United States

Iran

Economics

Military & Security

U.S.-Iran Relations

Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said Iran was drafting a protocol to oversee the Strait of Hormuz along with Oman, even during peacetime, though there are few available details of what this protocol would entail, The New York Times reported on April 2.

Iran: Tehran Preparing Protocol for Overseeing Strait of Hormuz 

Egypt

Israel

Jordan

Energy

Israel resumed operations at the Leviathan gas field -- Israel's largest -- for the first time since Israel's energy minister ordered the field to suspend operations due to security risks caused by the Feb. 28 start of the Iran conflict, Bloomberg reported on April 3. 

Israel, Egypt: Israel Resumes Operations at Leviathan Gas Field, Restarting Exports to Egypt 

United Arab Emirates

Politics

The U.S. military attacked Iran's B1 bridge, which connects Tehran with a suburb and was allegedly used to transport missiles, resulting in its partial collapse and reportedly killing eight people, Axios reported on April 2.

U.S., Iran: U.S. Attacks Iranian Bridge, Iran Hits Oracle Data Center in Dubai

Europe

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom hosted virtual talks with representatives from more than 40 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, to begin forming a coalition aimed at restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the BBC reported on April 2.

Europe, Iran: U.K. Hosts Broad Coalition Talks To Explore Reopening Strait of Hormuz

Global oil prices surged after U.S. President Donald Trump's April 1 prime-time national address, during which he said the United States would hit Iran hard over the next two to three weeks, Bloomberg reported on April 2.

U.S.: Oil Prices Surge Following Trump's Prime-Time Address

China

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had decided to dispatch Japan's navy to the Strait of Hormuz to join a U.S.-led escort mission, until close advisor Imai Takaya dissuaded her from doing so prior to her March 18-20 trip to Washington, according to Japanese tabloid Sentaku's April issue.

Japan: Takaichi Nearly Dispatched Navy to Strait of Hormuz, Sentaku Claims

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an April 1 interview with The Telegraph that he is strongly considering withdrawing the United States from NATO after allies declined to support U.S. military action against Iran.

NATO: Trump Threatens U.S. Withdrawal From NATO Amid European Resistance to Assist Iran Operations

The USS George H.W. Bush deployed to the Middle East on March 31 along with three destroyers and around 6,000 sailors, AP reported on April 1.

U.S., Iran, UAE: U.S. Deploys Additional Assets, UAE May Participate in Strait of Hormuz Operation

Assessments

Djibouti

Taiwan

Vietnam

Damage at the Azadi Sport Complex in the Iranian capital of Tehran on April 3.

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 Iran War Continues, Taiwan's KMT Restarts China Talks

Iraq

Iraqi women light candles in memory of the victims of the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon during a rally in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on April 2, 2026.

Violent spillover from the Iran war will further complicate Iraq's government formation process, while disrupted oil exports will heavily strain Baghdad's finances and raise the risk of unrest.

Iraq Is Caught in the Crossfire of Another Destabilizing War

Snapshots

Nepal

Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balendra Shah is sworn in as Nepal's new prime minister in Kathmandu on March 27, 2026.

Global Trade

Prolonged global supply chain disruptions and threats to foreign remittances linked to the war will constrain the new administration's ability to deliver on its economic promises.


New Nepalese Government's Agenda Threatened by Iran War Fallout

Yemen

Houthi loyalists chant slogans on March 27, 2026, in Sanaa, Yemen, as they participate in a protest staged to show support for Iran in its ongoing war against the United States and Israel.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis will likely progressively expand their target set beyond Israel if the war intensifies, raising the risk of more economically disruptive attacks on regional shipping and energy infrastructure.

The Implications of the Houthis Joining the Iran War

Cuba

Russia

People on March 15 in Tehran, Iran, clean up rubble from a missile attack. The Iran war will almost certainly continue through the next week amid Israeli threats to escalate and expand strikes due to Iranian attacks targeting Israeli civilians and the U.S. deployment of additional military assets to the region.

The Weekly Rundown: The Iran War Continues, a European Parliament Delegation Visits China

Media

Asia-Pacific

Podcasts

How will the trajectory of China-U.S. trade conversations change in light of conflict in the Middle East?

The Decision Advantage: The Impact of the Iran War on the Asia-Pacific Region

Cars drive past a gas station in Ponte Leccia on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on March 26, 2026. 

To address Iran-related energy disruptions, the European Union will likely opt for a patchwork of national relief measures, rather than a more comprehensive market intervention.

How the EU Is Responding to Its Latest Energy Crisis

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

The Burj Khalifa skyscraper (L) and the Burj al-Arab hotel (R) on March 11 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With further Iranian provocation, several Gulf Cooperation Council states would be willing to join the war against Iran, but doing so would likely deepen Iran's targeting of their critical infrastructure, exacerbate the globally disruptive impacts of the war and potentially pull the GCC into a permanently hostile relationship with Iran.

Joining in could deepen Iran's targeting of GCC critical infrastructure, exacerbate the globally disruptive impacts of the war and pull the bloc into a permanently hostile relationship with Iran.

Will the Gulf States Join the Iran War, and What Would Happen if They Did?

India

A medicine distributor stores Mounjaro (tirzepatide) self-injecting GLP-1 prefilled pens and vials in a fridge at his office in Thane, India, on March 20, 2026. 

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

India's pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors are set to grow significantly over the next several years amid manufacturing incentives, regulatory reforms and trade deals.

The Growth Outlook for India's Pharmaceutical Sector Remains Strong, Despite Global Uncertainties

Columns

On Geopolitics

Lebanon

Syria

Photos of prominent Hezbollah leaders are seen at the site of a reported Israeli airstrike which killed 6 members of the same family, on March 19, 2026 in Baalbek, Lebanon.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The trajectory of the war will be increasingly defined by a clash of strategic objectives that makes a quick resolution of the conflict unlikely.


The Impact the Israel-Hezbollah War Will Have on Lebanon

Denmark

France

Italy

Ukraine

The European Parliament building in 2019 in Strasbourg, France. Parliament is set to hold a plenary vote March 26 on implementing the 2025 EU‑U.S. trade framework agreement.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: A Vote on the EU‑U.S. Trade Framework, the Iran Conflict Continues

People walk along the corniche area on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Abu Dhabi on March 20, 2026.

Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will compel Gulf Cooperation Council states to invest in alternative trade routes and more resilient physical infrastructure.

Gulf Arab States, Shaken by Iran War, Plan Economic Pivot

Iran sits at the crossroads of the Islamic world. Linking the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central and South Asia, Iran has struggled to balance the benefits and risks of its geographic position.    Iran's core is located in the western Zagros mountain range. From this secure geography, the beginnings of the Persian Empire spread throughout Iran's mountainous topography securing the Alborz, the southern Zagros and much of the Iranian plateau.    Iran's primary geographic challenge has been to secure itself from the many external threats on its borders. Arabs, Mongols and Turks all conquered ancient Persia at various times, prompting Persia to expand its territorial control whenever possible to establish a buffer to protect its core.    At its height, the Persian Empire stretched from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Hindu Kush mountains, bridging modern-day Europe and Asia. Echoes of this former empire can be seen even today, with Iran's support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, the al Assad regime in Damascus and the Shiite-led government in Iraq.    Iran has also struggled to unite and control the various language and ethnic groups located within its core territories, a process impeded by the country's difficult terrain. Modern-day Tehran is aided by its large hydrocarbon reserves; Iran boasts the fourth-largest oil reserves and largest natural gas reserves in the world. The 20th century saw British, Russian and American interests competing not only to control Iran's strategic geographic location, but its significant energy reserves as well.    This modern-day reliance on energy revenues has resulted in Iran's focus on securing the Strait of Hormuz and expanding control over the Persian Gulf to secure its core territories from the threat of outside invasion.

SITUATION REPORTS

Iran: Tehran Preparing Protocol for Overseeing Strait of Hormuz

Israel, Egypt: Israel Resumes Operations at Leviathan Gas Field, Restarting Exports to Egypt

U.S., Iran: U.S. Attacks Iranian Bridge, Iran Hits Oracle Data Center in Dubai

Europe, Iran: U.K. Hosts Broad Coalition Talks To Explore Reopening Strait of Hormuz

U.S.: Oil Prices Surge Following Trump's Prime-Time Address

Japan: Takaichi Nearly Dispatched Navy to Strait of Hormuz, Sentaku Claims

NATO: Trump Threatens U.S. Withdrawal From NATO Amid European Resistance to Assist Iran Operations

U.S., Iran, UAE: U.S. Deploys Additional Assets, UAE May Participate in Strait of Hormuz Operation

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