Iran, Russia launch naval drills ahead of trilateral nuclear talks with China Naval forces from Iran and Russia begin joint military drills in the Caspian Sea, reflecting deepening ties between the two countries that come just weeks after Iran’s 12-day war with Israel and the collapse of nuclear talks with the United States. Iran
Iran's Araghchi doubles down on China, Russia ties at Shanghai meeting Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi seized the opportunity at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China to denounce Israeli and US attacks on Iran, rally diplomatic support against sanctions and warn of regional instability should the fragile ceasefire collapse. Iran
Iran’s Araghchi to meet China, Russia FMs at Shanghai Cooperation meeting Iran is seeking to deepen economic ties with the China-led bloc amid US sanctions and the aftermath of last month's war with Israel. Iran
Analysis Can China and Russia fill Iran's defense vacuum after 12-day war? With its air defenses shattered by Israeli strikes in the recent war, Iran is scrambling to rebuild amid growing public doubt over the reliability of its "strategic alliances." By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Analysis Why peace with Turkey has come to mean survival for Armenia’s Pashinyan By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Syrian opposition says it won’t accept Russian soldiers in demilitarized area A few days after the 12th round of Astana peace talks on Syria, the Syrian government and Russia resume heavy shelling in Idlib. Syria
Intel: How Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign is bringing Iran and Russia closer together Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's long-planned visit to Moscow today quickly turned into a grievance-sharing session with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the Donald Trump administration. Russia
Iran seeks broader defense cooperation with Russia amid US pressure As part of a long-term military strategy to fortify its defenses against US threats, Iran is moving closer to Russia — with a vision entailing broader defense cooperation. Russia
Can assault on Idlib facilitate Russia-Turkey deal? As the Russian Khmeimim base has come under militant shelling, the Russian military boosted the Syrian army assault on Idlib amid speculation over a back-channel Russian deal with Turkey. Syria
Is Erdogan’s trust in Trump in the S-400/F-35 standoff misplaced? Turkish government officials believe that if Trump was not hamstrung by Congress and the Pentagon, he and Erdogan would have solved this matter by now. Turkey
Israeli-Russians celebrate WWII Victory Day Israelis are not really aware of the heroism demonstrated by thousands of World War II veterans who immigrated to the country from Russia in the 1990s. Israel
Russia, Kuwait discuss common ground in regional conflicts Russia embraces yet another US ally in the Gulf as Moscow seeks partners for its "inclusive collective security architecture" in the Middle East. Legacy: Gulf
Russia, UN eye benefits of partnering in post-war Syria The challenges of rebuilding Syria could bring Moscow and the United Nations closer for cooperation on virtually all critical issues. Syria
What Russia makes of Hifter's offensive on Tripoli Russia has positioned itself as an impartial middleman in the Libyan crisis, but there's a fine blueprint that defines this position. United Arab Emirates
Is Israel reconciled to Assad's staying power? Turkish defense minister says the United States has "moved closer to our position" on Syria safe zone. Syria
Deteriorating US-Turkey ties weaken Ankara's hand in other problems Intensive diplomatic traffic between Athens and Washington that emphasizes military cooperation raises the question of whether the United States is seeking an alternative strategic ally to Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey
Intel: How Russia and Turkey are growing closer at US expense The April 30 phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan covered a broad range of topics, from trade to military cooperation to Syria, as the two countries continue to grow closer amid US-Turkey tensions. Syria
