Iran

China

Uzbekistan

Ukraine

Azerbaijan

Kazakhstan

Russia

Kyrgyzstan

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the informal Organization of Turkic States summit in Turkestan, Kazakhstan, where he proposed new cooperation on artificial intelligence centers, cybersecurity, digital signatures, space, cultural heritage and Turkic terminology, while rejecting claims that the OTS was a military alliance, KazTAG reported on May 15.

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Says OTS Is Not a Military Bloc as Turkic Ties Deepen

United States

Israel

Lebanon

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire by 45 days during the third round of direct Israel-Lebanon talks on May 14-15 in Washington, D.C., Reuters reported on May 15.

Israel, Lebanon: Israel and Lebanon To Extend Ceasefire by 45 Days

Tanzania

Tanzania's registrar of political parties has threatened to suspend or fine the main opposition party, Chadema, over alleged "incitement" and anti-government remarks, The Citizen reported on May 15.

Tanzania: Registrar of Political Parties Threatens To Suspend Main Opposition Party

Poland

Polish government officials said Warsaw has received U.S. assurances that Washington does not plan to systematically cut its presence in Poland in response to reports revealing the sudden cancellation of a planned rotational deployment of roughly 4,000 U.S.-based troops, Politico reported on May 15.

Poland, U.S.: Warsaw Downplays U.S. Cancellation of 4,000-Troop Deployment, Citing Wider Reassurances

Ethiopia

Sudan

The Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, launched a drone strike on the Ethiopian locality of Kurmuk on April 29, killing at least eight civilians, including one humanitarian worker from the International Organization for Migration, Addis Standard reported on May 14 based on testimonies from local residents.

Sudan: SAF Reportedly Launched Drone Strike Into Western Ethiopia in Late April

United Arab Emirates

India

Energy

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United Arab Emirates, both sides agreed on a framework for a strategic defense partnership, Reuters reported on May 15.

India: New Delhi Signs Defense and Energy Agreements With UAE

Cuba

CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban government officials in Havana and said Washington would only "seriously engage" with Cuba on economic and security issues "if it makes fundamental changes," Reuters reported on May 14.

Cuba, U.S.: CIA Director Visit to Havana Indicates Growing U.S. Pressure on Cuba

Australia

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands lawmakers elected longtime opposition leader Matthew Wale as the country's new prime minister in a 26-22 secret parliamentary vote, Nikkei Asia reported on May 15.

Solomon Islands: Leadership Shift Recasts Pacific Security Competition

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

Mexico

Japan

South Korea

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 3, 2025, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Middle East, Putin Heads to Beijing

U.S.-Iran Relations

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Afghan protesters burn a Pakistani flag during a demonstration in Helmand Province in 2016.

Gains from the Afghan Taliban's growing regional ties will be hindered by enduring disputes, logistical constraints, infrastructure security risks, and Pakistan's possible absence from future multilateral engagements.

How the Afghan-Pakistani Conflict Is Redrawing Regional Relations

Saudi Arabia

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

Turkey

A digital illustration of the Turkish flag.

Continued high inflation, political uncertainty and bureaucratic hurdles will likely limit the overall effectiveness of the reforms, which come ahead of the 2028 presidential election.

Turkey Pursues Tax Reforms Amid Economic Fallout From the Iran War

Qatar

Part of the gas processing facilities of Europe's first helium production pilot plant in Saint-Parize-le-Chatel, France, on Sept. 11, 2024.

Qatar's halt of helium production due to the Iran war risks causing shortages that disrupt key manufacturing industries, particularly in Asia.

How the Iran War is Choking the World's Helium Flow

Kenya

France

United Kingdom

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.

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

U.S.-China Relations

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Trucks haul away ore from a pit in the Chinese-owned Tenke Fungurume Mine, one of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the world, in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17, 2023.

Greater access to Congo's mining sector will likely help the U.S. further secure its cobalt and copper supplies, but ongoing security concerns in the Central African country and China's dominance over global mineral processing will limit the extent of these gains.

Trump Goes Hunting For Congo's Minerals

Snapshots

Russian officers patrol central Moscow on May 5, 2026, in front of the Kremlin, a few days ahead of the Victory Day military parade, to be held at Red Square on May 9. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

While Ukraine is unlikely to attack Moscow during the May 9 parade, its expanding long-range strike capabilities will steadily increase the war's political, economic and psychological toll on Russia ahead of the September elections.

Ukrainian Strikes Put Russia on Edge Ahead of Victory Day Parade

People gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's southern suburbs on May 6, 2026.

Israel's May 6 airstrike, which killed a top Hezbollah commander, will weaken the already tenuous April ceasefire and diminish prospects for U.S.-backed mediation, raising the risk of a return to a wider war.

Beirut Attack Further Dims Prospects for Lebanon-Israel Peace Talks

An Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16.

A military response from the United States aiming to compel Iranian concessions without committing to ground operations could trigger a prolonged cycle of retaliatory attacks between U.S. allies and Iran.


Iran, U.S. Ceasefire at Elevated Risk of Collapse After Iran Attacks UAE

While a Ukraine loan scheme will offer opportunities for British companies, it will not reintegrate the United Kingdom into EU defense structures.

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Says OTS Is Not a Military Bloc as Turkic Ties Deepen

Israel, Lebanon: Israel and Lebanon To Extend Ceasefire by 45 Days

Tanzania: Registrar of Political Parties Threatens To Suspend Main Opposition Party

Poland, U.S.: Warsaw Downplays U.S. Cancellation of 4,000-Troop Deployment, Citing Wider Reassurances

Sudan: SAF Reportedly Launched Drone Strike Into Western Ethiopia in Late April

India: New Delhi Signs Defense and Energy Agreements With UAE

Cuba, U.S.: CIA Director Visit to Havana Indicates Growing U.S. Pressure on Cuba

Solomon Islands: Leadership Shift Recasts Pacific Security Competition

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