On November 30, the Islamic State (IS) announced that its “caliph,” Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (Abu al-Hassan), was killed and another leader, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qureshi (Abu al-Hussein), was the new caliph (alarabiya.net, November 30). This was the second time in only one year that... MORE

In January 2022, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Moscow to discuss monetary and banking issues between Russia and Iran, and the two sides agreed to the removal of trade barriers to increase trade between one another to $10 billion per year (Middle East Monitor,... MORE

The joint military exercises involving Azerbaijani and Turkish forces just north of the Iranian border, which were announced on December 5, are clearly a warning to Tehran that any further Iranian challenges to Baku will be met by the combined forces of those two countries.... MORE

On December 5, two Ukrainian strikes on Russian air bases deep into Russian territory and far from the frontlines produced a painful shock for Russian forces and could signify a further mutation, if not escalation, of the war. Each time Ukrainian forces deliver a long-range... MORE

In late November 2022, as protests spread throughout Iran, and amid rising tensions between Baku and Tehran over a range of issues, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared, “We will do everything possible to defend our way of life as well as the secular direction of... MORE

The enforcement of the price ceiling for Russian oil transported by sea enacted on December 5 is not a surprise, as this measure was being discussed by the Unites States and its key partners as early as September 2022. It is, nevertheless, important proof of... MORE

On November 16, a new tactical group and militant contractor in Idlib governorate, Syria was announced on various social networks and messaging platforms through a video called “Tactical Accessories” (Muhojir UZ, November 16). The propaganda of this new group, Muhojir Tactical, is managed by two... MORE

Major international sporting events have long been a target for jihadist groups looking to capitalize on these moments to bring attention to themselves, promote their messages, and malign their enemies. At present, there is no other professional athletics competition on the scale of the FIFA... MORE

Islamic State Jihadists in Mozambique Attack Tanzanian Troops On November 19, Islamic State in Mozambique Province (ISMP), which split from its Congo-based allies in what was formerly Islamic State in Central Africa Province (ISCAP), claimed an attack on a joint patrol of Tanzanian and Mozambican... MORE

Since at least mid-October 2022, Iran and Azerbaijan have been grappling with the latest and most serious wave of escalations between the two neighboring, Shia-majority Muslim nations in recent years. The escalation has manifested itself most clearly through the war games being conducted along the... MORE