This week, the conflict in Iran intensified as the U.S. bombed military facilities on Iran’s Kharg Island and Israel bombed key Iranian energy facilities, with Iran responding with attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf. Israel also committed troops for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon. 

In the Indo-Pacific, U.S. President Donald Trump formally postponed a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping by a month in light of the Iran conflict, while Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited Washington. Ukraine signed an agreement with the U.K. focusing on defense industry cooperation, while Türkiye stated it was willing to host a new round of negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. The U.S. continued its pressure campaign on Cuba, with Trump suggesting he wanted to “take” the island, while Russia pledged to deliver oil amid island-wide blackouts caused by the U.S. blockade. 

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the U.S. and Israel continued their military campaigns against Iran and Lebanon, while Tehran vowed to block oil exports from the region, leading to worldwide repercussions in the energy sector.

Despite the strikes, China stated it would likely go ahead with an upcoming summit with President Donald Trump at the end of March, while the South Korean parliament approved the $350 billion investment in the United States. 

Representatives from the Trump administration met with their Russian counterparts to discuss the potential easing of sanctions against Russia, while talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war remained on hold. 

In the Americas, the Trump administration maintained pressure on Cuba and opened new trade investigations that could see new tariffs being imposed globally by July.  

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the United States and Israel launched air- and naval-based attacks against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with strikes against neighboring Gulf states and by closing the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, talks between Russia and Ukraine have been postponed as the war detracted from diplomatic efforts in Abu Dhabi. In the Indo-Pacific, China held its annual National People’s Congress, approving the country’s new Five-Year Plan, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney signed deals with India and Australia. In the Americas, the U.S. eased some pressure on Cuba, allowing Venezuelan oil to be sold to Cuba’s private sector, while U.S. officials have threatened Venezuelan interim leader Delcy Rodriguez with indictment.  

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, tensions between Iran and the U.S. continued to rise despite ongoing negotiations, with Iran threatening repercussions if the U.S. were to attack and Israel threatening Lebanon with strikes against civilian infrastructure if Hezbollah acted in defense of Iran. In the Indo-Pacific, China restricted rare earth exports to Japan, and U.S. aerospace manufacturers warned of dwindling rare earth supplies, despite last year’s trade truce. The U.S. imposed a global 10% tariff following last week’s decision by the Supreme Court that invalidated IEEPA tariffs, and the Cuban Coast Guard killed four passengers of a U.S.-flagged speedboat that entered Cuban waters. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed optimism in upcoming trilateral negotiations with Russia and the U.S., while the U.S. held talks with Ukraine on post-conflict reconstruction. 

This week, the U.S. continued its buildup of naval and air forces near Iran for a potential military operation, while Iranian officials reported progress in diplomatic talks. In the United States, the Supreme Court invalidated tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, dealing a major blow to the administration’s trade policy. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, the latest round of peace negotiations ended with inconclusive results, while world leaders gathered in Germany for the Munich Security Conference. In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. unveiled plans to deploy more missile systems to the Philippines, while China prepared to receive German Chancellor Friederich Merz. As the U.S. pressure campaign against Cuba continued, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Cuban government representatives. Meanwhile, U.S. forces intercepted another Venezuelan-linked tanker in the Indian Ocean. 

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of Crime Beat Conversations, Rafaella Lipschitz sat down with Stefano Ritondale again, to discuss the dynamics of the Sinaloa cartel civil war and emerging alliances between Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, and CJNG, Sinaloa’s historic rival. Stefano breaks down how the Sinaloa civil war has reframed how we should understand Mexican cartel alliances. We examine some of the ways CJNG is providing support to Los Chapitos in their fights against the Mayitos, what this alliance means for other Mexican cartels, and how policymakers should go about understanding this complex landscape. Stay tuned for more from Crime Beat Conversations. 

Find Stefano’s piece on cartel militarization for New Lines Institute here: 

https://newlinesinstitute.org/people/stefano-ritondale/ 

Learn more about Artorias: https://www.artorias.com/ 

For more from Stefano, follow on X (https://x.com/All_Source_News) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefano-ritondale-1046b5345/) 

A New Lines Institute Mafiacracies Project production: https://newlinesinstitute.org/initiative/mafiacracies-project/

For more from Rafaella, follow on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/rlipschitz) and X (https://x.com/rlipschitz01)

Explore similar analysis and forecasting from New Lines institute: https://newlinesinstitute.org/

Follow our socials for news on upcoming events, analysis, infographics, and more! https://linktr.ee/NewLinesInstitute

This week, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, after which Trump insisted that negotiations with Iran would continue, while Israel is reportedly preparing for a ground offensive in Gaza against Hamas.

In the Indo Pacific, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering constitutional reform following her party’s victory in parliament, while the U.S. is preparing a new arms sale to Taiwan. 

In the Americas, Cuba has warned airline companies that they would no longer be able to refuel on the island amid the country’s energy crisis following an oil embargo by the United States. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted a U.S. invitation to participate in peace talks in Miami next week, while the European Union is preparing a list of concessions it will demand from Russia. 

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, the U.S. and Iran held talks in Oman over Iran’s nuclear program amid rising tensions following U.S. forces shooting down an Iranian reconnaissance drone in the Arabian Sea. In the U.S., the federal government reopened after a partial shutdown following commitments by the Trump administration to reduce the number of federal law enforcement officers in Minnesota. In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. hailed a trade agreement with India following New Delhi’s reported commitment to halt Russian oil purchases, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted foreign leaders for a new trading block for critical minerals. Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. held trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi while Russia resumed strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure following a one-week stop in those bombings.   

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week, in the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump continued to weigh options for possible intervention in Iran and ordered military assets to be deployed in the region. In the U.S., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer continued to negotiate a deal that would avert a U.S. government shutdown in exchange for restrictions on immigration enforcement, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in Congress on the future of governance for Venezuela. In the Indo-Pacific, the Chinese government removed the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and authorized key tech companies to order Nvidia chips. Meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian officials held talks in Abu Dhabi about ending their conflict, while Russian President Vladimir Putin stated a willingness to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Moscow. 

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/