Decoding Conflicts

Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world - and a major conflict zone in the Middle East. The Houthis, an Islamist militant group, has been fighting for supremacy in the country for years and more recently has been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea. Global trade is affected, and the plight of the Yemeni people is growing. What could a solution for this unfortunate country look like?

Transnistria is a breakaway region of Moldova on the border with Ukraine - effectively a state within a state, with close links to Russia. The small territory lived off free gas from Moscow years, but mainly exports to the EU. Transnistria has been in an energy crisis since 2025 - and has become a pawn in global geopolitics.

For decades, Mexico has been fighting against the drug cartels that are destabilising the country through violence, corruption and huge profits. Since 2006, over 450,000 people have been killed and more than 125,000 have been displaced with entire regions in the hands of cartels. But the conflict extends far beyond the borders of Mexico, a centre of international drug trafficking.

Since 28 February 2026, American and Israeli air strikes have hit Iran causing death and destruction, with Tehran hitting back with missiles aimed at Israel and US allies in the region. Why is this major escalation happening?