Afghanistan

Pakistan

Military & Security

Politics

A local official in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar said Pakistan's military had shelled parts of the province after the expiration overnight March 23 of Pakistan's pause on military operations surrounding the Eid al-Fitr holiday, AP reported on March 25.

Afghanistan, Pakistan: Reports Conflict on Renewed Violence Following Ceasefire's Expiration

Ukraine

Russia

Energy

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian drones struck oil-product facilities at Russia's Ust-Luga Baltic port, damaging storage tanks and loading infrastructure and causing a fire, Bloomberg reported on March 25.

Russia, Ukraine: Ukrainian Drones Strike Ust-Luga Oil Export Terminal

United States

Iran

The United States presented a 15-point peace plan to Iran through Pakistan, Israel's Channel 12 reported on March 24, but the next day, Iranian state media said Tehran rejected the plan.

U.S., Iran: U.S. Presents 15-Point Plan, Iran Permits 'Non-Hostile Vessels' To Transit Strait of Hormuz

Ghana

Europe

Ghana signed a new defense agreement with the European Union aimed at strengthening security cooperation and preventing the spread of Islamist militancy from the Sahel into its northern regions, BBC reported on March 24.

Ghana: Accra Signs Defense Pact With EU To Counter Militants in the North

Ethiopia

Sudan

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, and its allies seized the strategic border town of Kurmuk, located in the southeastern Blue Nile state, Sudan Tribune reported on March 24.

Sudan: SAF Blames Ethiopia for RSF Capture of Strategic Border Town

The U.S. Department of Defense is planning to deploy a brigade combat team from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, The Wall Street Journal reported on March 24.

U.S.: Pentagon To Deploy Brigade Combat Team From 82nd Airborne Division to Middle East

U.S.-Iran Relations

Benin

Benin's ruling party presidential candidate Romuald Wadagni pledged to create new municipal police forces in northern border towns to counter growing jihadist attacks as part of his platform ahead of the April 12 election, Reuters reported on March 23. 

Benin: Presidential Candidate Vows To Create New Police Forces To Fight Jihadists

Mozambique

South Africa

Zimbabwe

Economics

South African farmers may not press ahead with their winter planting season if crop prices do not rise enough to offset their expected increase in fuel and fertilizer costs linked to the Iran war, Bloomberg reported on March 24. 

South Africa: Farmers Eye Production Cuts Amid Price Hikes for Fuel, Fertilizer

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

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

The Geopolitics of Demographics

Social Issues

While far from deterministic, demographics plays a key role in influencing a country's domestic and international politics, as well as its economic and financial development.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: Politics and Economics

Columns

Israel

Lebanon

Syria

Photos of prominent Hezbollah leaders are seen at the site of a reported Israeli airstrike which killed 6 members of the same family, on March 19, 2026 in Baalbek, Lebanon.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The trajectory of the war will be increasingly defined by a clash of strategic objectives that makes a quick resolution of the conflict unlikely.


The Impact the Israel-Hezbollah War Will Have on Lebanon

Denmark

France

Italy

The European Parliament building in 2019 in Strasbourg, France. Parliament is set to hold a plenary vote March 26 on implementing the 2025 EU‑U.S. trade framework agreement.

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

The Weekly Rundown: A Vote on the EU‑U.S. Trade Framework, the Iran Conflict Continues

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting in Moscow on the global oil and gas market situation on March 9, 2026.

The current surge in demand for Russian oil will likely be short-lived, but weaker sanctions enforcement and higher energy prices could nonetheless buoy Moscow's capacity to fund its war in Ukraine.

In Twist of Fate, Russia Gets a Boost From Iran-Related Oil Shocks

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

People walk along the corniche area on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Abu Dhabi on March 20, 2026.

Global Trade

Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will compel Gulf Cooperation Council states to invest in alternative trade routes and more resilient physical infrastructure.

Gulf Arab States, Shaken by Iran War, Plan Economic Pivot

Greenland

Danish Defense Minister and top candidate of Denmark's Venstre party, Troels Lund Poulsen (left), and Danish Prime Minister and top candidate of the Social Democrat Party, Mette Frederiksen (right), attend a debate in Copenhagen on March 15, 2026.

Environment, Science & Technology

The upcoming parliamentary elections could result in three distinct coalitions that would offer varying continuity in domestic economic policy and Copenhagen's approach to U.S. pressure over Greenland.

Denmark's General Elections: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Global Elections

Japan

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a news conference at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo on Feb. 18.

The Japanese prime minister may offer economic and security concessions during her upcoming summit with the U.S. president to avoid direct entanglement in the Iran conflict while preserving the relationship with Washington.

Iran War Heightens Stakes of Key Takaichi-Trump Summit

Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. 

A U.S.-led naval mission to protect ships from Iranian attacks would likely begin only after the war's intensity decreases, and even then, it would take weeks to organize and yield only a limited return of maritime traffic through the strait.

The Obstacles Facing the U.S. Plan for Strait of Hormuz Naval Escorts

Rwanda

Rwandan soldiers patrol in Mocimboa da Praia, northern Mozambique, on Aug. 12, 2021. 

Rwanda is unlikely to withdraw all its troops from Cabo Delgado in the short term, but a partial drawdown is possible if the EU doesn't approve fresh funding, which would degrade Mozambique's capacity to counter jihadist militants in the gas-rich region.

Will Rwanda Withdraw Troops From Northern Mozambique?

Smoke plumes rise above a village in southern Lebanon following Israeli airstrikes on March 16, 2026.

Even if it engages in direct talks with Lebanon, Israel is unlikely to de-escalate its military operations in the country without major concessions on border security and Hezbollah's disarmament.

Hezbollah-Israel War Set To Intensify, Despite Lebanon's Diplomatic Push

Demographics may not be destiny, but it does play a major role in questions of national power.

The Geopolitics of Demographics: An Introduction

China

A large plume of smoke rises March 7 over Tehran after explosions were reported in the Iranian capital during the night.

The Weekly Rundown: The Iran War Continues, Takaichi Meets With Trump

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Afghanistan, Pakistan: Reports Conflict on Renewed Violence Following Ceasefire's Expiration

Russia, Ukraine: Ukrainian Drones Strike Ust-Luga Oil Export Terminal

U.S., Iran: U.S. Presents 15-Point Plan, Iran Permits 'Non-Hostile Vessels' To Transit Strait of Hormuz

Ghana: Accra Signs Defense Pact With EU To Counter Militants in the North

Sudan: SAF Blames Ethiopia for RSF Capture of Strategic Border Town

U.S.: Pentagon To Deploy Brigade Combat Team From 82nd Airborne Division to Middle East

Benin: Presidential Candidate Vows To Create New Police Forces To Fight Jihadists

South Africa: Farmers Eye Production Cuts Amid Price Hikes for Fuel, Fertilizer

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