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U.S.-Iran Relations

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

Somalia

Middle East and North Africa

Oman

Azerbaijan

Oman's Mina al Fahal port temporarily stopped exporting oil on June 4 due to an alleged drone attack near the facility, Reuters reported the same day.

MENA: Oman Reports Explosion Amid Revelations of Region-Wide Covert Israeli Campaign Against Iran

The Lebanese political and militant group Hezbollah rejected the latest ceasefire with Israel jointly announced by the United States, Israel and Lebanon, Axios reported on June 4.

Lebanon, Israel: Hezbollah Rejects Latest Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire

Yemen

Tehran is reportedly still reviewing and discussing the draft memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, Iran's semi-official news outlet Mehr News Agency reported on June 2. 

U.S., Iran: Iran Has Yet To Respond to U.S.-Iran MoU

U.S. President Donald Trump and Lebanon's Embassy in Washington announced a partial ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, under which Hezbollah agreed to stop attacking northern Israel in return for a cessation of Israeli attacks on Beirut, Reuters reported on June 1.

Lebanon, Israel: Another Partial Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire

Kuwaiti air defenses intercepted a drone and missile attack on June 1, the same day that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had responded to a U.S. attack on an Iranian telecommunications tower, AP reported on June 1.

U.S., Iran: U.S. and Iran Renew Clashes, Iran Reportedly Suspends Discussions With Washington

Israel's military issued evacuation orders for civilians in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Reuters reported on May 31.

Lebanon, Israel: IDF To Strike Beirut, Deepen Operations as Hezbollah Intensifies Attacks

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to take control of 70% of the Gaza Strip, up from a currently estimated 64% and well beyond the confines of the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, The Times of Israel reported on May 28. 

Israel, Gaza: Netanyahu Orders Israeli Military To Take 70% of Gaza

Columns

On Geopolitics

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?

Snapshots

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

Assessments

Peru

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

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

Colombia

The Ateela 2 Oil Tanker on April 28 on Qeshm Island, Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Discussions, Brussels To Unveil Tech Sovereignty Package

A fireball and smoke erupt from a building following an Israeli strike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, on May 28.

The recent expansion of Israeli operations in southern Lebanon demonstrates an effort to degrade Hezbollah's capabilities prior to any finalized de-escalation agreements between the United States and Iran.


The Strategic Implications of Israel's Expanded Lebanon Campaign

Japan

Philippines

Kazakhstan

India

A cargo ship anchored May 16 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran. Major gaps in negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program persist, and the U.S.-Iran ceasefire will remain fragile over the next week.

The Weekly Rundown: Rubio Visits India, a Fragile U.S.-Iran Ceasefire

Germany

United Kingdom

Slovenia

Spain

Ireland

Hungary

The EU and Israeli flags in March 2024 in central Berlin's Rotes Rathaus. Although the European Union has sanctioned extremist Israeli settlers, deep-seated internal divisions and a reliance on Israeli defense systems will likely prevent the bloc from imposing comprehensive trade restrictions.

Although the European Union has sanctioned extremist Israeli settlers, deep-seated internal divisions and a reliance on Israeli defense systems will likely prevent the bloc from imposing comprehensive trade restrictions.

Targeted EU Sanctions on Israeli Settlers Unlikely To Broaden Into Wider Restrictions 

Egypt

Jordan

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Right-wing activists gather with Israeli flags outside the Damascus Gate of the walled Old City of Jerusalem on May 26, 2025, during a flag march for Jerusalem Day, commemorating the Israeli army's 1967 capture of the city's eastern sector during the Arab-Israeli war.

Israel's quest for middle-power status will be defined by its ability to unify its Jerusalem core, which has remained divided throughout the modern state's history.

The Modern Geopolitics of Israel

Commercial vessels are seen offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026.

While recent revelations about the airstrikes indicate a shift in both countries' risk calculations, the UAE's hawkish, Israel-aligned posture poses a greater threat of Iranian retaliation than Saudi Arabia's more restrained approach. 

The UAE and Saudi Arabia Enter the War Against Iran, but With Separate Strategies

Kenya

France

Boats on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions between the United States and Iran will remain elevated, especially around the strait, following the May 7 U.S.-Iran exchange of attacks and Iranian attacks against the United Arab Emirates.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, France Convenes an Africa Summit

People wave Iranian pre-1979 Islamic Revolution and American flags while members of the Iranian community celebrate in front of the Federal Building on March 1, in Los Angeles. 

The recent exchange of fire around the Strait of Hormuz reflects calculated efforts by Washington and Tehran to re-establish deterrence and project strength, complicating already fragile negotiations.


Iran and U.S. Exchange Fire, Further Straining Ceasefire

Israel lives under difficult geopolitical circumstances. A small country with limited resources and surrounded by potentially hostile neighbors, Israel survives by allying with powers that do have the resources to manage the balance of power in the Middle East — namely, the United States. Its geographic position also means that Israel must manage complex relations with its Muslim neighbors by quiet collaboration, by exploiting divisions, and by parlaying its technological and economic advantages into create strategic dependencies. To navigate all the challenges presented by the Middle East, Israel will remain agile in its diplomacy and, when the situation warrants, steadfast in its pre-emptive strikes, its covert activities and its economic relationships.

Israel's Survival Strategy

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

SITUATION REPORTS

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

MENA: Oman Reports Explosion Amid Revelations of Region-Wide Covert Israeli Campaign Against Iran

Lebanon, Israel: Hezbollah Rejects Latest Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire

U.S., Iran: Iran Has Yet To Respond to U.S.-Iran MoU

Lebanon, Israel: Another Partial Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire

U.S., Iran: U.S. and Iran Renew Clashes, Iran Reportedly Suspends Discussions With Washington

Lebanon, Israel: IDF To Strike Beirut, Deepen Operations as Hezbollah Intensifies Attacks

Israel, Gaza: Netanyahu Orders Israeli Military To Take 70% of Gaza

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