Germany

Azerbaijan

Economics

Energy

Politics

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signed a joint declaration establishing a strategic bilateral agenda and a separate agreement creating an Azerbaijan-Germany Business Council in Berlin, AZERTAC reported on July 21. 

Azerbaijan, Germany: Strategic Agenda Will Deepen Energy and Transit Ties

China

Papua New Guinea

Taiwan

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said the ministry had convened a meeting to discuss Taiwan's response options to Papua New Guinea's potential closure of a Taiwan trade office, the Taipei Times reported on July 19.

Taiwan, Papua New Guinea: Taipei Threatens To Stop LNG Purchases Over Trade Office Dispute

Cote d'Ivoire

Niger

Nigeria

Senegal

Algeria

Morocco

Military & Security

The heads of state of members of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, signed an intergovernmental agreement backing the $25 billion African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, or AAGP, according to a July 19 joint statement from Morocco's state-owned National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines, or ONHYM, and Nigeria's state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Co., or NNPC.

Morocco, West Africa: ECOWAS Signs Agreement for $25B African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project

United States

Iran

Iranian state media said the United States military had attacked bridges, a railway junction and a control tower at the Chabahar port, AP reported on July 17.

U.S., Iran: U.S. Targets Iranian Civilian Infrastructure, Iran Retaliates Proportionately

U.S.-Iran Relations

Europe

Environment, Science & Technology

The European Commission on July 17 presented its Electrification Action Plan, setting a nonbinding target to double the share of electricity in the bloc's final energy consumption to 46%, alongside an Emissions Trading System review that slows mandated emissions cuts and extends free permits for industry, a press release shows.

EU: Commission Unveils 2040 Electrification Target, Softer Carbon Market Rules

Australia

Cyber

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

Yemen

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

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

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

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

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

Assessments

Argentina

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Ecuador

Guyana

Peru

Venezuela

Pilgrims with flags from different countries gather at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 23, 2013, as they wait for the official opening of the Catholic Church's World Youth Day, which will be celebrated with a holy Mass. 

As many South American countries embrace right-leaning governments, their policies will increasingly align with those of the U.S. Trump administration, opening them to increased security cooperation, although economic integration remains unlikely.

What South America's Rightward Political Shift Means for U.S. Relations

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

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

Qatar

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

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

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

Energy

SITUATION REPORTS

Azerbaijan, Germany: Strategic Agenda Will Deepen Energy and Transit Ties

Taiwan, Papua New Guinea: Taipei Threatens To Stop LNG Purchases Over Trade Office Dispute

Morocco, West Africa: ECOWAS Signs Agreement for $25B African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project

U.S., Iran: U.S. Targets Iranian Civilian Infrastructure, Iran Retaliates Proportionately

EU: Commission Unveils 2040 Electrification Target, Softer Carbon Market Rules

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

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