Executive Summary: This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors, underscoring the importance of preserving the international norm against the first use of nuclear weapons amid Russia’s increasing nuclear brinkmanship. Putin has placed himself into an awkward position where his frequent... MORE

Executive Summary: The legacy of Raed al-Karmi, a Palestinian militant who fought in the Second Intifada and was killed in 2002, continues to have an impact on the minds of West Bank militants, especially in the city of Tulkarem. Since October 7, 2023, a broad... MORE

Executive Summary: Pakistan and Russia are discussing a potential liquefied natural gas pipeline (LNG) to deliver Russian LNG to Pakistan, opening another market for Russia’s sanctions-bound energy industry. Another project that Pakistan is working on is the Iran-Pakistan (IP) pipeline, which has faced numerous obstacles... MORE

Executive Summary: The first anniversary of the war in Gaza has revealed the near-total disappearance of Russia’s influence in the Middle East, as it has not been able to partner with those averse to US positions. Moscow hopes to exploit the shift in international attention... MORE

Executive Summary: In late May, Mossad attributed two attacks against the Israeli embassy in Stockholm to Iranian-backed criminal networks active in the country. The individuals at the core of these networks are Rawa “The Kurdish Fox” Majid and Ismael “The Strawberry” Abdo. The decision by... MORE

Executive Summary: The Armenian-Azerbaijani dispute has always been about both Karabakh and regional transit routes, which now center on Zangezur. Addressing this problem is far more difficult than Karabakh because it directly involves not just Baku and Yerevan but all outside powers—including Russia, Iran, Türkiye,... MORE

Executive Summary: Russia and Iran’s strategic partnership has strengthened steadily since the beginning of Moscow’s war against Ukraine and has progressed as tensions in the Middle East are rising, largely due to the war in Gaza. The Kremlin’s growing reliance on an uninterrupted flow of... MORE

Executive Summary: As Russia suffers under Western sanctions, Kremlin propagandists have turned their attention to Iran and advocated studying the Iranian experience of living under sanctions including Iranian scientific innovation and economic development. Russian officials have sung the praises of the Iranian leadership since the... MORE

Executive Summary: Armenia is increasingly turning to India for military support, making significant purchases of Indian-made weapon systems, including the Akash-1S air defense system, as part of a $2 billion defense partnership signed in 2020. Armenia’s pivot toward India marks a shift away from its... MORE

Executive Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Azerbaijan reinforced Russia’s ongoing efforts to maintain influence in the South Caucasus, where increased cooperation on food security, labor, and oil production were announced. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s comments on the Zangezur Corridor ignited tensions with... MORE