Global Security

Global security collects relevant conflict, diplomacy, sanction and humanitarian-risk items that do not yet belong cleanly to a more specific dossier. It prevents loose live items from becoming dead ends.

Situation brief

A drone attack on Iraq's Khor Mor gas field on November 8 forced a complete production shutdown, disrupting electricity supplies across the Kurdistan Region and adding a new dimension to the international energy crisis (Reuters, Dana Gas, Rudaw). Kurdish electricity officials estimated that between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts of generating capacity were lost. Al Jazeera reported power outages affecting more than 70 percent of the region. On November 9, operator Dana Gas confirmed that the fire had been extinguished but production remained suspended pending a damage assessment. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered a joint investigation with Kurdish authorities (Rudaw). No perpetrator has been identified. The incident highlights the direct relationship between regional military escalation and global energy security. The war involving Iran, the United States and Israel, which began in late February 2026, has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The International Energy Agency reports that LNG loadings from Qatar and the UAE declined by more than 60 billion cubic metres year-on-year between March and October, forecasting a three percent contraction in global LNG supply for 2026. Washington is also expanding its pressure campaign. Reuters reported on November 8 that the United States had established Task Force Iron Gate to restrict Iranian procurement and commercial networks across land borders and the Caspian Sea. In Europe, Ukraine remains a central security concern. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost external electricity on November 8 and temporarily relied on emergency generators to maintain reactor cooling. The IAEA confirmed that external power was subsequently restored. It was the facility's 27th loss of external electricity since Russia's 2022 invasion (Reuters, IAEA). Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11 to discuss security guarantees and the framework for a possible post-war settlement. France announced that it would participate, challenging the initially trilateral format (RFE/RL, AP). In Sudan, the war that began in April 2023 continues to undermine essential civilian infrastructure. AP reports that at least 15 electricity substations have been attacked since early October. National generating capacity has fallen from approximately 4,400 megawatts before the war to around 1,100, with Merowe Dam now supplying more than 70 percent of electricity. Diplomatic tensions escalated when Ethiopia expelled six Sudanese consular employees and ordered the closure of its consulate in Assosa in early November (AP). The dispute follows Sudanese allegations that the UAE supports RSF drone operations launched from Ethiopian territory. Both governments deny supporting the paramilitary force. In Myanmar, human rights organizations continue documenting air strikes and displacement in Karen State. Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported that an attack on a Bible school on November 3 killed three students and injured six. Meanwhile, FEWS NET warns that below-average rainfall and extreme temperatures threaten the 2026/27 agricultural season across Southern Africa. Reduced 2027 harvests would increase pressure on regional grain markets and vulnerable households. A separate technology-security issue emerged on November 9, when Nvidia launched an independent investigation following reports that CEO Jensen Huang had been targeted by a suspected Chinese intelligence operation. The company said it had no reason to believe that its secrets or US national security had been compromised (BBC, Tagesschau). The allegations remain unproven. The case connects counterintelligence, semiconductor export controls and the strategic importance of advanced AI hardware in US-China competition. Taken together, these developments demonstrate how armed conflicts, energy infrastructure, critical technologies, extremist violence and climate-related supply risks increasingly interact across national borders.

AI situation report: summarised automatically with ChatGPT from the linked sources, as of 9 Nov 2026, 08:12 CET. Mistakes are possible; the original sources are authoritative.