United States

Iran

Israel

Energy

Military & Security

Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in an April 7 post on Truth Social that he was suspending his threatened bombing of Iranian power plants and bridges by two weeks, "subject to [Iran] agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz."

U.S.: Trump Suspends Threatened Attacks on Iran for Two Weeks

U.S.-Iran Relations

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Iranian-linked threat actors are actively seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in internet-facing operational technology components of U.S. critical infrastructure entities, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and several other U.S. federal intelligence agencies warned in an advisory published April 7.

U.S.: Cybersecurity Agency Warns Iranian Hackers Are Targeting U.S. Critical Infrastructure

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine has intensified drone strikes on Russian oil export infrastructure, including Baltic ports such as Ust-Luga and Primorsk, Bloomberg reported on April 7.

Russia, Ukraine: Kyiv Escalates Strikes on Russian Oil Infrastructure

China

Japan

Economics

The upper house of Japan's Diet passed the general budget for fiscal year 2026 on April 7, with 122.3 trillion yen ($766 billion) in spending, up 6.2% from 2025. 

Japan: Budget Passes, Takaichi Prioritizes Defense Over Food Tax Cut

Nigeria

A coalition of youth movements from Nigeria's southern Rivers state has urged the country's federal government to decentralize pipeline security contracts in the Niger Delta, stressing that this is essential to creating opportunities for youths and that failing to do so would be "neither equitable nor sustainable," THISDAY reported on April 7.

Nigeria: Government Faces Conflicting Pressure Surrounding Pipeline Protection Program

Iran cut direct communication with the United States hours ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's late April 7 deadline for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though talks through mediators are reportedly ongoing, The Wall Street Journal reported on April 7.

U.S., Israel, Iran: Iran Cuts Direct Communication With U.S. After Escalatory Trump Rhetoric

Somalia

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Satellite imagery shows that major construction work has been underway at Somaliland's Berbera airport since October 2025, including the digging of underground hangars for ammunition and fuel storage, Le Monde reported on April 6.

Somaliland: UAE Reportedly Leading Military Upgrade of Berbera Airport 

Cuba

Cuba began releasing select prisoners on April 3, though all those released so far had been detained for common crimes, not for political reasons, El Debate reported on April 5.

Cuba, U.S.: Cuba's Prisoner Releases Begin With Common, Not Political, Criminals

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

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

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi answers questions at a legislative budget committee session in Tokyo on April 7, 2026, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) looks on. 

Japan's ability to sustain increased spending on defense and other strategic investments in the coming years will be constrained by sluggish economic growth, high government debt and a challenging geopolitical landscape.

Reviewing Japan's New Budget: Balancing Spending Hikes and Fiscal Reality

Peru

The exterior facade of the Legislative Palace of Peru is seen in Lima.

With a record 35 candidates running in the April 12 race and no clear frontrunner, numerous scenarios remain possible, including a win by an anti-establishment outsider, a mainstream right-wing figure or another leftist.

Peru's Presidential Election: Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Djibouti

Taiwan

Vietnam

Damage at the Azadi Sport Complex in the Iranian capital of Tehran on April 3.

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 Iran War Continues, Taiwan's KMT Restarts China Talks

Iraq

Iraqi women light candles in memory of the victims of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon during a rally in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on April 2, 2026.

Violent spillover from the Iran war will further complicate Iraq's government formation process, while disrupted oil exports will heavily strain Baghdad's finances and raise the risk of unrest.

Iraq Is Caught in the Crossfire of Another Destabilizing War

Snapshots

Myanmar

Myanmar's then-military chief Min Aung Hlaing prepares to deliver a speech during a memorial event at the Myanmar International Convention Center in Naypyidaw on March 28, 2026, to mark the first anniversary since a 7.7-magnitude tremor killed more than 3,800 people in Myanmar.

Myanmar's transition from military to civilian governance will not lead to a meaningful transfer of power, nor will it impact the country's civil war.

Myanmar's Government Transitions to Civilian Rule in Name Only

South Korea

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (C) answers questions during a plenary session of the House of Representatives at Parliament on March 26 in Tokyo. Poor ties with China under Japan's new premier portend industrial disruptions in Japan, and supply chain and defense cooperation with regional partners like South Korea and the United States.

Poor ties with China under Japan's new premier portend industrial disruptions in Japan, and supply chain and defense cooperation with regional partners like South Korea and the United States.

A New Leader in Japan and an Old Feud With China

Newly elected opposition Kuomintang (KMT) leader Cheng Li-wun delivers a speech in Taipei on Nov. 1, 2025. 

The KMT's diplomatic outreach to Beijing may yield modest economic gains, but it will also hurt the party's electoral prospects, which could paradoxically raise the risk of military conflict in the coming years.

The Taiwanese Opposition's Plan To Revive Talks With China Will Likely Backfire

Hungary

 A campaign billboard featuring a portrait of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seen in Budapest's 3rd district on March 27, 2026.

Social Issues

Hungary's April 12 parliamentary elections are primed to be the country's most competitive national vote since 2010 and may remove Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party from power.

Hungary's Upcoming Elections May Unseat Orban After 16 Years

This photo, taken in Lima in November 2024, shows Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Peruvian President Dina Boluarte attending the inauguration ceremony for the Chinese-built and operated "megaport" in the small Peruvian town of Chancay.

As Washington formalizes a new hemispheric doctrine centered on security and supply chain dominance, regional governments face mounting pressure to align their defense and economic policies with U.S. geopolitical interests.

How the U.S.'s Anti-China Strategy for Latin America Could Unfold

U.S.-China Relations

Columns

On Geopolitics

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources

As competition for natural resources and critical raw materials intensifies, companies -- not just countries -- must be more mindful of risks in their physical supply chains.

The Geopolitics of Natural Resources: An Introduction

Houthi loyalists chant slogans on March 27, 2026, in Sanaa, Yemen, as they participate in a protest staged to show support for Iran in its ongoing war against the United States and Israel.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis will likely progressively expand their target set beyond Israel if the war intensifies, raising the risk of more economically disruptive attacks on regional shipping and energy infrastructure.

The Implications of the Houthis Joining the Iran War

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The second quarter will test global resilience as lingering conflicts and energy shocks converge to heighten economic uncertainty and geopolitical volatility.

2026 Second-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S.: Trump Suspends Threatened Attacks on Iran for Two Weeks

U.S.: Cybersecurity Agency Warns Iranian Hackers Are Targeting U.S. Critical Infrastructure

Russia, Ukraine: Kyiv Escalates Strikes on Russian Oil Infrastructure

Japan: Budget Passes, Takaichi Prioritizes Defense Over Food Tax Cut

Nigeria: Government Faces Conflicting Pressure Surrounding Pipeline Protection Program

U.S., Israel, Iran: Iran Cuts Direct Communication With U.S. After Escalatory Trump Rhetoric

Somaliland: UAE Reportedly Leading Military Upgrade of Berbera Airport

Cuba, U.S.: Cuba's Prisoner Releases Begin With Common, Not Political, Criminals

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

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