Ecuador

United States

Military & Security

Politics

The United States Southern Command announced in a March 3 post on X that U.S. military forces were engaging in "operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador" alongside Ecuadorian military forces.

Ecuador, U.S.: U.S. Military Participates in Joint Operations Against Drug Traffickers in Ecuador

Cambodia

Thailand

Thailand's Election Commission certified nearly all results from the Feb. 8 general election, confirming the Bhumjaithai Party as the largest party with 192 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, the Bangkok Post reported on March 4.

Thailand: February Vote Certified Amid Ongoing Probes

Iran

Europe

Spain

Economics

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to halt trade with Spain and instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to "cut off all dealings" with the country amid tensions over Madrid's refusal to allow U.S. forces to use jointly operated bases for strikes on Iran, Reuters reported on March 3.

Spain, U.S.: Trump Threatens Trade Cutoff After Madrid Blocks Use of U.S. Bases for Iran Strikes

Nigeria

Energy

The average price of gasoline at Nigerian fuel stations rose from around 860 naira per liter to 970 naira per liter ($0.70 per liter or $2.65 per U.S. gallon) in the first few days of March, a close to 13% increase, after the country's Dangote refinery increased the price of its gantry by 100 naira per liter, BusinessDay reported on March 4.

Nigeria: Iran-Driven Energy Price Increases Showcase Mixed Outlook for the Economy

Venezuela

The U.S. government is discreetly building a legal case targeting Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez, which includes preparing a draft criminal indictment, Reuters reported on March 3. 

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. To Use Draft Indictment Against Rodriguez as Additional Leverage

The son of deceased Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, has emerged as the clear front-runner to replace his father, The New York Times reported on March 3.

Iran: Khamenei's Hard-Line Son Emerges as Top Candidate To Replace Him

Cuba

Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the country should "immediately" focus on transforming its economic and social model, AP reported on March 2.

Cuba: Government To Focus on Economic and Social Transformation Amid Energy Crisis

Israel

Russia

Alexey Likhachev, chief of Russia's Rosatom nuclear company, said a strike on Iran's Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant could cause a "regional-scale catastrophe," noting that Rosatom had lost contact with Iran's nuclear authorities, Interfax reported on March 3.

Russia, Iran: Rosatom Warns of Nuclear Risk Near Bushehr Plant

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

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

Iraq

Turkey

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

U.S.-Iran Relations

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.

Environment, Science & Technology

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

Snapshots

People in Tehran look to the skies from a rooftop amid reports of widespread U.S. and Israeli attacks in Iran on Feb. 28, 2026.

The U.S. and Israel are pushing for regime change in Iran, though their attacks are most likely to yield an even more hostile government, as Iran has likely enacted mechanisms to ensure political continuity. 

What To Watch For Inside Iran Amid U.S. and Israeli Strikes

Canada

Australia

China

Japan

Germany

The Tehran skyline on Dec. 30, 2025. On March 2, U.S. and Iranian negotiators will meet in Vienna, Austria, to begin technical talks on a nuclear deal.

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 Conflict in the Middle East, Merz meets Trump 

Yemen

A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion Feb. 28 in Tehran. The joint U.S.-Israel military operations on Feb. 28 against Iran have already escalated into a broader regional confrontation.

The military operations have already escalated into a broader regional confrontation and mark the onset of a sustained, multitheater conflict, but are unlikely on their own to trigger near-term regime collapse in Tehran.

A New U.S. and Israeli Attack on Iran Triggers a Regional Confrontation

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Ecuador, U.S.: U.S. Military Participates in Joint Operations Against Drug Traffickers in Ecuador

Thailand: February Vote Certified Amid Ongoing Probes

Spain, U.S.: Trump Threatens Trade Cutoff After Madrid Blocks Use of U.S. Bases for Iran Strikes

Nigeria: Iran-Driven Energy Price Increases Showcase Mixed Outlook for the Economy

U.S., Venezuela: U.S. To Use Draft Indictment Against Rodriguez as Additional Leverage

Iran: Khamenei's Hard-Line Son Emerges as Top Candidate To Replace Him

Cuba: Government To Focus on Economic and Social Transformation Amid Energy Crisis

Russia, Iran: Rosatom Warns of Nuclear Risk Near Bushehr Plant

Forecasts

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