2026 in international relations

On 28 February 2026, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was assassinated in Tehran as part of a series of Israeli airstrikes aimed at high-ranking Iranian officials. Khamenei's death was confirmed by the Iranian government on 1 March. His death occurred as part of a wider joint operation by the United States and Israel, using strategic locations intelligence from the US's Central Intelligence Agency to determine the whereabouts of several leaders. Satellite imagery suggested that Khamenei's residence in the city was severely damaged during the attack.

Since 2025, the second Donald Trump administration of the United States has sought to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, triggering an ongoing international diplomatic crisis. This escalated in early 2026 after Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to annex Greenland and threatened a 25% import tax on goods from several European nations unless Denmark ceded Greenland. Trump's statements sparked a confrontation with Denmark and the EU, reigniting earlier concerns of a US–EU trade war. On 21 January, Trump reversed his position at the 2026 Davos conference, pledging not to use force or tariffs to annex Greenland.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched an air war against Iran and assassinated its supreme leader Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel, US military bases, and US-allied Gulf states. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) issued warnings forbidding passage through the strait, has boarded and attacked merchant ships, and has laid sea mines in the strait. Since 13 April, the US has blockaded Iranian ports, leading to a "dual blockade" of the strait. Until the US–Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was open and about 25% of the world's seaborne oil trade and 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through it.

On 8 April 2026, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire in the 2026 Iran war, mediated by Pakistan. Iran had rejected the draft proposal for a 45-day two-phased ceasefire framework introduced on 5 April by Pakistan, instead proposing its own 10-point plan for a peace agreement. The proposal was developed as part of ongoing mediation efforts involving regional and international actors during the 2025–2026 negotiations. Since its declaration, the ceasefire has been violated by both sides. On 21 April, President Trump said that he extended the Iran truce to allow time for an Iranian proposal to be submitted at Pakistan's request. On April 22, US officials said that Trump has given Iran three to five days to engage in negotiations and resolve alleged infighting within the government before resuming attacks.

political and economic crisis in Cuba

largest military buildup in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq

military campaign in Yemen

2026 torpedo attack

period of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States

2026 assassination

2026 Iran war bombing

Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling

2026 federal trial of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores

American military operation

2026 anti-Trump protests in Denmark

2026 United States military action

2026 diplomatic negotiations between U.S. and Iran

Retaliatory strikes in the 2026 Iran war

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use of electronic warfare during the 2026 Iran war

31st UN climate conference

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proposed military intervention plan by US President Donald Trump

skirmish between Cuban border patrol and US ship

United States presidential doctrine

Diplomatic row caused by a dispute regarding Taiwan

Cuban solidarity groups

United States Supreme Court case

retaliatory strikes in the 2026 Iran war

2026 Iran war aerial campaign

bilateral talks between Israel and Lebanon

ship built in 2007