Latest Articles about Middle East
Moscow in Urgent Search of New Space Partners
Russia is searching for new long-term partnerships in outer space instead of relying on cooperation with the United States, Europe, Canada and Japan. Recently, Yuri Borisov, head of state-owned Roscosmos, tried to develop space cooperation ties with Algeria and Egypt during his visits there and... MORE
How Will Hakan Fidan’s Appointment Shift Turkish Diplomacy in Its Neighborhood?
After winning re-election, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan significantly reshuffled his ministerial cabinet. Unlike in previous terms, this time, Erdogan decided to make significant changes to his cabinet while signaling upcoming reforms amid economic difficulties at home and political disputes abroad. In addressing domestic needs,... MORE
Moscow Announces End-Run Around Increasingly Hostile Kazakhstan
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power, Moscow has routinely sought to redirect trade through countries in the post-Soviet space to help its allies and weaken its opponents with the goal of preventing any of the former union republics from becoming regional competitors to... MORE
New Trilateral Cooperation for Iran, Armenia and India in the South Caucasus: From ‘Soft Balancing’ to Regional Transit Balance
In April 2023, the first trilateral political consultation between the deputy foreign ministers of Iran, India and Armenia was held in Yerevan (Shargh Daily, April 21). The three countries focused primarily on “economic issues and regional communication channels,” and “the sides agreed to continue consultations... MORE
Dirty Business: The Russian-Iranian Strategic Partnership Intensifies
In May 2023, United States National Security Council spokesman John Kirby announced that Russia is looking to purchase additional Iranian drones and loitering munitions. Kyiv believes that Moscow already received around 2,400 units from its “brother in arms” and has already used over 400 of... MORE
The Long Arm of the Law(less): The PRC’s Overseas Police Stations
Introduction In April, the FBI charged two Chinese-Americans, both U.S. citizens, with conspiring to act as agents of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by establishing an “overseas police station” on behalf of the Fujian Public Security Bureau in New York. The... MORE
Iran’s Mohajer-6 Drones May Tilt the Battlefield Balance in Ukraine
While the West is still contemplating sending sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Ukraine, such as the Reaper and the Predator, Moscow and Tehran are taking a step further to bolster Russia’s unmanned aerial capabilities and tip the balance of power in Russia’s favor on... MORE
Growing Russian-Iranian Partnership Along the North-South Corridor
In a recent development, on May 17, Russia and Iran officially signed an agreement for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway (Kremlin.ru, May 17). This railway project holds immense significance as it addresses a key missing link in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The... MORE
Brief: JNIM Pursuing Localized Agenda in Mali
In recent months, the northwestern Syria-based militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which operates under the leadership of Abu Muhammed al-Julani, has reasserted that its operational and geographical agenda is limited to only a local scope. The group, furthermore, has lived up to these claims... MORE
Georgia Rapidly Cozying Up to Russia and Moving Away From the West
On May 19, the first flight of a Russian airline landed in Tbilisi officially marking the resumption of air traffic between Georgia and Russia. Yet, this development has produced mixed reactions in Georgia, with Georgian society voicing their displeasure through protests (YouTube, May 19) and... MORE