Australia

Cyber

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Politics

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese established an Office of AI within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and unveiled a national framework for regulating artificial intelligence, with the intention of introducing implementation legislation in early 2027, the Australian Financial Review reported on July 15.

Australia: Canberra Moves To Centralize AI Governance, Regulate Data Centers

United States

Iran

Yemen

Economics

Military & Security

A statement from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said, "The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one" after the United States reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports on July 14, AP reported on July 15.

U.S., Iran: Iran Threatens Wider Disruptions to Regional Energy Exports Following U.S. Blockade

U.S.-Iran Relations

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he would replace Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and overhaul his Cabinet as part of an updated political strategy, with Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi emerging as the frontrunner to succeed her, the Financial Times reported on July 12.

Ukraine: Zelensky Announces Cabinet Reshuffle Ahead of Winter

Middle East and North Africa

In a Truth Social post on July 13, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States was reimposing a blockade on Iranian ports and would take a 20% fee from cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S., Iran: Trump Reimposes Blockade on Iran

India

During a visit to Melbourne, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured an agreement under which Australia will sell uranium to India for civilian power generation, Bloomberg reported on July 9. 

India, Australia: Australia Signs Uranium Export Agreement With India

Qatar

QatarEnergy is pausing plans to increase liquefied natural gas production at the Ras Laffan complex following Iran's strike on a QatarEnergy LNG carrier earlier in the week and the subsequent escalation between Iran and the United States, Bloomberg reported on July 9.

Qatar: QatarEnergy Pauses Plans To Ramp Up LNG Output

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control revoked the June 21 general license that allowed Iran to export crude oil as part of the terms of the June memorandum of understanding between the two countries, OFAC said in a July 7 statement published on its website.

Iran, U.S.: U.S. Revokes Sanctions Waivers for Iranian Oil Exports

Canada

The provincial governments of Ontario and Alberta on July 6 unveiled a new oil pipeline project -- the Northern Shield Energy Corridor -- that would send 500,000 barrels per day from Hardisty, Alberta, to Sarnia, Ontario, where three Canadian refineries are located.

Canada: Ontario, Alberta Propose New Eastward Oil Pipeline

The world is connected, but even the broadest topics deserve an individual look. Below are our latest and most relevant energy analyses.

Below are our latest and most relevant energy analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Politics of Pipelines

_Energy

Nigeria: Obstacles to Prosperity

The Battle for Mosul

A Crude Recovery

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Russia's Internal Struggle

East African Integration

Snapshots

Cars stand in line for gasoline at a Lukoil gas station on July 8, 2026, outside of Moscow, Russia.

Russia will retain the ability to produce and export most of its oil, but sustained Ukrainian strikes will erode its refining capacity, exacerbate domestic fuel shortages and raise the risk of deeper production cuts.

Ukrainian Strikes Deepen Russia's Fuel Refining Crisis

Israel

People pass a large banner depicting U.S. President Donald Trump with a target on his head, during funeral ceremonies for Iran's slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the Grand Mosalla on July 5 in Tehran, Iran. 

Global Trade

Recent tit-for-tat strikes between the United States and Iran signal the rising risk of a return to high-intensity regional conflict following the June 17 memorandum of understanding.


U.S.-Iran Truce at Risk of Collapse Over Hormuz Control Dispute

Assessments

Social Issues

A fragile truce in the Middle East, persistent energy-driven inflation, shifting U.S. trade policy and escalating regional pressures from Europe to Africa will collectively shape geopolitical risk in the third quarter.

2026 Third-Quarter Forecast: An Excerpt

Lebanon

Oman

Maps4media-processed Sentinel-2 satellite imagery shows a broad overview of the Strait of Hormuz on June 16, 2026.

U.S.-Iran talks will face increasingly large obstacles as negotiators approach more contentious topics, namely Iran's nuclear program.

For the U.S. and Iran, the Hardest Negotiations Lie Ahead

Bahrain

Kuwait

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C, top) meets with GCC foreign ministers during his visit to the Middle East to discuss with Arab Gulf allies the interim deal between the U.S. and Iran on June 25 in Manama.

While Qatar and Saudi Arabia explore restoring trade ties with Iran, the United Arab Emirates is aligning its security with Israel and the United States.

Divergent Approaches to Iran Expose Gulf Arab Splits

Colombia

Venezuela

China

Abelardo de la Espriella, who has since been declared president-elect, waves to supporters after casting his vote during the runoff election on June 21, 2026, in Barranquilla, Colombia. 

De la Espriella's administration will reverse many of the outgoing government's security, economic and social policies, restoring a hard-line anti-crime approach and deepening ties with the United States.

What de la Espriella's Victory Means for Colombia

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

Algeria

The Council of the National Assembly, Algeria's primary legislative body, is seen in Algiers.

Upcoming elections are unlikely to change the pro-president composition of Algeria's lower house, making significant policy change or reforms unlikely.

Algeria's Parliamentary Elections Will Yield Policy Continuity

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

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?

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

Guests stand outside a model carriage of the "Dream of the Desert" ultra-luxury train on display during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Efforts to create new export routes via railways and pipelines will be hampered by regional mistrust, uncertain commercial viability and long construction timelines, ultimately keeping Gulf states reliant on the Strait of Hormuz.

All Roads Lead to Hormuz: The Limits of Gulf Infrastructure Diversification

Energy

SITUATION REPORTS

Australia: Canberra Moves To Centralize AI Governance, Regulate Data Centers

U.S., Iran: Iran Threatens Wider Disruptions to Regional Energy Exports Following U.S. Blockade

Ukraine: Zelensky Announces Cabinet Reshuffle Ahead of Winter

U.S., Iran: Trump Reimposes Blockade on Iran

India, Australia: Australia Signs Uranium Export Agreement With India

Qatar: QatarEnergy Pauses Plans To Ramp Up LNG Output

Iran, U.S.: U.S. Revokes Sanctions Waivers for Iranian Oil Exports

Canada: Ontario, Alberta Propose New Eastward Oil Pipeline

Forecasts

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