The Russian nation, whether it be the Russian Empire, Soviet Union, or the current Russian Federation, has had strategic interests in the steppes to the east since the end of Mongol subjugation with the Great Stand on the Ugra River. It has been Russia’s near-constant goal to secure its eastern flank, the flank which had previously yielded access to the… Read more »
The Iranian government, often quick to employ nationalist and sectarian bluster to arouse support among its people, has run into a similar problem as the Russian Federation to their north; sanctions are absolutely wreaking havoc upon their fragile economies. For the Iranian government, this is an intolerable situation, as they are already in a precarious standing with their people, as… Read more »
The Jamestown Foundation reports, “Swiss firm Vitol and Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR have been embroiled in a quarrel over the transportation of crude oil from Turkmenistan. While the respective companies and government officials from Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkmenistan have kept silent on the matter, media outlets tend to suggest that the dispute was sparked by commercial concerns (Report.az, February… Read more »
Eurasianet reports, “For two weeks, opposition activist Sharofiddin Gadoyev was held in captivity by the government of Tajikistan. But a swell of indignation from supporters, rights advocates and diplomats led to a rare climbdown by the authoritarian government in Dushanbe. On March 2, Gadoyev was allowed to leave Tajikistan and return to the Netherlands, where he enjoys political asylum. In an exclusive interview with Eurasianet on… Read more »
The Trend reports, “The Turkmen Foreign Affairs Ministry hosted in Ashgabat a meeting of the technical working groups on the Regional Infrastructure Confidence Building Measures (RI-CBM) within the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, Trend reports with reference to the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, co-organizer of the event. “The OSCE stands ready to employ its comprehensive security instruments to maintain a sustainable… Read more »
CNBC reports, “Pakistan risks becoming the latest arena for Saudi Arabia and Iran’s rivalry as it accepts billions of dollars in aid and investment from Riyadh. Perhaps one of the most visually memorable moments of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s red carpet tour of Asia last month was the gifting to him, by Pakistani senators, of a gold-plated submachine gun. Pakistan, the crown… Read more »
The Guardian reports, “Iran has criticised Britain for its decision to list Hezbollah’s political wing as a terrorist organisation, saying on Saturday that it ignored both the will of a large portion of the Lebanese people and the group’s role in fighting Islamic State. Britain said on Monday it planned to ban all wings of Hezbollah, which Washington deems a terrorist organisation… Read more »
Al Jazeera, “Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s attempt to resign, reflects a long-time rivalry between hardliners and moderate factions within Iran’s politics, according to Iran experts. Despite President Hassan Rouhani‘s rejection of Zarif’s resignation, observers believe that the foreign minister’s unexpected move was the result of an intensifying internal power struggle in Iran that is far from over. “Zarif’s resignation has exposed the political faultline between competing… Read more »
Al Jazeera reports, “A new photo of an Iranian opposition leader and his activist wife who have been held under house arrest for eight years is spreading on social media. The Twitter account of the reformist Etemad daily published the image early on Sunday of Mir Hossein Mousavi and his wife, Zahra Rahnavard, without a story. The photo was not published in… Read more »
The Jerusalem Post reports, “Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited Iran’s bucolic Gilan Province this week, strolling in a forest and pushing economic development that will link Iran’s strategic Northern Province with railways and economic corridors to Azerbaijan and via Kazakhstan to China. The province of Gilan borders Azerbaijan and is located on the Caspian Sea. For years, Iran has been… Read more »