United States

Europe

Economics

Politics

The European Parliament's trade committee is set to vote on March 19 on legislation implementing key elements of the 2025 EU-U.S. trade framework agreement after lead negotiators agreed to move ahead with the process, Politico reported on March 17.

EU, U.S.: European Parliament Negotiators Move EU-U.S. Trade Deal Toward Full Vote

Iran

Israel

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Energy

Military & Security

Iranian media said the United States and Israel attacked Iran's South Pars gas field and the Asaluyeh gas processing plant, marking the first attack on an upstream facility in the Iran war, Bloomberg reported on March 18.

MENA: U.S. and Israeli Strikes Target Iran's South Pars Gas Field, Iran Threatens Broader Retaliation

Venezuela

In the coming days, the U.S. Treasury reportedly plans to issue additional licenses to specific companies to operate in Venezuela's oil sector, in an attempt to boost production and offset crude price increases stemming from the war in Iran, Bloomberg reported on March 17.

U.S., Venezuela: Venezuela Will Struggle To Boost Oil Production Quickly, Even With More U.S. Licenses

Australia

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Australia on March 23-25 to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with both sides indicating the long-negotiated Australia-EU free trade agreement is in its "final stretch" and likely to be finalized during the visit, the Australian Financial Review reported on March 18.

Australia, EU: Trade Deal Likely Imminent as Strategic Pressures Override Agricultural Deadlock

China

U.S. President Donald Trump late on March 16 told reporters that the United States had requested that China delay a summit in Beijing with President Xi Jinping by "a month or so," Bloomberg reported the same day.

U.S., China: Trump Delays Long-Sought Trip to Beijing Due to Iran War

U.S.-China Relations

Colombia

Ecuador

Colombian President Gustavo Petro alleged on March 16 that Ecuadorian authorities had bombed drug trafficking groups on the Colombian side of the countries' border, DW reported on March 17.

Ecuador, Colombia: Colombia Alleges Ecuador Bombed Group on Colombian Side of Border

Indonesia

Indonesia is weighing policy response options as oil prices tick above $100 per barrel, which is inflating subsidy costs and weighing on the state budget, AFP reported on March 17.

Indonesia: Oil Price Spike Forces Fiscal and Political Tradeoffs

Cuba

The Cuban government announced it will allow Cubans living abroad to invest in the country's private sector, El Pais reported on March 16.

Cuba, U.S.: Havana Further Relaxes Economic Rules Amid Grid Collapse and U.S. Pressure

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant economics analyses.

Below are our latest and most relevant economics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

Beyond Quantitative Easing

The New Silk Road

The Fate of the Eurozone

South America: Split Decisions on Trade

Banking

Commodities: A Cautionary Tale

Social Issues

European Disintegration

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

A Japanese Awakening

East African Integration

Assessments

Japan

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

Global Trade

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

U.S.-Iran Relations

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

A U.S.-led naval mission to protect ships from Iranian attacks would likely begin only after the war's intensity decreases, and even then, it would take weeks to organize and yield only a limited return of maritime traffic through the strait.

The Obstacles Facing the U.S. Plan for Strait of Hormuz Naval Escorts

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Environment, Science & Technology

Demographics may not be destiny, but it does play a major role in questions of national power.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: An Introduction

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

Media

Podcasts

What will happen to U.S. interest rates if the war continues?

The Decision Advantage: Economic Impacts of the War on Iran

Pakistan

A digital illustration of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s national flags.

Despite having a mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan will likely only provide the kingdom with low-level defensive and technical support, rather than direct military intervention against Iran, due to various constraints.

In a War With Iran, the Pakistani-Saudi Defense Pact Has Limits 

Bahrain

People attend the funeral of a person killed during an Iranian drone attack on a high-rise apartment building in Bahrain's capital, Manama, on March 10, 2026.

A sharp rise in domestic sectarian issues and disruptions to key exports through the Strait of Hormuz are converging to threaten the political and economic stability of the kingdom.

Iran War Exposes Bahrain to Fiscal Risks, Sectarian Tensions

Canada

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

North Korea

South Korea

Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Feb. 22, 2026. 

Kim Jong Un's latest directives suggest a willingness to pursue high-level negotiations with the United States and China in pursuit of critical economic concessions.

North Korea's Party Congress Points to Diplomatic Window of Opportunity

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil talks to the media before the start of an Eurogroup ministers meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on March 9, 2026. 

While the EU is making some progress on a capital markets union, a fully unified market remains unlikely anytime soon due to fragmented national laws and disagreements over centralized regulatory control.

A European Capital Markets Union: Incremental Progress and Enduring Obstacles

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa at his "Shield of the Americas" summit, a gathering with heads of state and government officials from 12 countries in the Americas at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on March 7, 2026, in Doral, Florida. 

The United States' increasing interventionism across the Americas has led to joint military operations with Ecuador, which, if sustained, could successfully reduce cartel violence there.

U.S.-Ecuador Military Operations Expand Washington's Regional Interventionism

Iraq

Jordan

Syria

Jordanian Armed Forces, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps forces and other international forces conduct a combined Arms Live Fire Exercise on May 23, 2024 in the desert near Azraq, Jordan. 

As the United States prepares to withdraw its final troops from Syria, Amman will likely expand cross-border security operations to counter Islamic State and disrupt drug smuggling networks.

Jordan Likely To Step Up Anti-Islamic State, Countersmuggling Operations in Syria

Economics

SITUATION REPORTS

EU, U.S.: European Parliament Negotiators Move EU-U.S. Trade Deal Toward Full Vote

MENA: U.S. and Israeli Strikes Target Iran's South Pars Gas Field, Iran Threatens Broader Retaliation

U.S., Venezuela: Venezuela Will Struggle To Boost Oil Production Quickly, Even With More U.S. Licenses

Australia, EU: Trade Deal Likely Imminent as Strategic Pressures Override Agricultural Deadlock

U.S., China: Trump Delays Long-Sought Trip to Beijing Due to Iran War

Ecuador, Colombia: Colombia Alleges Ecuador Bombed Group on Colombian Side of Border

Indonesia: Oil Price Spike Forces Fiscal and Political Tradeoffs

Cuba, U.S.: Havana Further Relaxes Economic Rules Amid Grid Collapse and U.S. Pressure

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