Russia

Military & Security

Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, the first deputy head of Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, was shot and wounded by an unidentified assailant at his Moscow apartment building on Feb. 6, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Russia: GRU's Second-in-Command Shot in Moscow

United States

China

Taiwan

Taiwan's defense ministry said it will ask the United States to extend deadlines for signing several arms purchase agreements because parliament has still not approved the required funding, Reuters reports Feb. 6.

Taiwan, U.S.: Taipei Seeks Extension for U.S. Arms Deal

U.S.-China Relations

Australia

Indonesia

Australia and Indonesia signed a security treaty committing both countries to consult the other if either faces a threat, following talks between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, The Jakarta Post reported Feb. 6.

Australia, Indonesia: Security Pact Deepens Strategic Relationship

Saudi Arabia

Yemen

In southern Yemen, Saudi Arabia is planning to commit approximately $3 billion to replace subsidies and support previously provided by the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported Feb. 5, citing Saudi and Yemeni officials.

Yemen: Saudi Arabia Commits $3 Billion to Support Southern Yemen After UAE's Withdrawal

Iran

Oman

Politics

Indirect discussions between the United States and Iran took place Feb. 6 in Oman, with the two sides agreeing to follow-on talks in Oman, CNN reported.

Iran, U.S.: Indirect Discussions in Oman Conclude, Delegations Agree on More Talks

U.S.-Iran Relations

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States concluded a second round of U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, agreeing that each side would release 157 prisoners of war, Reuters reported on Feb. 5.

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Abu Dhabi Talks End With POW Swap, Agreement to Continue Negotiations 

Haiti

The U.S. embassy in Haiti issued a statement on Feb. 4 declaring its support for Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime's leadership "in building a strong, prosperous, and free Haiti," ahead of the end of the Transitional Presidential Council's mandate on Feb. 7.

Haiti: U.S. Backs Prime Minister Amid Dispute Over Political Transition

Chinese state media announced on Feb. 4 the dismissal of three National People's Congress (NPC) delegates with ties to the defense industry, including senior figures from aviation and nuclear weapons research, without providing official reasons, Reuters reported.

China: Lawmakers With Defense-Sector Ties Dismissed as Anti-Corruption Purge Widens

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

Below are our latest and most relevant military analyses. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Syrian Civil War

The Yemen Civil War

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

Cyber

The Ukraine Conflict

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

The Battle for Mosul

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

The Jihadist Wars

Echoes of the Cold War

Instability in Central Asia

South Asian Militancy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Snapshots

United Arab Emirates

Emirati flags on Feb. 4 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. On Feb. 4-5, delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States held a second round of trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates.

The talks are unlikely to produce a near-term settlement, as Russia will continue to press its territorial demands while using diplomacy to manage sanctions pressure and build leverage ahead of a spring-summer offensive.

The Limits of Russia-Ukraine-U.S. Talks

Assessments

Russian soldiers wear chemical protection suits as they stand next to a military fueler on the base of a prime mover of Russian Topol intercontinental ballistic missile during a training session at the Serpukhov's military missile forces research institute some 100km outside Moscow on April 6, 2010.

Over time, this will intensify an ongoing buildup of nuclear capabilities across the globe and make crises involving nuclear powers more unpredictable and prone to miscalculations. 


Implications of the Last Major U.S.-Russian Nuclear Arms Control Agreement's Expiration

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

U.S. Naval Update Map: Feb. 5, 2026

Turkey

A digital satellite illustration shows Europe at night.

Economics

Energy

The EU enlargement chief's upcoming visit to Turkey signals an attempt to balance cautious engagement with clear strategic interests, rather than an imminent breakthrough on the country's stalled accession process.

Understanding the EU's Strategic Reengagement With Turkey

Iraq

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (center) delivers a speech during a campaign rally in Baghdad ahead of parliamentary elections on Nov. 7, 2025. 

If former Prime Minister al-Maliki overcomes challenges to form a new cabinet, it would likely deepen sectarian divisions, embolden Iran-backed militias and increase Iraq's exposure to U.S. financial and/or military pressure.

In Iraq, the Potential Return of a Divisive Leader Raises Alarm

India

Pakistan

A burned-out vehicle along a road on the outskirts of the Pakistani city of Quetta on Feb. 1, 2026, a day after an attack by Baloch separatists. The intensifying insurgency will exacerbate strains on Pakistan's security forces, worsening the country's security challenges and further constraining foreign investment interest.

The intensifying insurgency will exacerbate strains on Pakistan's security forces, worsening the country's security challenges and further constraining foreign investment interest.

With Coordinated Attacks, Pakistan's Baloch Insurgency Intensifies

A man walks past a mural painted on the outer walls of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 1, 2026.

Despite recent momentum toward restarting talks, a deal will likely remain elusive due to the U.S.'s maximalist demands and Iran's red lines, sustaining the risk of U.S. (and likely Israeli) military action in the coming weeks. 

Can New U.S.-Iran Talks Avert a Greater Conflict?

Colombia

Iranian newspapers one of them (R) with a headline in Persian reading "Iran is ready for a big response," Jan. 27 in Tehran in Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump is considering a range of military options against Iran.

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 U.S. and Colombian Presidents Meet, The Threat of U.S. Strikes on Iran

Israel

Syria

A fighter of the Syrian Democratic Forces stands on a road between the Syrian villages of Safa and Tell Brak on Jan. 24, 2026.

The government's deal with the Kurdish-led SDF will reduce sectarian tensions, accelerate a U.S. withdrawal and open space for a Syria-Israel security pact, though risks from local violence and the Islamic State remain.

What a Kurdish Integration Deal Means for Syria's Stability

Mozambique

Rwanda

Tanzania

A Rwandan policeman (R) and a Rwandan soldier (L) guard TotalEnergies' Mozambique LNG project in Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique, on Sept. 29, 2022.

Mozambique's LNG projects will likely progress in 2026 amid a safer security environment, but the economic windfall remains years away.

Mozambique's LNG Sector Turns a Corner Amid Megaproject Reboot

U.S. Naval Update Map: Jan. 29, 2026

Columns

On Geopolitics

A Syrian flag flutters above crowds gathering in central Hama, Syria, during celebrations on Dec. 5, 2025, marking one year since the fall of former President Bashar al Assad's regime.

The third Syrian state, under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, will likely emerge as a Turkish-aligned, authoritarian regime that prioritizes internal stability, reconstruction and regional neutrality, as it tries to avoid its predecessors' mistakes and excesses.

The Third Syrian State: Autocracy, Alignment and Al-Sharaa's Unique Neutrality

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia: GRU's Second-in-Command Shot in Moscow

Taiwan, U.S.: Taipei Seeks Extension for U.S. Arms Deal

Australia, Indonesia: Security Pact Deepens Strategic Relationship

Yemen: Saudi Arabia Commits $3 Billion to Support Southern Yemen After UAE's Withdrawal

Iran, U.S.: Indirect Discussions in Oman Conclude, Delegations Agree on More Talks

Russia, Ukraine, U.S.: Abu Dhabi Talks End With POW Swap, Agreement to Continue Negotiations

Haiti: U.S. Backs Prime Minister Amid Dispute Over Political Transition

China: Lawmakers With Defense-Sector Ties Dismissed as Anti-Corruption Purge Widens

Forecasts

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