call for the ouster of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Seoul on Dec. 6, 2024.

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

The Weekly Rundown: An Impeachment Vote in South Korea, Syria's Government Wavers

Rebels patrol the streets of Hama after they captured the central Syrian city on Dec. 6, 2024. 

If and when al Assad's regime collapses, war-torn Syria will fragment into factional territories under a weakened rebel leadership.

What To Watch For as Syria's Government Barrels Toward Collapse

Palestinian Territories

Qatar

A child tapes a stick holding a Hamas flag during a demonstration in support of Palestinian resistance in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Jan. 12, 2024. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Hamas' impending expulsion from Qatar will force the group to either relocate its Politburo or disperse its senior leaders across multiple countries, either of which would carry challenges.

With Its Welcome Worn Out in Qatar, Hamas Seeks a New Home Base

Fighters loyal to Yemen's Houthi group chant in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 21, 2024, during a military parade marking the anniversary of the Houthis’ 2014 takeover of the capital.

The Houthis' economic vulnerabilities, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates' desire to avoid being re-entangled in Yemen's decade-long civil war, will reduce the risk of a major escalation in Yemen. 

Gulf States Work to Avoid Major Escalation With Yemen’s Houthis

Bangladesh

India

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) arrive for a joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 25, 2020.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

While U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will maintain many of the outgoing Biden administration's overarching policies toward South Asia, bilateral relationships will grow increasingly transactional.

What Trump's Second Term Means for South Asia

The Iranian capital of Tehran. An Israeli attack on a previously undisclosed active Iranian nuclear weapons research facility demonstrates that Iran is trying to reduce the timeline to develop nuclear weapons.

The Israeli attack on a previously undisclosed active Iranian nuclear weapons research facility demonstrates that Iran is trying to reduce the timeline to develop nuclear weapons.

Israel's October Strike on an Iranian Nuclear Facility Indicates More Strikes Ahead

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks to journalists in Riyadh before the first meeting of Saudi Arabia's new global alliance to push for Palestinian statehood on Oct. 30, 2024. 

Protracted regional conflicts risk undermining the kingdom's efforts to diversify its oil-reliant economy, normalize ties with Israel, and balance between Iran and its opponents. 

Saudi Arabia's Regional Strategy, Part 1: Balancing Between Iran and Its Rivals

Columns

On Geopolitics

An Israeli police officer stands near the remains of an Iranian missile on Oct. 2, 2024, near the Dead Sea, Israel. 

In gauging how the conflict will evolve, much will depend on the level of Trump's support for Israel and hostility toward Iran.

How the Israel-Iran Conflict May Play Out With a Trump Presidency

A billboard congratulating Donald Trump on his win in the U.S. presidential election is seen in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Nov. 7, 2024.

Global Elections

The return of a more like-minded U.S. president will embolden far-right members of Israel's government to advance their domestic and foreign agendas.

Israel's Far-Right Welcomes Trump's Return to the White House

Mexico

China

Ukraine

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election event in the early hours of Nov. 6, 2024.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

U.S.-China Relations

Trump will place more tariffs on U.S. trade partners and reduce support for Ukraine, but he will largely maintain Biden's approach to the U.S. tech rivalry with China and the Middle East conflict.

Trump's Win Will Ripple Across the World

Iran sits at the crossroads of the Islamic world. Linking the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central and South Asia, Iran has struggled to balance the benefits and risks of its geographic position.    Iran's core is located in the western Zagros mountain range. From this secure geography, the beginnings of the Persian Empire spread throughout Iran's mountainous topography securing the Alborz, the southern Zagros and much of the Iranian plateau.    Iran's primary geographic challenge has been to secure itself from the many external threats on its borders. Arabs, Mongols and Turks all conquered ancient Persia at various times, prompting Persia to expand its territorial control whenever possible to establish a buffer to protect its core.    At its height, the Persian Empire stretched from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Hindu Kush mountains, bridging modern-day Europe and Asia. Echoes of this former empire can be seen even today, with Iran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, the al Assad regime in Damascus and the Shiite-led government in Iraq.    Iran has also struggled to unite and control the various language and ethnic groups located within its core territories, a process impeded by the country's difficult terrain. Modern-day Tehran is aided by its large hydrocarbon reserves; Iran boasts the fourth-largest oil reserves and largest natural gas reserves in the world. The 20th century saw British, Russian and American interests competing not only to control Iran's strategic geographic location, but its significant energy reserves as well.    This modern-day reliance on energy revenues has resulted in Iran's focus on securing the Strait of Hormuz and expanding control over the Persian Gulf to secure its core territories from the threat of outside invasion.

SITUATION REPORTS

Syria: Key Provincial Capital Falls to Rebels in Another Major Setback for al Assad

OPEC+: Members To Delay Boosting Oil Production for Third Time

Niger: France's Orano Lost Operational Control of Somair Mine

Syria: SDF Joins Anti-Government Fighting Near Key Eastern City

Syria: Government Forces Crumble in Northwest as Aleppo Falls

Iran: Tehran To Launch 'Advanced' Centrifuges in Response to IAEA Censure

Russia, Iran, Turkey: Guarantor Countries Remain Committed to the Astana Format for Syria

Iran, Israel: Tehran Reportedly Postpones Retaliation on Israel, Floats Olive Branch to Trump on Talks

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