United States

Europe

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

What Happened: The European Union, Germany, the Netherlands and Greece joined Pax Silica, the U.S.-led initiative to build China-free supply chains for semiconductors, AI infrastructure and critical minerals, at the opening of a summit in Washington on June 23, the Financial Times reported the same day.

EU, U.S., China: Brussels Joins U.S.-Led Pax Silica Alliance 

China

Cyber

U.S.-China Relations

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told corporate executives in a June 22 meeting that the Commerce Department was reviewing state-subsidized robotics imports and could take significant action against them once the review is completed.

China, U.S.: Commerce Secretary Lutnick Hints at Restrictions on Chinese Robots

Cuba

Military & Security

Politics

The U.S. government imposed additional sanctions on five Cuban state-owned companies, AP reported on June 23.

U.S., Cuba: U.S. Government Imposes Additional Sanctions on Cuban State Companies

Sudan

United Arab Emirates

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, has escalated drone attacks over recent days on the central city of el-Obeid and on the neighboring town of Er Rahad, targeting fuel stations and power substations and forcing the closure of several medical facilities, Sudan Tribune reported on June 23, quoting a U.N. spokesperson. 

Sudan: RSF Drone Attacks, Deployments Near el-Obeid Portend Upcoming Ground Offensive 

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 22 that launches a plan to help develop a quantum computer at the scale needed to perform scientific discovery, deliver one such quantum computer to the Department of Energy, field three Department of Defense-approved quantum sensing projects by the end of September 2028 and develop a plan to support the domestic supply chain for quantum-enabling component technologies. 

U.S.: White House Lays Out Ambitious Quantum Information Science and Technology Strategy

Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

Tehran is set to receive $12 billion in unfrozen funds through intermediary accounts in two installments of $6 billion, following the first round of U.S.-Iran negotiations on June 21-22, Bloomberg reported on June 23, citing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked Mehr News Agency.

U.S., Iran: Iran To Receive $12B in Unfrozen Funds

Israel

Lebanon

The United States and Iran agreed to establish a deconfliction cell to help ensure adherence to the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon, Axios reported on June 22.

Lebanon: U.S., Iran Agree on a Ceasefire Deconfliction Mechanism for Lebanon and Israel

Energy

On June 21-22, the United States and Iran held their first round of talks since signing a ceasefire-centered memorandum of understanding on June 17, The New York Times reported on June 22.

U.S., Iran: Vance Claims Progress in U.S.-Iran Negotiations

Assessments

Venezuela

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez speaks with journalists following a session at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the Essequibo region in The Hague on May 11. 

Risk-tolerant investors stand to benefit from unprecedented regulatory changes and direct resource access, but face the risk of reforms being unwound by a future Venezuelan government.


Venezuela's Outlook and Implications for Strategic Sectors, 6 Months After Maduro's Capture

Botswana

Lesotho

Namibia

South Africa

Eswatini

Colombia

Russia

Vessels at anchorage June 18 in Bandar Abbas, Iran, along the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding signed June 17 is highly likely to remain in effect over the coming week, and negotiations toward a final deal will begin.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. and Iranian Talks, Colombia's Presidential Runoff

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

This map shows the approximate locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups.

U.S. Naval Update Map: June 18, 2026

Snapshots

An Iranian woman walks past a mural depicting Iran and the United States at the negotiation table, painted on the outer walls of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran, on Feb. 6, 2026.

While the deal will reduce the immediate threat of renewed conflict, shipping through Hormuz will likely resume only gradually amid the risk that talks stall, flare-ups resume and vessels face renewed harassment.

U.S.-Iran Deal Pauses Conflict, but the Path to Peace Remains Fraught

France

United Kingdom

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a meeting with leaders of the G7 Engagement Groups ahead of the upcoming G7 summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris on June 10, 2026. 

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Talks Continue, France Hosts G7 Summit

Middle East and North Africa

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Declining public approval and notable primary losses for traditional pro-Israel lawmakers suggest that a future U.S. Congress will increasingly push for military assistance to be conditioned.

U.S.-Israeli Ties Likely To Continue Cooling as Public Opinion Sours

A digital illustration of Europe.

The EU's push to reduce its reliance on foreign technology suppliers risks angering both China and the U.S., while execution will be hindered by domestic industrial constraints and internal political divisions.

Key Takeaways From the EU's Tech Sovereignty Package

U.S. Naval Update Map: June 11, 2026

Iraq

Members of Saraya al-Salam gather during a ceremony in the city of Samarra on June 4, 2026, marking their separation from the Sadrist movement and their integration into the Iraqi security forces.

Several militant factions have recently expressed a desire to integrate into Iraq's government structures, but more hard-line groups are unlikely to follow suit without Iran's approval.

Iraq's Push To Disarm Iranian-Backed Militias Will Have Only Partial Success

Columns

On Geopolitics

A 3D satellite-style visualization of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

As the Iran war drags on, the Strait of Hormuz is increasingly likely to remain closed for an extended period.

Will the Strait of Hormuz Remain Closed Until 2027?

People pass by a building in Ramat Gan, Israel, that was destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile on May 5, 2026. 

Recent direct strikes between Israel and Iran did not immediately collapse the regional truce, but recurrent tit-for-tat escalations would reduce the chance of an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Iran-Israel Escalation Threatens Negotiations To End Iran War

Media

Podcasts

Will the United States continue to pay the "blood and treasure" tax to subsidize global energy security, or is the Hormuz war the catalyst for a fundamental retrenchment?

The Decision Advantage: What the Hormuz War Means for U.S. Grand Strategy

The United States encompasses territory spanning from the Arctic Circle and Central Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic.    The Greater Mississippi Basin is the United States' core and serves as the underpinning of its role as a global superpower.    The basin hosts an extensive network of navigable rivers that overlay the world's largest contiguous piece of arable land. This naturally interconnected river system facilitated integration among settlers and allowed for cheap transport of goods, providing the United States with the ability to feed itself efficiently and rapidly build up industry and capital to expand west. The Midwestern core gave early America strategic depth, while an expanding U.S. coastline, naturally indented with deep harbors, provided its opening to the world.    After reaching the Pacific coast in the mid-19th century, the United States found itself insulated by two oceans. On the continent itself, geography again has worked in the country's favor: lakes to the north and deserts to the south insulate the United States' population centers, with both Canada and Mexico facing too many natural constraints of their own to seriously rival it.    This unparalleled level of wealth and protection gives the United States options that few to no countries can claim. For one, the United States has used its wealth and security to build up the world's largest navy. Control of the world's major sea-lanes gives the United States the power to facilitate or deny trade to allies or rivals of the day. The onus therefore is on the United States to carefully manage its engagements abroad and build up strategic allies to protect its overseas interests and preserve its strength at home. 

SITUATION REPORTS

EU, U.S., China: Brussels Joins U.S.-Led Pax Silica Alliance

China, U.S.: Commerce Secretary Lutnick Hints at Restrictions on Chinese Robots

U.S., Cuba: U.S. Government Imposes Additional Sanctions on Cuban State Companies

Sudan: RSF Drone Attacks, Deployments Near el-Obeid Portend Upcoming Ground Offensive

U.S.: White House Lays Out Ambitious Quantum Information Science and Technology Strategy

U.S., Iran: Iran To Receive $12B in Unfrozen Funds

Lebanon: U.S., Iran Agree on a Ceasefire Deconfliction Mechanism for Lebanon and Israel

U.S., Iran: Vance Claims Progress in U.S.-Iran Negotiations

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