The Houthis and the Cost of Iran’s War
The News The Houthi movement is experiencing its deepest financial crisis since seizing Sanaa in 2014 — and the timing could not be worse. Their primary strategic backer is fighting…
A New Trade Dispute Between Washington and Brussels
The News The Trump administration raised tariffs on European cars and trucks from 15% to 25%, in a move announced on May 1, 2026. The decision comes in response to…
Mali and the Sahel: Multi-Dimensional Regional Threat
Since April 25, 2026, Mali has been experiencing the largest coordinated attack in its modern history since the 2012 rebellion, launched jointly by al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and…
The GCC Extraordinary Consultative Summit — Jeddah
Context and Timing The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council held an extraordinary consultative summit in Jeddah on Tuesday to discuss regional developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions between the…
Iran and Hormuz: A Map of Gulf Divisions
When Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in direct retaliation for the American-Israeli strikes on its territory that began on February 28, 2026, it did not merely shut down a…
Turkey / Israel: From Verbal Rivalry to the Brink of Confrontation
The News Israeli and Turkish leaders have engaged in an unprecedented exchange of attacks on social media. On April 11, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip…
Iran-Port Sudan Military Coordination, and the Channels It Operates Through
The News Federal authorities arrested Shamim Mafi, 44, an Iranian national and lawful permanent resident of California since 2016, at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday, April 18, 2026. She…
The Fertilizer Crisis and the Specter of Famine
The News UN Secretary-General António Guterres has established an emergency task force to secure the passage of fertilizers and agricultural raw materials through the Strait of Hormuz for humanitarian purposes,…
Africa and the Middle East – Monday, April 20, 2026
File 1: Strait of Hormuz on the Edge — Ceasefire Expires Wednesday What Happened The US-Iran ceasefire expires Wednesday evening. President Trump said today that an extension is ‘highly unlikely.’…
United States & Iran — Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
The Islamabad Talks and Their CollapseWhat Happened? Weekend talks in Islamabad between Washington and Tehran ended without a deal. A source close to the negotiations said the two sides came…