The number of COVID-19 cases has reached 245,000, while the number of deaths due to infection doubled ina week to more than 10,000 as of today. Italy, Iran, and Spain have all experienced large increases in virus deaths, causing governments all over the world to take preemptive measures to contain

On Tuesday, Iran issued its strongest warning to data about the pandemic, suggesting that if the Islamic Republic continues to keep traveling and ignoring health guidance, “millions” of the Islamic Republic residents could die. Iran’s supreme leader also issued a ban on unnecessary domestic travel. Approximately 9/10 of the confirmed

Over the next three months the Covid19 virus may cause dramatic changes on the international scene that will impact decision-making in government and industry. We have no special insights into what they could be, but through thirty years of close observations of national security topics we can say this, we should be prepared for surprises. The impact of surprises can be mitigated by collecting information, and that collection can be optimized by starting with good questions.

When faced with the difficult choice of choosing to close the country down to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 or to keep the economy running and risk disastrous infection rates, Iran chose the economy, which proved to be incredibly detrimental to the country’s overall wellbeing. Within three weeks of announcing

Iran is one of many countries to feel the damaging effects of the Coronavirus on its population and economy. Within the past week, Iran was forced to ask the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $5 billion dollar loan to combat the shortages in relation to the Coronavirus upon its

As a result of a rocket attack against US and UK bases, three soldiers have died and at least 12 others have been injured. The attack, which occurred in Iraq, killed an American soldier, an American contractor, and a British soldier, however, no names have been released at this point.

Iran is planning to temporarily release 54,000 imprisoned individuals and employ thousands of health workers as officials announced new measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak within the country. Iran has reported 92 deaths and 586 new infections overnight, which raises the country’s total to almost 3,000 infections. The country has

Over the past week, several countries have implemented strict temporary travel bans and heightened security as the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus continues to rise and spread to new countries. Saudi Arabia has blocked travel to the Kaaba in Mecca, one of Islam’s holiest sites, while South

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia announced that it has halted travel to the Kaaba amid fears over the novel coronavirus. The Kaaba is located in the holy city of Mecca, where Muslims travel to for the annual hajj pilgrimage, which occurs in just a few months. The announcement comes as the

2,500 US military personnel have been relocated to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, nearly 17 years after the US troops largely evacuated the kingdom. After maintaining a small footprint in Saudi Arabia over the past decade and a half, the return of US troops to the country reflects