The Weekly Report: April 26-3 2026
United States
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testified in front of the House Armed Services Committee. In his testimony he said the military operation in Iran has been very successful. Additionally, Hegseth criticized democrats who have pushed back on his assessment of the conflict. The Pentagon has estimated that the war in Iran has cost roughly 25 billion dollars.
Asia
A second round of peace talks between Iran and the U.S. collapsed before they even started. President Trump cancelled the planned trip by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan after President Pezeshkian of Iran said that his country would not enter “forced negotiations”. The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi subsequently departed Pakistan and travelled to Oman and Russia to hold talks with his counterparts.
Europe
President Trump said he may consider reducing the number of U.S. troops in Germany as his feud with Chancellor Merz of Germany continues over the U.S. war with Iran. This feud comes as President Trump had to deal with blowback from allies over the U.S. war with Iran. Tensions between the U.S and its allies have been on the rise in recent weeks.
Americas
Violence in Colombia escalate this past week, following a wave of attacks by FARC rebel groups in the country’s southwestern region. Specifically, there were over 26 attacks in 48 hours which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 civilians. These attacks have caused security concerns to be raised as the country prepares for its presidential election at the end of May.
Africa
In Mali, terrorist groups including Al-Qaeda linked JNIM launched one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country’s recent history. Multiple cities across the country were targeted including the capital, Bamako. Among the victims of the attacks was Mali’s Defense Minister Sadio Camara.
Middle East
Since the war between the U.S, Israel, and Iran began roughly 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, while 2,509 people were killed in Lebanon and 28 killed in the Gulf states. Both sides have accused each other of bad faith while engaging in negotiations. A fragile ceasefire is still in place between the U.S. and Iran as both nations look for a way to negotiate.
