January 2024 Geopolitical Outlook

This year will be one of great perils both at home and abroad. The challenges to stability and security are far more complex than this time last year. As the Russia-Ukraine war continues with no sign of abating through, a second major flashpoint has emerged in the Middle East. The Israel-Hamas war is expanding into a regional conflict with the Iranian-proxy Houthis––operating out of Yemen––disrupting commercial shipping around the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf and another Iranian-proxy Hezbollah conducting a terror campaign against northern Israel from southern Lebanon. Moving east, China is now under the indefinite leadership of General Secretary Xi who continues to amp up the rhetoric around the potential military conquest of Taiwan on the cusp of Taiwanese general elections. And China continues to militarize annexed shoals and Islands increasing tensions in the South and East China Seas. In South America, Venezuela has reignited tensions with its tiny neighbor Guyana over newly discover…