The Weekly Report: July 19-26 2026
United States
U.S. Intelligence agencies have assessed that current Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is more open to pursuing the development of nuclear weapons than his predecessor and father, Ali Khamenei. Many U.S. officials have believed former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a series of airstrikes at the start of the conflict, was quite hesitant about developing nuclear weapons. Mojtaba Khamenei has not publicly called for his country to produce nuclear weapons; however, he is believed to be a part of the hardline ruling class in Tehran that has ambitions for the development of nuclear weapons.
Asia
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced a ban on the export of dual-use materials to 14 companies in the European Union. This could mean that these companies will face shortages of critical minerals necessary for the production of military applications. This is only the latest move by China to restrict exports of critical minerals to companies from Western nations, a leverage it has used in a trade dispute for over a year. China said the ban was a response to the European Union’s move to sanction companies in China that support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
Europe
Wildfires continued to sweep through Spain and France, forcing over 200,000 people to stay indoors or evacuate. Strong winds mixed with extreme heat have contributed to the spread of the fires throughout the two European nations. So far, there have been no reported deaths as a result of the wildfires; however, many homes have been destroyed in the blaze. The fires have been spreading near the south of France, specifically Bordeaux, where authorities remained extremely concerned as firefighters are having a tremendously difficult time extinguishing the fires.
Americas
President Trump on Monday announced a new set of 50 percent tariffs on a range of goods coming from Canada. These latest tariffs, which will go into effect on August 19, are the latest in a trade war that has been raging for over a year. There are a few reasons as to why President Trump has imposed this latest set of tariffs, one of which is his frustration over Canada’s 25 percent tariff of U.S. vehicle exports to Canada. Canada’s 25 percent tariff was initially imposed on the U.S. in response to the U.S’s initial move to tariff Canadian car plants.
Africa
The president of Nigeria approved a large expansion of the country’s military in an attempt to deal with a rise in security incidents in the African nation. As part of the expansion, 28,000 new soldiers will be recruited, and 4 new army divisions will be created. Nigeria’s government has come under increased scrutiny domestically over a rise in terrorist incidents such as the kidnapping of civilians for ransom.
Middle East
When President Trump announced in June that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between the U.S. and Iran, it appeared as though peace was on the horizon. However, a month later, that ceasefire agreement appears to have completely collapsed. In fact, President Trump has even said the ceasefire is “over.” Over the past few days, it has been reported that Pakistan is trying to push for new peace talks between Iran and the U.S.; however, it remains unclear if anything will come of that.
