Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in front of an election poster.

Sri Lanka’s Bumpy Road to a Political Reset

Twin elections in 2024 transformed Sri Lanka’s political landscape, bringing to power a president and parliamentarians who pledged sweeping reforms. So far, however, the new government has made little progress toward this end. It has work to do to show it can do politics differently.

War in the Middle East

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The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran prompted Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only selected ships to pass through. In this Q&A, Crisis Group experts Yasmine Farouk, Chris Newton and Ali Vaez consider what could come next in this vital maritime trade corridor.

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Trends for Last Month March 2026

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In The News

27 Mar 2026
The Iranians believe they have the upper hand by holding the global economy hostage through the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz. ANI

Ali Vaez

Senior Adviser to the President & Project Director, Iran
27 Mar 2026
It is becoming painfully clear that not only the U.S. and Israel are losing this war [with Iran], but that this is one of the biggest strategic failures of the west. The Guardian

Mairav Zonszein

Senior Analyst, Israel
26 Mar 2026
Trump has started a war he now cannot end. El PaĂ­s

Ali Vaez

Senior Adviser to the President & Project Director, Iran
26 Mar 2026
This is not just a war on Hezbollah. The tactics [of Israel] … are collectively punishing the Lebanese population. Anadolu Agency

David Wood

Senior Analyst, Lebanon
25 Mar 2026
[If it were up to Israel,] it would stay in Lebanon, as it does in Gaza, until what it considers the job is done. AFP

Joost Hiltermann

Special Adviser for MENA and training
25 Mar 2026
Israel seems very comfortable with a degree of chaos [in the Middle East]. The question is whether they have a clear end goal. The i Paper

Michael Wahid Hanna

Program Director, U.S.

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