United States

Middle East and North Africa

Iran

Israel

Yemen

Military & Security

Politics

U.S.-Iran Relations

On March 28, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis announced they had launched a barrage of ballistic missiles toward Israel overnight, Reuters reported the same day.

Middle East: Yemen's Houthis Attack Israel, Join Iran War

Saudi Arabia

Ukraine

Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a military cooperation agreement to develop defense ties and potential contracts, Bloomberg reported on March 27.

Ukraine, Saudi Arabia: Kyiv Expands Defense Ties in the Gulf

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Pro-Iranian hacktivist group Handala publicly stated on its website that it breached and leaked data from the personal inbox of U.S. FBI Director Kash Patel on March 27, Reuters reported the same day.

U.S.: Iranian Threat Actors Claim To Breach FBI Director's Email Inbox

Energy

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a delay until April 6 of the deadline for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or risk U.S. attacks against power plants after claiming that U.S.-Iran discussions were going "very well," AP reported on March 26. 

U.S., Iran: Trump Delays Power Plant Attacks Deadline Until April 6

China

Economics

The CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean -- two container ships linked to China's state-owned COSCO Shipping Corp. -- attempted to exit the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz before making abrupt U-turns and heading back into the Gulf, Bloomberg reported on March 27.

MENA: Chinese Container Ships Abort Attempted Transit Through the Strait of Hormuz

Europe

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Pentagon is considering diverting air defense munitions originally intended for Ukraine to support U.S. operations in the Middle East, The Washington Post reported on March 26, citing sources familiar with internal deliberations.

Ukraine, U.S.: Pentagon Considers Diverting Ukraine-Bound Weapons

The U.S. Department of Defense is reportedly preparing a "final blow" on Iran that could include a ground operation and a massive bombing campaign, with the four main options likely including efforts to invade or blockade Kharg Island, invade Larak Island, seize Abu Musa Island and two smaller islands, or seize Iranian oil-exporting vessels, Axios reported on March 26.

U.S., Iran: U.S. Prepares 'Final Blow' Plans, Israel Removes Araghchi, Qalibaf From Hit List

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

Assessments

Cuba

People on March 15 in Tehran, Iran, clean up rubble from a missile attack. The Iran war will almost certainly continue through the next week amid Israeli threats to escalate and expand strikes due to Iranian attacks targeting Israeli civilians and the U.S. deployment of additional military assets to the region.

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, a European Parliament Delegation Visits China

Media

Asia-Pacific

Podcasts

How will the trajectory of China-U.S. trade conversations change in light of conflict in the Middle East?

The Decision Advantage: The Impact of the Iran War on the Asia-Pacific Region

Cars drive past a gas station in Ponte Leccia on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on March 26, 2026. 

To address Iran-related energy disruptions, the European Union will likely opt for a patchwork of national relief measures, rather than a more comprehensive market intervention.

How the EU Is Responding to Its Latest Energy Crisis

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

The Burj Khalifa skyscraper (L) and the Burj al-Arab hotel (R) on March 11 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With further Iranian provocation, several Gulf Cooperation Council states would be willing to join the war against Iran, but doing so would likely deepen Iran's targeting of their critical infrastructure, exacerbate the globally disruptive impacts of the war and potentially pull the GCC into a permanently hostile relationship with Iran.

Joining in could deepen Iran's targeting of GCC critical infrastructure, exacerbate the globally disruptive impacts of the war and pull the bloc into a permanently hostile relationship with Iran.

Will the Gulf States Join the Iran War, and What Would Happen if They Did?

India

A medicine distributor stores Mounjaro (tirzepatide) self-injecting GLP-1 prefilled pens and vials in a fridge at his office in Thane, India, on March 20, 2026. 

India's pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors are set to grow significantly over the next several years amid manufacturing incentives, regulatory reforms and trade deals.

The Growth Outlook for India's Pharmaceutical Sector Remains Strong, Despite Global Uncertainties

Columns

On Geopolitics

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.

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

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

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

Japan

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

What will happen to U.S. interest rates if the war continues?

The Decision Advantage: Economic Impacts of the War on Iran

Pakistan

A digital illustration of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s national flags.

Despite having a mutual defense pact with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan will likely only provide the kingdom with low-level defensive and technical support, rather than direct military intervention against Iran, due to various constraints.

In a War With Iran, the Pakistani-Saudi Defense Pact Has Limits 

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

Middle East: Yemen's Houthis Attack Israel, Join Iran War

Ukraine, Saudi Arabia: Kyiv Expands Defense Ties in the Gulf

U.S.: Iranian Threat Actors Claim To Breach FBI Director's Email Inbox

U.S., Iran: Trump Delays Power Plant Attacks Deadline Until April 6

MENA: Chinese Container Ships Abort Attempted Transit Through the Strait of Hormuz

Ukraine, U.S.: Pentagon Considers Diverting Ukraine-Bound Weapons

U.S., Iran: U.S. Prepares 'Final Blow' Plans, Israel Removes Araghchi, Qalibaf From Hit List

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

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