Skip to content
Search
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

sanctions

Cuba’s next fuel shipment in purgatory
Hard Numbers

Cuba’s next fuel shipment in purgatory

Cuba has faced severe fuel shortages since the US imposed a de facto blockade earlier this year, and the halted shipment could have powered the island for about 11 days.

​Women prepare a makeshift memorial in tribute to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on a street, after he was killed in Israeli and U.S. strikes on Saturday, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2026.
by ian bremmer

After decapitation, what’s next?

Over the weekend, the United States and Israel pulled off one of the most operationally impressive military campaigns in recent memory.

​A French navy boat intercepts and redirects a suspected Russian oil tanker in the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, near Martigues, France, on January 25, 2026.
Hard Numbers

Russia reportedly smuggles its oil in droves, Tunisia slips further away from democracy, Argentina’s labor reform bill clears another hurdle, Rough day for diamond giant

$90 billion: The amount of revenue that Russia has reportedly made from smuggled crude oil exports, after 48 companies worked together to help disguise the origin of the oil and circumvent sanctions that have been imposed since the full-scale war on Ukraine began.

Trump escalates sanctions against Russia
Quick Take

Trump escalates sanctions against Russia

In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer breaks down the changing dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine war, where Europe is taking the lead in military support while the US adjusts its approach.

​Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on October 24, 2025.
Analysis

Will Trump’s new Russia sanctions work?

The US president imposed sanctions on the two largest Russian oil firms. The effectiveness of this strategy depends on whether it forces China and India to stop buying Russian crude.

​September 28, 2025, Tehran, Iran: Iranian lawmakers participate in an open session of parliament. Iran has recalled its envoys to Britain, France, and Germany for consultations after the three countries.
Analysis

Do additional sanctions on Iran make a difference now?

The European Union confirmed on Monday that it has reinstated sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, following the United Nations’ decision over the weekend to reimpose its own penalties.

An aerial view shows damaged buildings in Gaza, July 28, 2025.
What We're Watching

What We’re Watching:  Israel advances Gaza City takeover plan, US brokers Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, Trump’s Russia deadline arrives

​Trump and Khamenei staring at eachother across an Iranian flag.
by ian bremmer

Will Trump’s Iran strategy actually prevent war?

The United States is ramping up its “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.

​FILE PHOTO: Children eat bread on a street near a flag adopted by the new Syrian rulers, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 24, 2024.
What We're Watching

Syria seeks sanction relief

Diplomats and foreign ministers from 17 Arab and EU states convened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday to discuss the lifting of economic sanctions on Syria, originally imposed during the rule of ousted president Bashar al-Assad.

​An F/A-18 Hornet approaches the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt as USS McFaul trails behind, October 30, 2001. Theodore Roosevelt and its carrier airwing are conducting missions in support of operation Enduring Freedom.
Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: US friendly fire downs F/A-18, Russia guns down prisoners, US court rules on Pegasus spyware case, China goes after Canadian activists