Conflicts & Crises
Current and recent conflicts, escalation risks, and battlefield updates.
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A New Myanmar Is Emerging: How a Stalemated Civil War Became a Victory for Beijing
After five years of war, Myanmar's rebellion is fracturing, the Tatmadaw is regaining ground, and the only real winner sits across the border in China.
Pakistan Besieged: How the Balochistan Insurgency and Afghan War Are Converging at Once
Pakistan faces a hardened Baloch insurgency, an undeclared war with Afghanistan, the TTP, and IMF dependency—all at the same time, with no clean exit.
Has Israel Bitten Off More Than It Can Chew? The Strain of a Seven-Front War
Israel's near-continuous war across seven fronts is exposing manpower shortages, interceptor depletion, and a coalition collapse over the draft and settler violence.
Iran's Sleeper Cells Weren't Real. The Alternative Is Worse.
Iran's threatened sleeper cells never materialized during the Iran War. What emerged instead was a gig-economy sabotage campaign that's harder to stop.
Will the RSF Defections End the War in Sudan?
As founding RSF commanders defect to Sudan's army with men, weapons, and intelligence, the SAF gains its best chance to break the stalemate — at a steep moral cost.
Cuba at Zero Day: How a Fuel Collapse Became Washington's Next Regime-Change Gamble
Cuba has run out of fuel as the US tightens a post-Maduro squeeze, indicts Raúl Castro, and courts his grandson for a negotiated transition.
More in Conflicts & Crises
Syria Is Breaking Apart: What the US Withdrawal Really Left Behind
After Washington's exit, two stories of Syria compete. One sees a country turning a corner under Ahmed al-Sharaa; the other sees a state collapsing in slow motion.
Could JNIM Build a Caliphate in West Africa? Inside the Sahel's Most Formidable Jihadist Group
JNIM is the Sahel's dominant jihadist group, controlling more territory than ever. We examine whether it could declare a caliphate in West Africa.
Is Mali About to Collapse? The Coordinated Offensive That Shook Bamako
A multi-city insurgent offensive killed Mali's defense minister and forced Russian forces to retreat, raising the question of whether the junta can survive.
Two Months In, Everyone Is Running Out of Time
Iran, Lebanon, and Israel are each cornered two months into the war. As economic pressure bites and talks stall, the question is who cracks first.
Iran's Hidden Power Struggle: Who Really Runs Tehran After the War
How assassinations gutted Iran's leadership, handing the IRGC unprecedented power and turning US ceasefire talks into a battle between hardliners and a fractured regime.
Caught Between Two Fires: The Collapse of the Russian Soldier's War in 2026
In spring 2026, Russian front-line troops face AI drones from Ukraine and a command that sells them out. A look at a war machine grinding down its own.