Israel

Yemen

Military & Security

A Houthi spokesperson announced a "maritime blockade" on Israel's southern port of Haifa, Reuters reported on May 19. 

Yemen, Israel: Houthis Announce 'Maritime Blockade' on Haifa

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 19 that Israel will "take control" of all of the Gaza Strip, AFP reported.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Netanyahu Pledges to Take Over Gaza as IDF Expands Military Operations

United States

Politics

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a new delegation to Doha, Qatar, to restart stalled hostage negotiations with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group released Israeli-American Edan Alexander on May 12, The Times of Israel reported on May 13. 

Israel, Gaza: Hostage Negotiations Resume Under U.S. Pressure

Qatar

Syria

Economics

Qatar will provide $29 million a month to Syria to help pay civil servant salaries for at least the next three months, Reuters reported on May 7, citing Syria's finance minister.

Syria: Qatar Gains U.S. Sanctions Exemptions To Pay Syrian Civil Servant Salaries

A Houthi spokesperson said that the Yemeni group's new ceasefire with the United States does not extend to Israel, after U.S. President Donald Trump on May 6 declared an end to the U.S. military campaign against the Houthis, Reuters reported May 7.

Yemen: Houthi Spokesperson Says Ceasefire With U.S. Does Not Include Israel

Israel and Syria established a back channel not long after provisional Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the United Arab Emirates in April, with the talks focusing on security matters but not directly touching on Israel's current occupation of and military campaign in Syria, Reuters reported on May 7.

Syria, Israel: Back Channel Security Talks May Improve Relations Over Time

Speaking to reporters, U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. forces would end their campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels, who allegedly requested an end to U.S. strikes and pledged to stop attacking civilian ships in the Red Sea, Axios reported on May 6. 

U.S., Yemen: Trump Claims Houthis Have Capitulated, Orders End of Bombing Campaign

A senior Hamas official said there is "no sense" in continuing negotiations or exploring the possibility of another ceasefire between Hamas and Israel while Israel's total blockade on the Gaza Strip continues, The Guardian reported May 6.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Says 'No Sense' in Continuing Ceasefire Negotiations

Assessments

Israeli soldiers conduct a raid in the West Bank on March 19, 2025. 

Israel's newly approved plan to expand its offensive against Hamas will invite more Houthi attacks on its territory, worsen Gaza's humanitarian crisis, and fuel backlash both at home and abroad. 

To Break Hamas, Israel Prepares to Reoccupy Gaza

Turkey

Fighters gather outside a building that was seized by jihadists in Syria's northern Aleppo province on Nov. 29, 2024, amid the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) offensive against government forces.

The two countries will seek to avoid direct conflict amid U.S. pressure to de-escalate tensions, but their competing military presence in Syria and elevated risk tolerances leave the door open to miscalculations and limited clashes.

Can Israel and Turkey Avoid a Conflict in Syria?

Columns

On Geopolitics

Iran

Lebanon

A Lebanese flag painted on a damaged building in the village of Meiss El-Jabal in southern Lebanon is seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border on Jan. 23, 2025, in northern Israel. 

Hezbollah's military losses and the formation of Lebanon's new government have opened the door to a new chapter in Lebanese history, although external pressure will complicate the country's next steps.

Hezbollah's Future in Lebanon

Palestinian men walk amidst the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli strike on a residential area of Gaza City on April 9, 2025. 

With the U.S.'s tacit support, Israel will likely keep expanding its military operations in Gaza in the hopes of pressuring both Hamas and local civilians there to leave, thereby making it easier to reoccupy the Strip.

To Secure Gaza, Israel Pursues a Strategy of Occupation and Displacement

Energy

Global Trade

U.S.-Iran Relations

Rising tensions between the U.S., Israel and Iran are increasing the risk of direct strikes on Iranian territory and potential retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to disrupt global oil flows and destabilize energy markets.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Security Threats in the Strait of Hormuz and Likely Strategies

South Africa

China

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Ukraine

A list of countries facing reciprocal tariffs on display April 2 at the White House.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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: The Escalating Global Trade War, South Africa's Coalition Government on the Brink

Media

Canada

Mexico

Australia

Philippines

Russia

Forecast Webcast

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2025 Second-Quarter Forecast.

2025 Second-Quarter Forecast Webcast

Somalia

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Europe

Philippe Lazzarini (C), the commissioner general for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, attends a humanitarian conference for Gaza in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec. 2, 2024, amid the continuing Israel-Hamas war.

Egypt's economic limitations will continue to restrain its assertiveness in foreign policy, constraining its ability to project power in the region.

Egypt's Economic Priorities Sideline Assertive Foreign Policy

Brazil

Japan

Vietnam

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint press conference Feb. 16 at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem. Senior Israeli officials from the security and intelligence ministries will visit the United States to discuss Iran's nuclear program and Israeli border demarcation talks with Lebanon.

The Weekly Rundown: The U.S. and Israel Coordinate on Iran, the U.K. Chancellor Seeks Fiscal Discipline

Smoke billows during Israeli strikes west of Gaza City on March 18, 2025. 

In the coming days and weeks, Israel will likely carry out phased escalations and de-escalations to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages, returning Gaza to war by effectively collapsing the January ceasefire.

Large-Scale Israeli Airstrikes Plunge Gaza Back Into an Open-Ended Conflict

Oman

A rally on Jan. 24 in Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen. Should the United States attack Iranian ships and advisers supporting the Houthi rebel group, Houthi and Iranian retaliation would become likelier to extend beyond U.S. and Israeli targets to include regional oil and gas installations.

Should the United States also attack Iranian ships and advisers supporting the Yemeni rebel group, Houthi and Iranian retaliation would become likelier to extend beyond U.S. and Israeli targets to include regional oil and gas installations. 

U.S. Strikes on Houthis Risk Embroiling Iran and the Regional Energy Industry

A truck drives toward the Canada-U.S. border crossing in Blackpool, Canada, on Feb. 2, 2025.

The Weekly Rundown: An EU Summit on Ukraine, U.S. Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China

Israel lives under difficult geopolitical circumstances. A small country with limited resources and surrounded by potentially hostile neighbors, Israel survives by allying with powers that do have the resources to manage the balance of power in the Middle East — namely, the United States. Its geographic position also means that Israel must manage complex relations with its Muslim neighbors by quiet collaboration, by exploiting divisions, and by parlaying its technological and economic advantages into create strategic dependencies. To navigate all the challenges presented by the Middle East, Israel will remain agile in its diplomacy and, when the situation warrants, steadfast in its pre-emptive strikes, its covert activities and its economic relationships.

Israel's Survival Strategy

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

SITUATION REPORTS

Yemen, Israel: Houthis Announce 'Maritime Blockade' on Haifa

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Netanyahu Pledges to Take Over Gaza as IDF Expands Military Operations

Israel, Gaza: Hostage Negotiations Resume Under U.S. Pressure

Syria: Qatar Gains U.S. Sanctions Exemptions To Pay Syrian Civil Servant Salaries

Yemen: Houthi Spokesperson Says Ceasefire With U.S. Does Not Include Israel

Syria, Israel: Back Channel Security Talks May Improve Relations Over Time

U.S., Yemen: Trump Claims Houthis Have Capitulated, Orders End of Bombing Campaign

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Hamas Says 'No Sense' in Continuing Ceasefire Negotiations

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