Anton Mardasov | 08 April 2026
The US-Israeli military operation against Iran did not catch Russia off guard. According to media sources, Russian intelligence learned in advance of the exact date the military campaign would begin and warned Russian diplomats [...]
Al Sharq Strategic Research | 27 July 2023
The rebellion led by Yevgeny Prigozhin and the subsequent power struggle has raised uncertainties about the group’s future operations in the MENA region. This position paper explores four possible scenarios:
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen | 24 February 2023
This expert brief examines how Saudi foreign policy decision-making is evolving to meet the challenges of aligning interests in a world of growing great power competition and strategic rivalries.
Al Sharq Strategic Research | 03 February 2023
Russia and Iran have converging views concerning western powers. Putin considers that the West did not give Russia any consideration after the collapse of the Soviet Union, nor did it respect its interests and culture. Whereas Iran believes that the western threats it is facing are targeting its internal stability and external influence and aiming at deviating from the path of the Islamic Revolution.
Idlir Lika | 22 August 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created both risks and opportunities for regional stability in the Balkans. While there is serious concern that the instability triggered by the invasion may spill over into the Balkans, there simultaneously remains the possibility that Russia’s war in Ukraine may inadvertently activate mechanisms that will lead to lasting security for the region
Harun Karcic | 08 August 2022
Russia’s invisible hand in Kosovo The global media spotlight this week was briefly redirected from Ukraine to the Balkans, more precisely – to Kosovo. The latest flare-up in tensions was related to new rules [...]
Hamidreza Azizi | 17 June 2022
Russia’s need to focus on the war in Ukraine is likely to lead to a period of closer military coordination, if not cooperation, between Iran and Russia in Syria. In a long-term perspective
Deniz Baran | 22 April 2022
What is the International Law on Unilateral Sanctions?: Examining the Case of Unilateral Sanctions Imposed on Russia Since the launch of the Russian invasion against Ukraine, a number of states have been acting in [...]
Dimitar Bechev | 13 April 2022
The ongoing war in Ukraine will have political and economic repercussions in adjacent regions such as the Southern Caucasus, Middle East and North Africa, and Southeast Europe
Hamidreza Azizi | 12 April 2022
When Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Moscow in January to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, he hoped to open a new chapter in Iran-Russia relations. After signing an agreement on “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” with China and then attaining full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
