The 02 January assassination of Iranian IRGC General Qassem Suleimani has increased the risk profile of the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. While at this point, we expect Iran’s retaliation to be limited, the menu of response options at Iran’s disposal is vast and geographically expansive.
During morning hours on 21 April, Easter Sunday, suicide bombers carried out six attacks across Sri Lanka, killing an estimated 253 people including at least 41 foreign nationals, with another 500 people injured.
Russia is hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup from June 14 to July 15. 32 teams will play 64 matches across 11 cities: Kaliningrad, Kazan, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Saransk, Samara, Sochi, Saint Petersburg, Volgograd, and Yekaterinburg. Russian authorities expect approximately 500,000 to 1 million foreign visitors, making for a crowded 30-day stretch.
The summer tourist season in Europe is nearly in full swing. Millions of people from all over the world will travel across Europe to such destinations as London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, and Istanbul. The influx of summer tourists also presents an attractive target to terrorist cells and inspired individuals wishing to carry out attacks.
