Israel

Syria

Turkey

Russia

Military & Security

Russia will steadily hand over its two military bases in Syria -- its only military bases in the Middle East -- to the interim Syrian government by November, with the bases turned into joint Russo-Syrian training facilities, Syria's foreign ministry announced on Aug. 9.


Syria, Russia: Russia Slowly Winds Down Military Bases in Syria

United States

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Politics

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the 15-point Israel-Hamas peace plan backed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 9, the highest-level comments by the Israeli government on the matter since the ceasefire was implemented at the end of 2025, BBC reported on Aug. 9.

Israel: Netanyahu Rejects U.S.-Backed Peace Plan for Gaza

Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

An Iranian parliamentary committee helmed by hard-liners is pushing for a bill that would seek to formalize the prohibition of U.S. and Israeli vessels from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, as well as require some form of compensation from hostile countries -- likely Gulf countries -- that have supported U.S. operations against Iran before allowing their vessels to transit, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 6.

U.S., Iran: Iranian Parliamentary Committee Pushes Maximalist Demands for Strait of Hormuz

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson, Doron Spielman, expressed skepticism about the viability of the U.S.-backed Hamas disarmament plan, saying Israel remained convinced Hamas would rearm and attack again should Israel withdraw from Gaza in the near future, AP reported on Aug. 2.

Israel, Gaza: Israel Strikes Gaza as Tensions Bubble Over Disarmament Deal

Hamas and other Palestinian factions agreed to a document setting out a plan for disarmament in the Gaza Strip, conditional upon Israel's withdrawal, Al Jazeera reported on July 31.

Gaza: Hamas Provisionally Agrees to Disarmament Framework

The Palestinian militant group Hamas is set to announce on July 30 that it will lay down its heavy arms and put them in storage in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, local media in Gaza reported the same day.

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Announces Conditional Disarmament, Pressuring Israel To Form a Postwar Plan

Israel's Cabinet preliminarily approved the deployment of around 200 troops from "friendly countries" to Rafah in the Gaza Strip on July 26, the first time the government has approved the International Stabilization Force that is meant to govern Gaza under the plan promoted by the U.S.-backed Board of Peace, The Times of Israel reported on July 27.

Israel, Gaza: Minor International Force Approved for Gaza

Saudi Arabia

Energy

In a July 23 Truth Social post, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the United States' civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia would be contingent on the country joining the Abraham Accords and would not allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium.

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Trump Announces Apparent Changes to Civilian Nuclear Deal

Assessments

Colombia

Venezuela

Lebanon

Europe

Colombia's President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella (R) delivers a speech during a military parade commemorating Colombia's Independence Day in Medellin, Colombia, on July 20, 2026. 

Cyber

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

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

The Weekly Rundown: Colombia's New President Takes Office, Brussels Gains AI Act Enforcement Powers

Peru

United Kingdom

Ukraine

A couple rides past Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on July 24.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Likely U.S. Escalation in Iran, Zelensky Travels to Washington

Snapshots

Middle East and North Africa

Yemen

Yemeni protesters take part in a demonstration held to send a message of defiance against the continued siege and any military escalation involving Saudi forces against Houthi-controlled northern Yemen on July 17. 

Forced to bypass the disrupted Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia's increased reliance on alternative routes leaves its critical oil shipments vulnerable to Houthi attacks.


Yemen's Houthis Threaten Saudi Oil Exports With Red Sea Blockade

People gather by the rubble of destroyed buildings following an Israeli strike on an industrial area in Gaza City on July 12.

Hamas will likely continue to reject full disarmament in the hope that a more moderate Israeli government will come to power following elections in the fall.


Unfeasible Plans for Gaza Governance Hinder Progress of U.S-Backed Ceasefire 

Indonesia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

France

ASEAN leaders hold hands for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN summit in Cebu, central Philippines on May 8, 2026. 

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Tensions Remain High, ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meet With Myanmar

People pass a large banner depicting U.S. President Donald Trump with a target on his head, during funeral ceremonies for Iran's slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the Grand Mosalla on July 5 in Tehran, Iran. 

Global Trade

Recent tit-for-tat strikes between the United States and Iran signal the rising risk of a return to high-intensity regional conflict following the June 17 memorandum of understanding.


U.S.-Iran Truce at Risk of Collapse Over Hormuz Control Dispute

Oman

Maps4media-processed Sentinel-2 satellite imagery shows a broad overview of the Strait of Hormuz on June 16, 2026.

U.S.-Iran talks will face increasingly large obstacles as negotiators approach more contentious topics, namely Iran's nuclear program.

For the U.S. and Iran, the Hardest Negotiations Lie Ahead

Bahrain

Kuwait

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C, top) meets with GCC foreign ministers during his visit to the Middle East to discuss with Arab Gulf allies the interim deal between the U.S. and Iran on June 25 in Manama.

While Qatar and Saudi Arabia explore restoring trade ties with Iran, the United Arab Emirates is aligning its security with Israel and the United States.

Divergent Approaches to Iran Expose Gulf Arab Splits

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. 

Declining public approval and notable primary losses for traditional pro-Israel lawmakers suggest that a future U.S. Congress will increasingly push for military assistance to be conditioned.

U.S.-Israeli Ties Likely To Continue Cooling as Public Opinion Sours

Columns

On Geopolitics

A 3D satellite-style visualization of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

As the Iran war drags on, the Strait of Hormuz is increasingly likely to remain closed for an extended period.

Will the Strait of Hormuz Remain Closed Until 2027?

People pass by a building in Ramat Gan, Israel, that was destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile on May 5, 2026. 

Recent direct strikes between Israel and Iran did not immediately collapse the regional truce, but recurrent tit-for-tat escalations would reduce the chance of an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Iran-Israel Escalation Threatens Negotiations To End Iran War

China

North Korea

Armenia

A banner depicting the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on June 3 in Tehran. There will be an elevated risk of sporadic U.S.-Iran clashes over the next week, as no signs of a diplomatic breakthrough in U.S.-Iran negotiations on a memorandum of understanding have emerged.

The Weekly Rundown: Armenian Elections, Xi Goes to North Korea

Israel lives under difficult geopolitical circumstances. A small country with limited resources and surrounded by potentially hostile neighbors, Israel survives by allying with powers that do have the resources to manage the balance of power in the Middle East — namely, the United States. Its geographic position also means that Israel must manage complex relations with its Muslim neighbors by quiet collaboration, by exploiting divisions, and by parlaying its technological and economic advantages into create strategic dependencies. To navigate all the challenges presented by the Middle East, Israel will remain agile in its diplomacy and, when the situation warrants, steadfast in its pre-emptive strikes, its covert activities and its economic relationships.

Israel's Survival Strategy

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

SITUATION REPORTS

Syria, Russia: Russia Slowly Winds Down Military Bases in Syria

Israel: Netanyahu Rejects U.S.-Backed Peace Plan for Gaza

U.S., Iran: Iranian Parliamentary Committee Pushes Maximalist Demands for Strait of Hormuz

Israel, Gaza: Israel Strikes Gaza as Tensions Bubble Over Disarmament Deal

Gaza: Hamas Provisionally Agrees to Disarmament Framework

Israel, Gaza: Hamas Announces Conditional Disarmament, Pressuring Israel To Form a Postwar Plan

Israel, Gaza: Minor International Force Approved for Gaza

U.S., Saudi Arabia: Trump Announces Apparent Changes to Civilian Nuclear Deal

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