Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Military & Security

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, has declared a famine in the Gaza governorate, stating that more than 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza City and the surrounding area are facing "catastrophic" conditions, giving the area a Phase 5 classification -- the highest possible -- in an Aug. 22 report.

Israel, Palestinian Territories: IPC Officially Declares Famine in Gaza Governorate

United States

Lebanon

Politics

The U.S. Trump administration has reportedly urged Israel to scale back "non-urgent" military operations in Lebanon to support the Lebanese government's move to begin disarming the political and militant group Hezbollah, Axios reported on Aug. 21.

Lebanon: U.S Asks Israel To Scale Down Attacks, Lebanon Starts Disarming Palestinian Camps

Tunisia

Economics

Thousands of Tunisians marched in Tunis on Aug. 21 to demand union rights and broader civic freedoms amid escalating tensions between President Kais Saied and the country's most powerful labor union, The New Arab reported on Aug. 22.

Tunisia: UGTT and Saied on the Verge of a Clash

Australia

Philippines

Australia and the Philippines announced plans to sign a new defense cooperation agreement by 2026 to expand joint exercises and develop military infrastructure at five Philippine sites, Reuters reported Aug. 22. 


Australia, Philippines: Canberra, Manila Plan New Defense Pact

Slovakia

Hungary

Ukraine

Russia

Energy

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The governments of Hungary and Slovakia sent a letter to the European Commission saying that Ukraine's recent attacks against the Druzhba oil pipeline "severely threaten the energy security" of both countries and are "totally unacceptable," Reuters reported on Aug. 22.

Hungary, Slovakia: Ukraine’s Attacks on Druzhba Oil Pipeline Labeled 'Totally Unacceptable'

Ukrainian drones have disabled roughly 10% of Russian refining capacity since early July, prompting the Kremlin to impose a nationwide gasoline export ban to protect shrinking domestic supplies, the Financial Times reported on Aug. 21.

Russia, Ukraine: Ukrainian Drone Strikes Force Russia To Halt Gasoline Exports, Drive Domestic Shortages

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy, rejected Europe-led security initiatives as hostile, ruled out any foreign troop presence in Ukraine and insisted that future peace talks be based on the 2022 Istanbul framework, Reuters reported on Aug. 21.

Russia, Ukraine: Lavrov Questions Zelensky’s Legitimacy, Pushes 'Collective Guarantees'

Israel's Higher Planning Council formally approved the E1 settlement, which would separate east Jerusalem from the West Bank, on the same day that Israel began the initial stages of its Gaza City takeover, Reuters reported Aug. 20. 

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Begins Gaza City Takeover, Approves E1 Settlement

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

Below are our latest and most relevant military analyses. 

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Asia-Pacific

Europe

Eurasia

Middle East and North Africa

South Asia

The Syrian Civil War

The Yemen Civil War

The Libyan Civil War

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

Cyber

The Ukraine Conflict

Tracking U.S. Naval Power

The Battle for Mosul

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

The Jihadist Wars

Echoes of the Cold War

Instability in Central Asia

South Asian Militancy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Snapshots

Bangladesh

Supporters of Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party wave the national flag in Dhaka during a rally held to call for the introduction of a proportional representation system in the country's forthcoming general election on July 19, 2025. 

While delays remain possible, the interim government will likely hold elections in February 2026 as promised, paving the way for a functioning parliament and the implementation of key reforms.

A Set Election Date Eases Political Uncertainty in Bangladesh

Assessments

Central African Republic

Rwanda

Members of the Unity for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) rebel group gather at the DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) site in Maloum, the Central African Republic, on July 24. 2025.

The dissolution of key rebel groups and the reintegration of ex-fighters could stabilize the country after years of conflict, but the process will remain fragile amid funding challenges and potential attacks from non-signatories.

Central African Republic's New Peace Deal Holds Promise, but Challenges Persist

Syria

Turkey

A tank is seen during Turkey's International Defense Industry Fair on July 22, 2024, in Istanbul.

Turkey's push to improve its air defenses in Syria amid Israel's ongoing aerial campaign raises the risk of tactical incidents and a brief crisis, although a larger conflict remains unlikely.

In Syria, Turkey and Israel's Parallel Deployments Heighten Flashpoint Risks

Trump and Zelensky at the White House West Wing in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025.

Even as President Trump floats the possibility of a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky, a breakthrough in negotiations is unlikely given the Kremlin's noncommittal response to the Aug. 18 White House talks. 

Despite Flurry of U.S. Diplomacy, a Ukraine Peace Deal Will Remain Elusive

Iran

Armenia

Azerbaijan

U.S. President Donald Trump (center), Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (left) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (right) hold up an agreement signed during a ceremony at the White House on Aug. 8, 2025.

The deal sidelines Russia and Iran while establishing a U.S. commercial presence in the South Caucasus, but it will remain fragile due to unresolved security guarantees and implementation challenges.

What To Make of the U.S.-Brokered Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Columns

On Geopolitics

South Sudan

Chad

Ethiopia

Somalia

Sudan

Uganda

United Arab Emirates

Shipping containers are offloaded from a vessel at Berbera Port in Somaliland on Aug. 31, 2021.   (ED RAM/AFP via Getty Images)

The UAE is expanding its influence across East Africa through large-scale investments and security partnerships, aiming to consolidate its status as a global trade hub and counter regional competitors, at the risk of entangling regional states in broader geopolitical contests.

The UAE's Long Game in East Africa

Eritrea

A Tigrayan flag waves at the entrance of a hospital in Tigray's regional capital, Mekele, on Oct. 10, 2024. 

The ruling TPLF's apparent rapprochement with Eritrea and the rise of anti-TPLF groups are raising the risk of an Ethiopian-Eritrean proxy conflict in Tigray that could eventually spur a larger military escalation.

Ethiopia's Tigray Region Faces a Brewing Storm Amid Shifting Alliances

Israeli military vehicles drive along the border fence into Israel, near the town of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on July 17, 2025.

While the two countries may engage in limited security cooperation, Israel's continued military interventions in Syria and the lack of U.S. economic pressure on Damascus will make full normalization nearly impossible.

Despite Recent Talks, Syria-Israel Normalization Remains Highly Unlikely

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose ahead of a meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018. 

As Putin and Trump prepare to meet in Alaska, the main risk for Ukraine is a U.S.-Russia deal that cements major territorial losses while offering weak security guarantees, leaving it vulnerable to future Russian aggression.

Putin-Trump Summit: The Risks for Ukraine

China

India

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) looks at Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 30, 2018, during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in the coming days.

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

The Weekly Rundown: A Trump-Putin Summit, the Deadline for a U.S.-China Tariff Pause

U.S.-China Relations

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive at a press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018, in Helsinki, Finland.

The meeting risks sidelining Ukraine and enabling Russia to delay sanctions, consolidate battlefield gains, and advance its strategic interests through a U.S.-Russia peace framework.

What To Expect From the Upcoming Trump-Putin Summit

On Security

Mexico

DEA New York special agent in charge speaks to the press in New York City on Feb. 28, 2025, after the former leader of a brutal Mexican cartel, Rafael Caro Quintero, described by the White House as the world's ''most evil'' drug boss, pleaded not guilty to narcotics charges in New York.

Despite the political and diplomatic risks, Trump is more likely than not to launch some direct operations against Mexican cartels before he leaves office, potentially ranging from light and sporadic U.S. drone strikes to more extensive ground operations.

The Outlook for Trump's 'War' on Mexican Cartels

Military & Security

SITUATION REPORTS

Israel, Palestinian Territories: IPC Officially Declares Famine in Gaza Governorate

Lebanon: U.S Asks Israel To Scale Down Attacks, Lebanon Starts Disarming Palestinian Camps

Tunisia: UGTT and Saied on the Verge of a Clash

Australia, Philippines: Canberra, Manila Plan New Defense Pact

Hungary, Slovakia: Ukraine’s Attacks on Druzhba Oil Pipeline Labeled 'Totally Unacceptable'

Russia, Ukraine: Ukrainian Drone Strikes Force Russia To Halt Gasoline Exports, Drive Domestic Shortages

Russia, Ukraine: Lavrov Questions Zelensky’s Legitimacy, Pushes 'Collective Guarantees'

Israel, Palestinian Territories: Israel Begins Gaza City Takeover, Approves E1 Settlement

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