Colombia

United States

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro met for two hours Feb. 3 at the White House and discussed cooperation to fight drug trafficking, El Colombiano reported.

U.S., Colombia: Trump-Petro Meeting Indicates Room for De-escalation 

Ukraine

Russia

Energy

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russia launched a large overnight barrage of missiles and drones against Ukrainian energy infrastructure and cities during extreme cold, damaging power and heating systems across several regions just ahead of resumed U.S.-brokered talks, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reported on Feb. 3.

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Strikes Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure Ahead of U.S.-Brokered Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to attend the next round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 4-5, Axios reported Feb. 2.

Ukraine, Russia, U.S.: Abu Dhabi Talks to Resume as Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Hit Infrastructure

Venezuela

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez on Jan. 30 unveiled a proposed "amnesty law" that would benefit political prisoners and announced that the infamous Helicoide prison in Caracas would be converted into a hub for sports and social services, Reuters reported the same day.

Venezuela: Government Announces Amnesty Bill, Closure of Major Prison

Ethiopia

Chief Administrator of Tigray's Interim Regional Administration Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede announced that Tigrayan authorities were open to talks with Ethiopia's federal government following recent clashes and that the Tigray Peoples' Liberation Front (TPLF) had withdrawn from the Tselemti area as a "confidence-building measure," Addis Standard reported Feb. 1.

Ethiopia: Tigray Administration Announces Withdrawal from Tselemti, Warns of New Escalation 

Costa Rica

Laura Fernandez of the right-wing Sovereign People's Party won Costa Rica's presidential election in the first round on Feb. 1, earning approximately 48% of the vote with 94% of ballots counted, DW reported Feb. 2.

Costa Rica: Government-Supported Candidate Wins Presidential Election

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel reopened the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Feb. 2, allowing Palestinians to cross into the Strip for the first time since May 2024, BBC has reported.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Reopens Rafah Border Crossing

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is planning to launch a strategic critical raw material (CRM) stockpile for the U.S. private sector, known as Project Vault, with about $12 billion in initial funding, Bloomberg reported Feb. 2. 

U.S: Washington To Launch CRM Stockpile for Private Sector 

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

Turkey

A digital satellite illustration shows Europe at night.

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 Re-Engagement With Turkey

Assessments

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

Iran

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?

U.S.-Iran Relations

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

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

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

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

Australia

The Australian flag flies at half mast over Parliament House on Jan. 22, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia, to honor the victims of the Bondi shootings.

Passed in response to the Bondi Beach attack, the legislation will likely fuel legal and federal-state friction, deepen opposition fragmentation and entrench security policy as a persistent fault line in Australian politics.

The Political Impact of Australia's Gun Reform and Anti-Hate Bills

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters gather for a rally in Sylhet, Bangladesh, ahead of the upcoming national election on Jan. 22, 2026. 

The Feb. 12 ballot could yield a government led by the conservative BNP, a coalition led by the Islamist Jamaat party, or a fragile BNP-Jamaat coalition -- each with distinct implications for Bangladesh's economic, political and foreign policy landscape.

Bangladesh's General Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

The candidates running in Costa Rica's 2026 presidential election participate in a debate at the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Jan. 11, 2026. 

Although the president cannot run for reelection, his hand-picked successor will likely win the vote, keeping the right wing at the helm.

Costa Rica's Upcoming Election Will Likely Yield Policy Continuity

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Colombia: Trump-Petro Meeting Indicates Room for De-escalation

Russia, Ukraine: Russia Strikes Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure Ahead of U.S.-Brokered Talks

Ukraine, Russia, U.S.: Abu Dhabi Talks to Resume as Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Hit Infrastructure

Venezuela: Government Announces Amnesty Bill, Closure of Major Prison

Ethiopia: Tigray Administration Announces Withdrawal from Tselemti, Warns of New Escalation

Costa Rica: Government-Supported Candidate Wins Presidential Election

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Reopens Rafah Border Crossing

U.S: Washington To Launch CRM Stockpile for Private Sector

Forecasts

ANALYSES

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