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Foreign Policy

  • Seafarers Are Being Asked to Risk a Deadly Strait

    2026-03-09

    At midday local time on Sunday, only a handful of ships were passing through the strait. So far, the ships have primarily been part of the Iranian shadow fleet. Days' worth of oil, gas, aluminum, fertilizer and other commodities aren't reaching their destinations.

  • Oil Prices Spike as Iran War Impacts Global Energy Flows

    2026-03-09

    The cost of a barrel of Brent crude surged to $119.50 early Monday before falling to below $100. The last time that these futures traded at such high levels was in 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NATO air defenses intercepted a second Iranian ballistic missile on Monday.

  • The Iran War Has Rapidly Expanded Beyond the Middle East

    2026-03-09

    The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28. The conflict has spread at a blistering pace across the region. From Cyprus to international waters near Sri Lanka, the reverberating consequences are swiftly being felt.

  • Lebanon Is Inching Toward Civil War

    2026-03-09

    Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to its attacks on Iran and the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader. Israel has issued a forced evacuation order for the entire Dahiyeh area of Beirut. Sunni Lebanese are fuming at Hezbollah for sacrificing their security.

  • Even From Their Bomb Shelters, Most Israelis Support the War on Iran

    2026-03-09

    Nearly a week into the Iran war, the mood in Israel is upbeat. One poll published on March 4 showed that more than 80 percent of Israelis backed the attack on Iran. A prolonged conflict could do a lot of harm to the Israeli economy before any benefits emerge.

  • Targeting Iran’s Fragile Water Infrastructure Puts the Whole Region in Danger

    2026-03-09

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the U.S. of striking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island. Bahrain, in turn, has accused Iran of damaging a desalinated plant in a drone attack. War is hitting an already brittle system in Iran, one that cannot survive direct attack or industrial contamination.

  • Oil Markets Are Starting to Take the Iran War Seriously

    2026-03-09

    Oil producers are throttling back oil production as they run out of storage space. Tankers can’t transit the Strait of Hormuz for fear of attacks and rising insurance costs. Iran can continue to disrupt shipping at low cost to itself. Putin offers to supply energy-starved Europe with oil and gas, if needed.

  • Iran War Promises Even More Pain for Farmers

    2026-03-09

    The U.S. and Israel’s sweeping military campaign against Iran has triggered a widening war. The Middle East is a crucial hub of fertilizer production and is already seeing shuttered plants. The war has also effectively halted any transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint.

  • No, Turkey Is Not the New Iran

    2026-03-09

    The search for a new bogeyman in the Middle East began before the old one had even been fully dealt with. The real danger is that the rhetoric becomes self-fulfilling. A beleaguered leader facing economic pressure has every incentive to cast himself as the champion of the Muslim world.

  • Iran Threat Exposes Britain’s Shrinking Military Reach

    2026-03-09

    Iran’s missile and drone strikes against U.S. allies in the Middle East have highlighted Britain's limited capacity to protect its own citizens and interests. Britain is allocating only about 1.73 percent of GDP on defense, the second-lowest share among NATO's 32 members.

  • North Korea Is Getting Serious About Space Weapons

    2026-03-09

    North Korea listed “special assets for attacking enemy satellites in times of emergency” A nuclear detonation in space “could render low Earth orbit … unusable for some period of time” Both Russia and North Korea have joined the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

  • Sisi Faces Modest Fury Over Iran War

    2026-03-09

    Houthi attacks on the Suez Canal have reduced shipping traffic by 60 percent. The impact on Egypt's economy is expected to be felt for years to come. The effect on Egypt’s political and economic stability is also likely to be long-term.

  • Israeli Defense Officials Start to Ask How the Iran War Ends

    2026-03-09

    Senior officials in Israel are starting to voice concern about the escalating, open-ended attack on Iran. They are suggesting possible exit ramps that might halt the war. A decision about whether to stop the attacks rests largely with President Donald Trump.

  • China Is Learning the Lessons of Hard Power

    2026-03-09

    Deng Yuwen: If Washington attempts to dismantle China’s external pillars, it must expect to pay a broader strategic price. China does not need to fight wars on behalf of its partners, he says. But it does need to convince the outside world that cooperation with China doesn't leave a security vacuum.

  • The Myth of AI Sovereignty

    2026-03-09

    The U.S. is spending nearly $12 billion to replicate Taiwanese advanced chip production in Arizona. Chinese firms remain several generations behind in advanced lithography. Domestic alternatives to ASML’s technology do not exist and will not.

  • Resilience Will Decide the Iran War

    2026-03-10

    The U.S. and Israel have focused on degrading Iran’s military capabilities. The decisive question is whether Iran can sustain what might be called a resilience timeline. Iran does not need to permanently close the Strait of Hormuz to trigger global consequences.

  • Keeping Kyiv Warm Under Fire

    2026-03-09

    Russia has launched hundreds of strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The attacks are a test of Ukraine's resilience on two fronts. 42 percent of Ukrainians believe that all current politicians are so tainted by the war and corruption that none of them should stay in power.

Politico

LRT

  • President says Nemunas Dawn reps back new military range despite leader’s scepticism

    2026-03-09

    Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said he has received assurances from representatives of the Nemunas Dawn party that they will support legislation. The proposed law on establishing a military training ground in Kapčiamiestis is expected to be debated during the upcoming spring session of the Seimas.

  • EU’s 20th Russia sanctions package stalled by electioneering in Hungary – Nausėda

    2026-03-09

    Lithuanian President Nausėda says the EU's 20th package of sanctions against Russia has been delayed due to election campaigning in Hungary. She says lifting sanctions on Russia would be a bad thing for Lithuania and the entire Western community.

  • GPS jamming incidents reported by pilots continue in Lithuania, regulator says

    2026-03-09

    Pilots have reported more than 300 cases of GPS signal interference in Lithuanian airspace since the beginning of the year. Communications Regulatory Authority of Lithuania said pilots filed 302 reports of GPS interference with air navigation service provider Oro Navigacija between January and early March. CNN.com will feature iReporter photos in a weekly Travel Snapshots gallery. Please submit your best shots for next week. Visit CNN.com/Travel next Friday for a new gallery of snapshots.

  • Venice Commission urges Lithuania to review LRT funding, keep director dismissal majority

    2026-03-09

    Venice Commission has urged Lithuania to review last year's decision to freeze funding for the public broadcaster LRT for three years. Commission also recommended maintaining a qualified majority threshold for dismissing the broadcaster's director general.

  • Lifting sanctions on Russia would harm Lithuania and West, presidential adviser says

    2026-03-09

    Lithuanian foreign policy adviser: Lifting sanctions on Russia would be detrimental to both Lithuania and the wider Western community.Asta Skaisgirytė said removing sanctions even if the war in Ukraine ended would allow Moscow to rebuild its military capabilities.

  • Lithuanian watchdog warns fuel retailers could face fines for price-fixing

    2026-03-09

    Lithuanian fuel retailers could face substantial fines if authorities determine they coordinated to raise fuel prices. Concerns about possible price coordination emerged after fuel prices in Lithuania began rising within days of US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

  • Number of Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania rises by more than 10,000 in a year

    2026-03-09

    As of March 5, a total of 53,379 Ukrainian refugees were living in Lithuania, compared with 43,071 a year earlier and 39,468 in early March 2024. The updated figures were compiled after authorities completed the replacement of digital temporary residence permits issued to Ukrainian refugees under the European Union's temporary protection mechanism.

  • US trade war and Lithuania: How have Trump’s tariffs impacted exports?

    2026-03-09

    Lithuania exported goods worth 1.751 billion euros to the United States in 2025, about 5.2% less than in 2024. The most significant declines were recorded in exports of reagents, which fell by 39%, as well as nails, down 20%, and enzymes, which dropped 14%. By contrast, fertiliser exports increased by 48% and shipments of construction materials rose 32%.

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  • Dire Strait

    2026-03-09

    The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since the war on Iran began, with no obvious way to get it reopened quickly. A 2-week closure of the Strait has much more than twice the adverse impact on global oil supply. If this goes on for multiple weeks, oil prices could go much higher.

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