October, 2026

• 19 October

  Iraq’s Cabinet Completion Raises Iranian Influence Concerns, But Offers PM Chance To Curb Militias – Analysis

  

  Key TakeawaysThe Iranian regime has reportedly found ways to ship a very limited and relatively inconsequential amount of petroleum product exports via maritime routes despite the US naval blockade. Iran’s ability to export energy products continues to be severely hampered by the US economic campaign, however.The Houthis are using imitative …

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• 19 October

  AfD And The Implications Of A German Far Right Foreign Policy – Analysis

  

  Key Takeaways: The AfD, which emerged as the largest party in two of three German state elections in September and leads national polls at 28–30 percent, pursues a “nation-first” foreign policy that is relatively soft on Russia, skeptical of traditional U.S. security ties, and more positive toward China. Internally the …

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• 19 October

  What’s Russia’s Game Plan In Afghanistan?

  A full-spectrum strategic partnership is in the cards. Russia’s recent praise of the Taliban’s anti-terrorist successes, foreign spy chief Sergey Naryshkin’s historic visit to Kabul, and the impending trip of Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk as part of an economic delegation have prompted global interest in Russia’s game plan in …

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• 19 October

  Iran And The U.S. Edge Toward A Deal As Economic Pressure Mounts – Analysis

  

  Key Takeaways: Iran is finalizing a response to U.S. comments on its New York proposal, with both sides signaling openness to diplomacy, yet remaining divided over the sequence of steps: Tehran seeks blockade relief, asset releases, and an end to fighting before reopening Hormuz, while Washington wants verifiable nuclear progress …

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• 19 October

  From Proxy War To Direct Deterrence: Is Iran Redefining Its Regional Strategy? – Analysis

  

  Key Takeaways: Iran’s traditional “forward defense” through affiliated groups such as Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, the Houthis, and Palestinian militants has suffered setbacks since October 2023, including major losses for Hezbollah and Hamas and the loss of the Assad government in Syria. Direct Israel–Iran exchanges have exposed the limits of proxy-based …

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• 19 October

  Iran Update, October 16, 2026

  

  Key TakeawaysThe Iranian regime has reportedly found ways to ship a very limited and relatively inconsequential amount of petroleum product exports via maritime routes despite the US naval blockade. Iran’s ability to export energy products continues to be severely hampered by the US economic campaign, however.The Houthis are using imitative …

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• 19 October

  Comment l’IA et les drones changent le rôle de l’arme nucléaire

  

  L’emploi massif au combat de technologies informatiques commerciales, la généralisation des drones et l’intégration de l’intelligence artificielle (IA) dans les armées sont perçus comme une nouvelle révolution dans le domaine militaire. Comme de toute révolution, on en attend l’obsolescence de nombreuses technologies et procédés tactiques antérieurs. Comme le soulignait l’ancien …

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• 19 October

  The US is withdrawing from Iraq. Who could fill the void?

  

  After 12 years on the ground, the last troops from the International Coalition that fought the Islamic State (IS) departed Iraq last week. It was a comparatively quiet occasion compared with the composed exit by the US in 2011 or the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. It nevertheless marks …

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• 19 October

  Is Iran losing control of the Strait of Hormuz?

  

  As Iran and the US take tentative steps towards a deal to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, there may be signs that Tehran’s biggest source of leverage is being eroded. Iran has long viewed its ability to paralyse the strategic chokepoint as its own version of a nuclear bomb, a …

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• 19 October

  Making Lebanon’s Pilot Zones Work at the Tampa Talks and Beyond

  

  Beirut can’t just deploy troops and call it a day—it must give them the legal cover they need to actually dismantle the military capabilities that Hezbollah hides behind misused “private property” protections. The October 20-22 Israeli-Lebanese military talks at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, are expected to address …

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