The detention in March and subsequent murderous escape attempt of four Uzbek nationals in Indonesia was the first reported case in which Uzbek nationals—or nationals of the five ex-Soviet Central Asian states more generally—have ever been captured and detained on terrorism charges in Southeast Asia;... MORE

As the second year of the high-tempo, artillery-driven Russian war on Ukraine continues, the battlefield has become a huge cemetery both for Western and Russian military assets. However, an opportunity awaits a country like Iran, whose drones over the past few months have been targeting... MORE

The independent Telegram channel “Turkmen News” reports that Ashgabat’s security services recently blocked an attempt at an armed insurrection in Turkmenistan’s capital and have arrested 20 Turkmen citizens. Most prominently, the son of a former agricultural minister was arrested (then later died while behind bars),... MORE

During a regional conference held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in May 2023, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov underscored the paramount importance of the Lapis Lazuli international transit corridor. He emphasized how further development of this landmark project would revolutionize the regional transportation system, propelling it to new heights... MORE

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

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

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

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

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

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