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Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Russian and Ukrainian officials said the next round of U.S.-mediated peace talks, previously expected March 5-6 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, have not been canceled despite ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Bloomberg reported on March 2.

Russia, Ukraine: Kremlin Says Peace Talks To Proceed Despite Iran Escalation

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Afghanistan-Pakistan cross-border clashes continued on March 1 as the Taliban in the capital, Kabul, reported firing at Pakistani jets that purportedly attempted to target Bagram Air Base, though consequent damage and casualties remain unclear, Reuters reported the same day.

Afghanistan, Pakistan: Afghanistan-Pakistan Clashes Persist as Conflict Erupts in Neighboring Iran

Canada

India

Economics

Energy

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, India, where the two discussed trade and energy cooperation, Reuters reported on March 2. 

India, Canada: Trade Volumes, Energy Cooperation To Rise

China

North Korea

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on March 1 that the United States' "blatant killing of a sovereign leader" in Iran and attempts at regime change were unacceptable, according to Xinhua, but Beijing has yet to threaten retaliation.

China, North Korea: Nations React Calmly to U.S. Strikes on Iran

Argentina

Argentina's President Javier Milei promised a monthly package of 90 structural reforms in 2026 to redesign the country's institutional architecture, Reuters reported on March 1.

Argentina: President Promises Monthly Reform Package

Vietnam

Vietnam will adopt a new resolution on preventing and combating corruption, wastefulness and "negative phenomena," state-run Bao Chinh Phu reported on March 2. 

Vietnam: Hanoi To Adopt 'New Mindset' Toward Anti-Corruption

South Sudan

Sudan

The minister of information for the Ruweng administrative area of South Sudan's Unity state, James Monyluak, said a least 90 civilians and 79 security forces were killed in an attack on Abiemnom county, located along the border with Sudan, which he blamed on youths from the neighboring Mayom county and elements of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In-Opposition, or SPLM-IO, Reuters reported on March 2. 

South Sudan: Deadly Attack Near Sudan Threatens Escalation With Opposition, Disruptions to Oil Production

Middle East and North Africa

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

Israel-Hamas Conflict

On March 1, following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Guardian Council member Alireza Arafi was appointed to Iran's Leadership Council, alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, to exercise the Supreme Leader's powers until a permanent successor is chosen, Al Jazeera reported the same day. 

Iran: Transitional Council Appointed To Lead Country Following Khamenei Assassination

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

Below are our latest and most relevant politics analyses.

Sub-Saharan Africa

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Europe

Eurasia

South Asia

The Post-Apartheid Era Ends

Venezuela's Unraveling

The Saudi Survival Strategy

The Kurdish Struggle

Israel's Survival Strategy

Turkey's Resurgence

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Brexit

Old Leaders in a New Africa

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The Pulse of Political Islam

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Russia's Internal Struggle

China in Transition

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

India's Own Worst Enemy

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Media

Podcasts

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is gone, and the U.S. and Israel-Iran war is widening. Here's what you need to know to navigate the immediate aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

RANE Red Alert: What To Watch Following the U.S.-Israeli Attacks on Iran

Assessments

Lebanon

Smoke plumes billow following Israel's bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs on March 2, 2026. 

Israel is set to escalate its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite the Lebanese government's accelerated efforts to disarm the militant group.

Lebanon Joins the Region's Growing Conflict After Hezbollah Strikes Israel

A woman holds a photo of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iranians protest against attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States on Feb. 28, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. 

Global Trade

Depending on the duration of maritime disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the escalating conflict is set to subject European economies to significant energy market volatility.

European Economic Growth Likely To Suffer From Impact of U.S. and Israel-Iran War

U.S.-Iran Relations

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Saudi Arabia

The Crown Plaza on March 1 showing damage from an Iranian military strike in Manama, Bahrain. Iran's attacks will push the Gulf Arab states more toward security alignment with the United States, and threaten their status as a secure investment destination.

Iran's attacks will push the Gulf Arab states more toward security alignment with the United States, and threaten their status as a secure investment destination.

The Implications of Iran's Attacks on the Gulf

Snapshots

People in Tehran look to the skies from a rooftop amid reports of widespread U.S. and Israeli attacks in Iran on Feb. 28, 2026.

The U.S. and Israel are pushing for regime change in Iran, though their attacks are most likely to yield an even more hostile government, as Iran has likely enacted mechanisms to ensure political continuity. 

What To Watch For Inside Iran Amid U.S. and Israeli Strikes

Australia

Japan

Germany

The Tehran skyline on Dec. 30, 2025. On March 2, U.S. and Iranian negotiators will meet in Vienna, Austria, to begin technical talks on a nuclear deal.

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 Conflict in the Middle East, Merz meets Trump 

Iraq

Yemen

A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion Feb. 28 in Tehran. The joint U.S.-Israel military operations on Feb. 28 against Iran have already escalated into a broader regional confrontation.

The military operations have already escalated into a broader regional confrontation and mark the onset of a sustained, multitheater conflict, but are unlikely on their own to trigger near-term regime collapse in Tehran.

A New U.S. and Israeli Attack on Iran Triggers a Regional Confrontation

Palestinian Territories

A view shows tents near the Port of Gaza in the Gaza Strip on Feb. 9, 2026.

With its focus on Iran, the U.S. is unlikely to greenlight a major new Israeli offensive in Gaza anytime soon, which will complicate Netanyahu's efforts to remove Hamas from the Strip before the October elections.

Netanyahu Will Struggle To Defeat Hamas Before Israeli Elections

A Taliban security personnel operating an anti-aircraft gun keeps watch for Pakistani airstrikes near the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Feb. 27 in in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. The ongoing escalation marks a shift into overt interstate conflict, though the most likely near-term trajectory is a sustained cycle of cross-border strikes and retaliation.

The ongoing escalation marks a shift into overt interstate conflict, though the most likely near-term trajectory is a sustained cycle of cross-border strikes and retaliation.

Afghan-Pakistan Tensions Erupt Into Conflict

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (left) shakes hands with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

Yerevan and Baku's efforts to finalize a peace treaty and realign toward the West will be tested by Russian influence operations ahead of Armenian elections and Iran's competing geopolitical interests.

To Escape Russia's Orbit, Armenia and Azerbaijan Turn to Each Other -- and the West

Lebanese flags fly outside of Lebanon's central bank in July 2023.

The proposed "gap law" for repaying depositors could unlock an IMF bailout and boost economic growth. But success is far from certain, as both passing and implementing the reform will prove challenging.

Will Lebanon's Draft Banking Law Unlock an IMF Deal?

A digital illustration shows energy and power icons set with the EU flag. 

By embedding 'Made in Europe' requirements into public procurement, the upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act represents a fundamental shift in EU economic policy.

The EU's 'Made in Europe' Plan Will Fuel Internal Divisions, Transatlantic Tensions

Politics

SITUATION REPORTS

Russia, Ukraine: Kremlin Says Peace Talks To Proceed Despite Iran Escalation

Afghanistan, Pakistan: Afghanistan-Pakistan Clashes Persist as Conflict Erupts in Neighboring Iran

India, Canada: Trade Volumes, Energy Cooperation To Rise

China, North Korea: Nations React Calmly to U.S. Strikes on Iran

Argentina: President Promises Monthly Reform Package

Vietnam: Hanoi To Adopt 'New Mindset' Toward Anti-Corruption

South Sudan: Deadly Attack Near Sudan Threatens Escalation With Opposition, Disruptions to Oil Production

Iran: Transitional Council Appointed To Lead Country Following Khamenei Assassination

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