Israel

Military & Security

Politics

Former Israeli Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid announced a joint run for power later this year, a rerun of their short-lived government in 2021-22 that unseated then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, AP reported on April 26.

Israel: Bennett-Lapid Ticket Again To Challenge Netanyahu

United States

A gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was arrested on the evening of April 25 after running through a security checkpoint at a hotel in Washington, D.C., where U.S. President Donald Trump, dozens of top officials in his administration and hundreds of members of the press were attending an annual event for White House reporters, Reuters reported.

U.S.: Trump Unharmed in Attack at White House Correspondents' Dinner

Iran

Lebanon

U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks after the April 23 White House meeting between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States, AP reported the same day. 

Israel, Lebanon: Governments Extend Ceasefire by Three Weeks

Saudi Arabia

Ukraine

Energy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Jeddah for his second visit to Saudi Arabia in a month, where he is expected to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and advance agreements on security, energy and infrastructure cooperation, Interfax-Ukraine reported on April 24.

Ukraine, Saudi Arabia: Zelensky Visits Jeddah To Expand Security Cooperation

Oman

Russia

Pakistan

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 24 to prepare for another round of talks with the United States, in addition to visits to Oman and Russia, Iran's state-run outlet IRNA media reported the same day. 

Iran, U.S.: Iranian Foreign Minister Heads to Islamabad, but No U.S. Talks Confirmed

U.S.-Iran Relations

Peru

Peru's interim ​President Jose Maria Balcazar announced that the country would postpone the purchase of 24 F-16  Block 70 aircraft from U.S. company Lockheed Martin until the next administration ​takes office in July, La Republica reported on April 22.

Peru, U.S.: Ministers Resign After President Postpones F-16 Deal 

Tanzania

Economics

A commission of inquiry instructed by the Tanzanian government to investigate violence during and after Tanzania's October 2025 elections found that a total of 518 people had died of "unnatural causes," including 502 civilians and 16 members of the security forces, The Citizen reported on April 23. 

Tanzania: Government-Backed Inquiry Finds 518 Died of 'Unnatural Causes' in Election-Related Violence

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an April 23 Truth Social post that he had ordered the U.S. Navy to sink Iranian boats attempting to enforce Iran's blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S., Iran: Trump Authorizes Navy To Strike Iranian Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz

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

Assessments

Japan

South Korea

Vietnam

India

Employees walk at the construction site of a gas metering station, part of the pipeline link between Bulgaria and Greece near the village of Malko Kadievo, on March 18, 2022. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: No U.S.-Iran Breakthrough, EU Ban on Spot Market Russian LNG

Bahrain

Kuwait

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

Social Issues

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Flatlining population growth will leave the Gulf Arab states reliant on specialized, high-tech militaries that are supplanted by foreign forces, exposing them to various long-term security vulnerabilities.

The Demographic Drag on Gulf States' Military Strength

The Albina Bulk carrier sits anchored on March 22, 2026, at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman.

The ceasefire extension will likely prolong the U.S. and Iran's focus on economic pressure to gain leverage ahead of new talks, but this phase of unstable diplomacy could easily give way to another round of military escalation.

Ceasefire, Blockades and Bargaining: The Volatile Outlook for U.S.-Iran Relations

A digital illustration shows the euro currency symbol burning with a blue flame inside a gas stove. 

Brussels' strategy prioritizes temporary relief and coordination over broad market intervention, which will likely result in a fragmented response and sustained price volatility.

EU Outlines Energy Relief and Coordination Measures in Response to Iran-Linked Supply Shock

Somalia

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sits in his office as he speaks to journalists at Villa Somalia, the palace and principal workplace of the president, on April 22, 2025, in central Mogadishu, Somalia.

President Mohamud's attempt to extend his term could prompt opposition forces to form a parallel administration and lead to a federal military intervention in Jubaland state.

Somalia Descends Into Another Constitutional Crisis

Snapshots

Cuba

A general view of El Capitolio and the Havana skyline on December 16, 2014, in Havana, Cuba.

A recent unannounced U.S. diplomatic visit to Havana bodes well for a deal that reduces tensions, but Washington's ongoing demands for political and economic reforms will sustain the risk of a U.S. military and/or law enforcement operation.

U.S.-Cuba Talks Progress, but Threat of Military Action Still Looms

Bulgaria

Romania

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine speaks as he displays a map showing the U.S. Navy's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during a press briefing at the Pentagon on April 16, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia. 

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Diplomacy, Political Instability in the Balkans

Satellite imagery shows a broad view of the Strait of Hormuz between southern Iran and Oman's Musandam Peninsula on April 7, 2026.

Pledges to reopen the strait will support U.S.-Iran diplomatic momentum and reduce near-term escalation risks, but shipping activity will recover only gradually amid persistent tensions, with a continued risk of disruption until a durable agreement is reached.

The Operational vs. Diplomatic Impact of the Strait of Hormuz's Nominal Re-Opening

People in Beirut fire bullets into the sky to celebrate the new Lebanon-Israel ceasefire agreement on April 16, 2026. 

The fragile 10-day truce creates space for rare direct talks between Israel and Lebanon, but a short-term breakthrough is unlikely due to divergent objectives regarding Hezbollah and territorial control, sustaining the risk of resumed cross-border conflict.

What To Expect as Israel and Lebanon Engage in Talks After Reaching Fragile Ceasefire

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Maldives

Nepal

Sri Lanka

A passenger boat sails past the Indian-flagged oil tanker Kashimasan, which is docked near an offloading terminal at Butcher Island (also known as Jawahar Dweep) off the coast of Mumbai, India, on April 1, 2026.

Energy and fertilizer price shocks from the Iran war will increasingly threaten energy supplies, crop yields and economic growth across the region, pressuring governments' foreign exchange reserves and heightening unrest risks.

In South Asia, Iran War Fallout Risks Worsening Economic and Political Instability

Nigeria

The Dangote petroleum refinery plant is seen in Lagos, Nigeria, on April 6, 2026.

Nigeria will enjoy a short-term revenue boost from elevated oil prices, but the potential for renewed instability in the Niger Delta could undermine efforts to increase oil production.

Nigeria's Oil Gains From Iran War Face Old Challenges

China

Philippines

A Chinese navy ship (background left) is seen while an Australian navy ship (right) takes part in a maritime cooperative activity with the Philippines and Canada in the disputed waters of the South China Sea on Sept. 3, 2025.

China, the Philippines and Vietnam's efforts to rebalance coercive activity with diplomatic engagement have temporarily lowered escalation risks, but persistent rivalries ensure long-term volatility.

In the South China Sea, Managed Tension Masks Long-Term Volatility

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Israel: Bennett-Lapid Ticket Again To Challenge Netanyahu

U.S.: Trump Unharmed in Attack at White House Correspondents' Dinner

Israel, Lebanon: Governments Extend Ceasefire by Three Weeks

Ukraine, Saudi Arabia: Zelensky Visits Jeddah To Expand Security Cooperation

Iran, U.S.: Iranian Foreign Minister Heads to Islamabad, but No U.S. Talks Confirmed

Peru, U.S.: Ministers Resign After President Postpones F-16 Deal

Tanzania: Government-Backed Inquiry Finds 518 Died of 'Unnatural Causes' in Election-Related Violence

U.S., Iran: Trump Authorizes Navy To Strike Iranian Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz

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