United States

Iran

Military & Security

Politics

U.S.-Iran Relations

Iran's deputy political director ​of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' navy, Mohammad Akbarzadeh, said Tehran had redrawn the boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz to stretch from Sirri Island to Jask, increasing the Iranian definition of the strait's width tenfold, Reuters reported on May 12.

U.S., Iran: Iran Redraws the Strait of Hormuz, Trump Says Ceasefire on 'Life Support'

Ukraine

Russia

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Alex Karp, the CEO of U.S. artificial intelligence company Palantir, as Kyiv expands its use of AI in the war against Russia, Reuters reported on May 12.

Ukraine: Kyiv Expands Palantir AI Partnership as Drone War Raises the Value of Combat Data

Kuwait

Kuwait's Ministry of Defense alleged that a six-person team of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members attempted to commit "hostile acts" on Bubiyan Island on May 1, though the intended target and nature of the IRGC's plan were unclear, AP reported on May 12.

Kuwait, Iran: Kuwait Alleges Attempted Iranian Infiltration Operation on Bubiyan Island

United Arab Emirates

Over the last two months, the United Arab Emirates has carried out multiple military strikes against Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported on May 11, citing people familiar with the matter. 

UAE: Report Confirms UAE Military Strikes on Iran in April

Economics

Iranian news outlets linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published proposals on May 9 for Iran to start charging international companies a fee to use undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran: State-Affiliated News Outlets Encourage Levies on Regional Sea Cables

Israel

In a May 10 Truth Social post, U.S. President Donald Trump called Iran's May 10 response to the latest U.S. proposal to end the war "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE."

U.S., Iran: Trump Rejects Iranian Response to U.S. Proposal

Europe

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

European Council President Antonio Costa said the European Union is preparing for potential future talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and is consulting EU leaders on how to organize a possible European approach to Moscow with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's support, the Financial Times reported on May 8.

EU, Russia, Ukraine: Europe Prepares Russia Channel as U.S.-Led Talks Stall

On May 7, senior U.S. officials told a Fox News reporter that the United States had struck Iran's Qeshm island and Bandar Abbas, though they added that this was not a resumption of the war, and the strikes appear to be limited in scope.

U.S., Iran: U.S. Launches Military Strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas

Assessments

Qatar

Part of the gas processing facilities of Europe's first helium production pilot plant in Saint-Parize-le-Chatel, France, on Sept. 11, 2024.

Energy

Qatar's halt of helium production due to the Iran war risks causing shortages that disrupt key manufacturing industries, particularly in Asia.

How the Iran War is Choking the World's Helium Flow

Kenya

Lebanon

China

France

United Kingdom

Boats on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions between the United States and Iran will remain elevated, especially around the strait, following the May 7 U.S.-Iran exchange of attacks and Iranian attacks against the United Arab Emirates.

U.S.-China Relations

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

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, France Convenes an Africa Summit

Snapshots

People wave Iranian pre-1979 Islamic Revolution and American flags while members of the Iranian community celebrate in front of the Federal Building on March 1, in Los Angeles. 

The recent exchange of fire around the Strait of Hormuz reflects calculated efforts by Washington and Tehran to re-establish deterrence and project strength, complicating already fragile negotiations.


Iran and U.S. Exchange Fire, Further Straining Ceasefire

Algeria

Spain

Italy

A worker stands on the uploading dock of Cavaou LNG terminal in Fos-sur-Mer, France, on June 22, 2023, while the tanker boat "Lalla Fatma N'Soumer" arrives full of LNG ready to be delivered. 

Amid energy supply disruptions in the Middle East, Algeria's ability to capitalize on increased global prices and demand for energy exports will be constrained by limited spare capacity and bureaucratic obstacles.

Structural Constraints Will Limit Algeria's Ability To Capitalize on Tighter Energy Markets

An Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft prepares for landing as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16.

A military response from the United States aiming to compel Iranian concessions without committing to ground operations could trigger a prolonged cycle of retaliatory attacks between U.S. allies and Iran.


Iran, U.S. Ceasefire at Elevated Risk of Collapse After Iran Attacks UAE

Australia

Japan

India

An oil products tanker at Muscat Anchorage on March 21, 2026 at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman. 

The Weekly Rundown: U.K. Elections, Iran War Resumption Risk

An oil tanker is seen docked in the southeastern Iranian coastal city of Chabahar, on the Gulf of Oman, in February 2019.

Chabahar is poised to transition from an ambitious commercial venture to a symbolic strategic asset, as India seeks to maintain long-term access and regional influence until sanctions conditions become clearer.

Expired U.S. Sanctions Waiver Threatens India's Chabahar Port Project in Iran

Media

Podcasts

What are the key domestic pressures impacting U.S. strategy?

The Decision Advantage: The Outlook for U.S.-Iran Negotiations

Iraq

A member of the Iraqi security forces stands guard next to a national flag as pilgrims march from the center of Baghdad toward the shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim, the seventh of 12 revered imams in Shiite Islam, during an annual religious commemoration on Feb. 16, 2023.

Ali al-Zaidi's lack of experience and ties to a U.S.-sanctioned bank will complicate his attempts to form a government by the constitutional deadline.

Iraq's Prime Minister-Designate Likely To Struggle To Form Government

Bahrain

Oman

Saudi Arabia

The city skyline in Dubai is seen at sunset.

Although Gulf capitals are increasingly investing in mid-tier autonomy and offensive capabilities, achieving total strategic independence remains constrained by their enduring need for high-end American systems.

The Future of GCC Defense and Security Strategies in a Changing Middle East

South Korea

Vietnam

Employees walk at the construction site of a gas metering station, part of the pipeline link between Bulgaria and Greece near the village of Malko Kadievo, on March 18, 2022. 

The Weekly Rundown: No U.S.-Iran Breakthrough, EU Ban on Spot Market Russian LNG

The Albina Bulk carrier sits anchored on March 22, 2026, at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman.

The ceasefire extension will likely prolong the U.S. and Iran's focus on economic pressure to gain leverage ahead of new talks, but this phase of unstable diplomacy could easily give way to another round of military escalation.

Ceasefire, Blockades and Bargaining: The Volatile Outlook for U.S.-Iran Relations

Iran sits at the crossroads of the Islamic world. Linking the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central and South Asia, Iran has struggled to balance the benefits and risks of its geographic position.    Iran's core is located in the western Zagros mountain range. From this secure geography, the beginnings of the Persian Empire spread throughout Iran's mountainous topography securing the Alborz, the southern Zagros and much of the Iranian plateau.    Iran's primary geographic challenge has been to secure itself from the many external threats on its borders. Arabs, Mongols and Turks all conquered ancient Persia at various times, prompting Persia to expand its territorial control whenever possible to establish a buffer to protect its core.    At its height, the Persian Empire stretched from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Hindu Kush mountains, bridging modern-day Europe and Asia. Echoes of this former empire can be seen even today, with Iran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, the al Assad regime in Damascus and the Shiite-led government in Iraq.    Iran has also struggled to unite and control the various language and ethnic groups located within its core territories, a process impeded by the country's difficult terrain. Modern-day Tehran is aided by its large hydrocarbon reserves; Iran boasts the fourth-largest oil reserves and largest natural gas reserves in the world. The 20th century saw British, Russian and American interests competing not only to control Iran's strategic geographic location, but its significant energy reserves as well.    This modern-day reliance on energy revenues has resulted in Iran's focus on securing the Strait of Hormuz and expanding control over the Persian Gulf to secure its core territories from the threat of outside invasion.

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Iran: Iran Redraws the Strait of Hormuz, Trump Says Ceasefire on 'Life Support'

Ukraine: Kyiv Expands Palantir AI Partnership as Drone War Raises the Value of Combat Data

Kuwait, Iran: Kuwait Alleges Attempted Iranian Infiltration Operation on Bubiyan Island

UAE: Report Confirms UAE Military Strikes on Iran in April

Iran: State-Affiliated News Outlets Encourage Levies on Regional Sea Cables

U.S., Iran: Trump Rejects Iranian Response to U.S. Proposal

EU, Russia, Ukraine: Europe Prepares Russia Channel as U.S.-Led Talks Stall

U.S., Iran: U.S. Launches Military Strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas

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