Iran

China

Energy

Military & Security

Politics

China is negotiating with Iran to secure safe passage of oil and liquefied natural gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, transit that has been heavily disrupted amid the U.S. and Israel-Iran war, according to three diplomatic sources quoted by Reuters on March 5. 

China, Iran: Beijing in Talks With Tehran for Safe Passage of Tankers

Kenya

Economics

Kenya's National Assembly approved the government's National Infrastructure Fund bill, which aims to mobilize 5 trillion Kenyan shillings ($38.7 billion) in public and private sector investments into a national infrastructure fund, or NIF, to support the construction of development projects such as transport, energy and digital infrastructure, The Kenya Times reported on March 6.

Kenya: Lawmakers Pass Bill Setting Up Infrastructure Fund Aiming To Mobilize Close to $40B

United States

Venezuela

The U.S. and Venezuelan governments agreed to resume diplomatic and consular ‌ties, El Pais reported on March 5. 

U.S., Venezuela: Resumption of Diplomatic Ties Indicates Sustained Collaboration

Canada

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, announced that bilateral ties between their countries had been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership during Carney's visit to Tokyo, alongside plans for an economic security dialogue focused on critical minerals, supply chains and advanced technologies, the CBC reported March 6.

Japan, Canada: Tokyo, Ottawa Elevate Ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Syria

Turkey

United Kingdom

The Turkish intelligence agency MIT asked the British spy agency MI6 in February to help protect Syrian provisional President Ahmad al-Sharaa amid Islamic State efforts to kill him, Reuters reported March 6.

Syria: Turkey Requests MI6 Protection From U.K. for al-Sharaa

Nepal

Nepal concluded its first polls since the September 2025 unrest that ousted the former government and plunged the country into fresh political uncertainty, with media reports indicating a peaceful election process countrywide beyond minor disputes at a handful of voting centers, The Himalayan Times reported on March 5.

Nepal: Election Peaceful as Country Holds First Polls Since September 2025 Unrest

Environment, Science & Technology

The administration of U.S. President Trump is drafting regulations that would restrict shipments of artificial intelligence chips to any foreign destination without American approval, Bloomberg reported on March 5.

U.S.: White House Weighs Regulations Restricting AI Chip Shipments Abroad

Somalia

Somalia's parliament approved constitutional changes shifting the country's electoral model from clan-based voting to indirect universal suffrage and extending lawmakers' and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's terms by one year, effectively postponing the general election scheduled this year to 2027, Reuters reported on March 5.

Somalia: Federal Government Approves Constitutional Changes, Postpones Elections by a Year 

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant politics analyses.

Below are our latest and most relevant politics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

Venezuela's Unraveling

The Saudi Survival Strategy

The Kurdish Struggle

Israel's Survival Strategy

Turkey's Resurgence

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

Old Leaders in a New Africa

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Pulse of Political Islam

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

India's Own Worst Enemy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Assessments

Egypt

Israel

A an Iranian missile that landed March 4 near the Turkish border in the Qamishli district of al-Hasaka, Syria. Although direct strikes as part of Iranian regional retaliation remain unlikely, the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran threatens Egypt and Turkey with energy disruptions and security challenges.

Although direct strikes as part of Iranian regional retaliation remain unlikely, the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran threatens Egypt and Turkey with energy disruptions and security challenges.

Evaluating the Spillover Risks of the Iran War for Egypt and Turkey

U.S.-Iran Relations

Indonesia

South Korea

Vietnam

The U.S. Supreme Court in October 2024 in Washington.

The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against the Trump administration's tariffs imposed under the IEEPA still leaves Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam vulnerable to other trade escalation mechanisms.

Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam Assess Their U.S. Trade Deals After IEEPA Tariffs

Germany

Greece

France

Cyprus

Spain

Italy

The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) on Feb. 25 at the quay of the North Port in Malmo, Sweden. A prolonged conflict in the Middle East would increase Europe's exposure to security risks, including potential attacks on European-linked assets, renewed migration pressures and an elevated terrorism threat, particularly if European capitals assume a more active military or diplomatic role against the Iranian regime.

A protracted regional war threatens to expose the Continent to risks ranging from cyberattacks against critical infrastructure to a renewed influx of asylum seekers.

Prolonged Conflict in Iran Would Elevate Security, Migration Threats Against Europe

Iraq

Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) participate in a military drill in an outpost near Arbil, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, on Jan. 15, 2026.

Although arming Iranian Kurdish factions might increase pressure on Tehran, such an uprising alone would be unlikely to collapse the regime, while significantly raising the risk of drawing Turkey and Iraq into the conflict.

The Risks and Constraints of a U.S.-Backed Kurdish Uprising in Iran

Volunteers clean up the rubble outside a government building in Tehran, Iran, that was destroyed by U.S. and Israeli strikes on March 4, 2026.

The war will most likely end in a tenuous ceasefire in the coming weeks, though a faster or slower truce is possible, depending on the U.S.'s political resolve to maintain its campaign against Iran.

The Iran War Will Last as Long as U.S. Political Resolve Does

India

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Feb. 3 in Washington.

India will likely delay finalizing its trade deal with the United States while seeking opportunities to expand its Russian oil imports, creating a risk of U.S. pharmaceutical tariffs against it.

The State of the Indian-U.S. Trade Deal After IEEPA Tariffs

Columns

On Geopolitics

A figurine is seen in front of the logo of the U.S. AI company Anthropic during a photo session in Paris, France, on Feb. 13, 2026.

Restricting commercial and federal integration of Anthropic's AI models inadvertently risks accelerating U.S. adversaries’ efforts to catch up with American AI labs by stifling innovation and investment.

Trump Administration's Anthropic Ban Puts U.S. AI Lead at Risk

Lebanon

People attend a gathering honoring Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on March 1, 2026, at Ashura Square in southern Beirut, Lebanon. 

The Iran war has thrown a wrench in Iraq's and Lebanon's political stalemates, likely further prolonging government formation and delaying elections.

Political Stalemates in Iraq and Lebanon Deepen Amid Regional Instability

Media

Podcasts

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is gone, and the U.S. and Israel-Iran war is widening. Here's what you need to know to navigate the immediate aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

RANE Red Alert: What To Watch Following the U.S.-Israeli Attacks on Iran

Smoke plumes billow following Israel's bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs on March 2, 2026. 

Israel is set to escalate its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the Lebanese government's accelerated efforts to disarm the militant group.

Lebanon Joins the Region's Growing Conflict After Hezbollah Strikes Israel

A woman holds a photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iranians protest against attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States on Feb. 28, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. 

Global Trade

Depending on the duration of maritime disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the escalating conflict is set to subject European economies to significant energy market volatility.

European Economic Growth Likely To Suffer From Impact of U.S. and Israel-Iran War

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

The Crown Plaza on March 1 showing damage from an Iranian military strike in Manama, Bahrain. Iran's attacks will push the Gulf Arab states more toward security alignment with the United States, and threaten their status as a secure investment destination.

Iran's attacks will push the Gulf Arab states more toward security alignment with the United States, and threaten their status as a secure investment destination.

The Implications of Iran's Attacks on the Gulf

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

China, Iran: Beijing in Talks With Tehran for Safe Passage of Tankers

Kenya: Lawmakers Pass Bill Setting Up Infrastructure Fund Aiming To Mobilize Close to $40B

U.S., Venezuela: Resumption of Diplomatic Ties Indicates Sustained Collaboration

Japan, Canada: Tokyo, Ottawa Elevate Ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Syria: Turkey Requests MI6 Protection From U.K. for al-Sharaa

Nepal: Election Peaceful as Country Holds First Polls Since September 2025 Unrest

U.S.: White House Weighs Regulations Restricting AI Chip Shipments Abroad

Somalia: Federal Government Approves Constitutional Changes, Postpones Elections by a Year

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