https://www.rferl.org/z/645 The latest news from RFE/RL's broadcast region. https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org/z/645 en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:15:01 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL As the conflict in the Persian Gulf continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-live-blog-trump-middle-east/33803414.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-live-blog-trump-middle-east/33803414.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 07:00:00 +0200 Iran German authorities are investigating two "very serious security incidents" at the Leipzig/Halle airport that temporarily suspended and diverted flights, raising suspicions of Russian involvement after similar incidents in recent years. https://www.rferl.org/a/german-police-probe-leipzig-airport-suspicious-flying-object/33822656.html https://www.rferl.org/a/german-police-probe-leipzig-airport-suspicious-flying-object/33822656.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:01:41 +0200 News BROVARY, Ukraine -- Russian overnight drone and ballistic missile strikes killed at least 17 people in the Kyiv region, as Ukraine warned of critical air defense shortages and urged its allies to hasten deliveries of urgently needed air defense missiles. https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-drone-and-missile-barrage-on-ukraine/33822483.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-drone-and-missile-barrage-on-ukraine/33822483.html Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:50:58 +0200 News Prominent imprisoned political activist Mostafa Tajzadeh has issued a statement calling on Iranian authorities to "immediately end" executions warning that the accelerated pace of hangings risks pushing the country toward internal conflict and what he called the "Libyanization" of Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/tajzadeh-iran-executions-end/33821603.html https://www.rferl.org/a/tajzadeh-iran-executions-end/33821603.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:05:26 +0200 Human Rights Ukrainian drones struck two more warehouses used by the online retailer Wildberries, as well as a third in the Moscow region that killed five people as Russia and Ukraine continued exchanging cross-border strikes with US-mediated peace talks stalled. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-hits-wildberries-warehouses/33821556.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-hits-wildberries-warehouses/33821556.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:40:16 +0200 News Iran has hanged two men accused of spying for Israel as the Islamic republic’s execution spree since the start of the war with the United States and Israel shows no signs of slowing down. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execute-behzad-safvat-israel-spy/33820765.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execute-behzad-safvat-israel-spy/33820765.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:31:28 +0200 Iran Ukraine and Russia exchanged another wave of overnight drone strikes targeting logistics, energy, and civilian infrastructure, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced frustration with Western allies over delays in delivering urgently needed Patriot air defense systems and other military aid. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russian-drone-attack-wildberries/33820750.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russian-drone-attack-wildberries/33820750.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:52:56 +0200 News Iranian authorities have executed a 19-year-old man who was arrested during nationwide protests that began in late December and spread across the country in January, according to a US-based rights group. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-kheirkhahan-outcry/33820267.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-kheirkhahan-outcry/33820267.html Sun, 02 Aug 2026 15:51:07 +0200 Human Rights Russian authorities said on August 2 that an improvised explosive device was detonated at a restaurant in central Moscow, killing three people and wounding 21 others, as investigators worked to determine who was behind the bombing. https://www.rferl.org/a/moscow-russia-restaurant-bombing--kudrinkskaya-square/33820153.html https://www.rferl.org/a/moscow-russia-restaurant-bombing--kudrinkskaya-square/33820153.html Sun, 02 Aug 2026 10:47:27 +0200 News US President Donald Trump said he has decided to "hold off" on any new attacks on Iran, saying "the perimeters" of a deal have been agreed to with Tehran and adding that Israel was joining him in the commitment. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-trump-attacks-hormuz/33820139.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-trump-attacks-hormuz/33820139.html Sun, 02 Aug 2026 09:37:57 +0200 Iran In the wake of the latest deadly Russian air strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed frustration with his Western allies, urging speedier delivery of urgently needed Patriot air defense missiles and other weapons. https://www.rferl.org/a/kyiv-kherson-ukraine-patriot-ballistic-missiles-zelenskyy/33819849.html https://www.rferl.org/a/kyiv-kherson-ukraine-patriot-ballistic-missiles-zelenskyy/33819849.html Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:03:14 +0200 News US President Donald Trump's decision to step back from his earlier pledge to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors has prompted renewed debate in Washington over the future direction of US military support for Kyiv. https://www.rferl.org/a/patriot-missile-trump-bacon-republicans-ukraine-zelenskyy/33819653.html https://www.rferl.org/a/patriot-missile-trump-bacon-republicans-ukraine-zelenskyy/33819653.html Sat, 01 Aug 2026 06:41:57 +0200 News Russia targeted the Ukrainian capital with ballistic missiles early on August 1 as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed for the Washington to grant licenses for Kyiv to produce its own Patriot air defense missiles amid apparent renewed reluctance by US President Donald Trump. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-kyiv-ballistic-missiles-trump-patriot-missiles/33819648.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-kyiv-ballistic-missiles-trump-patriot-missiles/33819648.html Sat, 01 Aug 2026 03:01:04 +0200 News President Donald Trump said the United States should be "very careful" about granting Kyiv a license to produce Patriot missiles as Ukraine seeks greater air defense capabilities to protect itself against Russia's daily air attacks. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-drone-attack-wildberries-patriot-missile-license/33819054.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-drone-attack-wildberries-patriot-missile-license/33819054.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:07:03 +0200 News Russia said it had designated Telegram founder Pavel Durov a “terrorist” and “extremist,” further tightening the screws on the popular messenger app ahead of parliamentary elections in September. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-telegram-durov-terrorist-extremist-internet-crackdown/33818974.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-telegram-durov-terrorist-extremist-internet-crackdown/33818974.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:45:17 +0200 News When Human Rights Watch's Georgi Gogia heard that several independent journalists were handed lengthy sentences this week by a court in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, he didn't know what motivated the judge. But he does know the message is an "unmistakable warning." https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-independent-journalists-court-sentencing-crackdown/33818515.html https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-independent-journalists-court-sentencing-crackdown/33818515.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 19:58:56 +0200 News The US military said it launched dozens of strikes against targets linked to Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in response to Iranian attacks on American troops in Jordan after President Donald Trump had vowed to retaliate and "hit them very hard." https://www.rferl.org/a/us-strikes-target-iran-revolutionary-guards-corps/33818316.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-strikes-target-iran-revolutionary-guards-corps/33818316.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:59:30 +0200 Iran KRYVIY RIH -- Russian ballistic missile strike hit a home in the village of Radushne in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, killing almost an entire family, as local officials reported at least nine people dead and dozens of others injured across the country. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-missile-deadly-strike-ukraine/33818229.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-missile-deadly-strike-ukraine/33818229.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:46:18 +0200 News Ukrainian drones struck targets in several places inside Russia on July 29, including an oil refinery and a logistics center belonging to Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, as Kyiv expands its long-range strike campaign to pressure Moscow into peace negotiations. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-drone-attack-wildberries-zelenskyy-trump/33817538.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-drone-attack-wildberries-zelenskyy-trump/33817538.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:02:31 +0200 News As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the US Capitol, a majority of senators from both parties voted to advance legislation intended to strike at the economic foundations of Russia's war. https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-united-states-senate-bill-sanctions-russia/33817262.html https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-united-states-senate-bill-sanctions-russia/33817262.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 03:09:46 +0200 News A Ukrainian court ordered a Kyiv businessman jailed without bail following a Russian missile attack on a defense technology conference that killed 11 people and wounded nearly 100. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-missile-strike-conference-jailed/33816608.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-missile-strike-conference-jailed/33816608.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:49:52 +0200 News Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had "a good meeting" with US President Donald Trump on July 28. The meeting, which had been expected to be one of the most consequential moments in US-Ukraine relations since Donald Trump's return to the White House, lasted about a hour. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskyy-trump-talks-washigton/33816609.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskyy-trump-talks-washigton/33816609.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:43:00 +0200 Ukraine The US State Department criticized the execution of prisoners in Iran and called for the release of political prisoners as Tehran has ramped up its use of the death penalty in recent months. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-protesters-trump-human-rights/33813872.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-protesters-trump-human-rights/33813872.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:21:18 +0200 Iran The Pentagon has revised down its official casualty figures from the war with Iran, updating the number of US military personnel killed and wounded during the five-month-old conflict. https://www.rferl.org/a/pentagon-casualty-figures-transparency-debate-us-iran/33813903.html https://www.rferl.org/a/pentagon-casualty-figures-transparency-debate-us-iran/33813903.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:04:01 +0200 Iran President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on July 27 as he kicked off a key week of talks with officials around the world to bolster Ukraine's defenses amid a rising civilian death toll from Russian air strikes back home. https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-ukraine-burnham-britain-russia-trump/33813436.html https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-ukraine-burnham-britain-russia-trump/33813436.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 01:51:14 +0200 News Tehran said it had halted retaliatory attacks against US allies in the Middle East as Washington refrained from attacking Iran for the second night in a row. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-halts-retaliatory-attacks-us-allies-middle-east/33813331.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-halts-retaliatory-attacks-us-allies-middle-east/33813331.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 14:29:33 +0200 News President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Moscow wants to bring in thousands of North Korean soldiers again for its invasion of Ukraine, with preparations in Russia having been under way since early summer. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-claims-caspian-strike-russia-iran-military-route-kyiv-mourning/33812868.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-claims-caspian-strike-russia-iran-military-route-kyiv-mourning/33812868.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 15:32:07 +0200 Ukraine US President Donald ⁠Trump ⁠said Washington and Tehran were still conducting negotiations to end their conflict -- even as attacks intensified throughout the region, further threatening to widen the conflict into a full-blown Middle East war. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-talks-houthi-yemen-gulf-trump/33812472.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-talks-houthi-yemen-gulf-trump/33812472.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 01:02:42 +0200 Iran Russia's deepening partnerships with China, Iran, and North Korea represent one of the most significant geopolitical realignments driven by the war in Ukraine. Yet according to Andrea Kendall-Taylor, viewing this grouping through the lens of a traditional military alliance misses the bigger picture. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-china-iran-ukraine-war/33812439.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-china-iran-ukraine-war/33812439.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:37:49 +0200 Russia Ukraine struck targets in several parts of Russia early on July 24, including another warehouse of Russian e-commerce retailer Wildberries, as Kyiv continues to expand its retaliatory long-range strike campaign in an effort to force Moscow into negotiations. https://www.rferl.org/a/wildberries-russia-ukraine-strikes-us-rubio/33811940.html https://www.rferl.org/a/wildberries-russia-ukraine-strikes-us-rubio/33811940.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:50:56 +0200 News As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded his first Southeast Asia trip as America’s top diplomat, he sought to reassure regional partners that the war in Iran and Russia's invasion of Ukraine would not weaken Washington's commitment to the region. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-iran-russia-us-commitment-asia/33811919.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-iran-russia-us-commitment-asia/33811919.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:52:59 +0200 News Analysis Islamabad has condemned attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saudi-flagged vessels in the Red Sea. It also warned that any aggressive actions toward Pakistan-flagged vessels or the country's maritime interests would be regarded as a “grave threat” that may result in “lawful use of force.” https://www.rferl.org/a/saudi-pakistan-ships-attacked-read-sea-houthi/33810504.html https://www.rferl.org/a/saudi-pakistan-ships-attacked-read-sea-houthi/33810504.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:15:14 +0200 News US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that the United States remains prepared to help broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine but that fresh proposals would be needed after previous peace ideas failed.  https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-ukraine-war-lavrov-meeting-russia/33810551.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-ukraine-war-lavrov-meeting-russia/33810551.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:56:09 +0200 News Iran's army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have said they struck multiple US bases in Kuwait, retaliating for fresh American strikes on Iranian targets following a 12th consecutive night of US bombing. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-houthis-saudi-tanker-hormuz-blockade/33810481.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-houthis-saudi-tanker-hormuz-blockade/33810481.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:00:35 +0200 Iran Iran executed a man it accused of carrying out "operational actions" during nationwide protests at the start of the year as the country's leadership ratchets up its crackdown on dissent, sparking a hunger strike among hundreds of death row inmates. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-protest-death-row-inmates/33810002.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-protest-death-row-inmates/33810002.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 18:03:30 +0200 Iran As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-us-hormuz-oil-blockade-gulf-israel/33640284.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-us-hormuz-oil-blockade-gulf-israel/33640284.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:45:12 +0200 Iran US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ‌said on July 22 that a naval blockade of the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels would be “problematic,” as the widening conflict with Iran disrupted two of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-iran-houthis-red-sea-blockade-yemen-us/33809877.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-iran-houthis-red-sea-blockade-yemen-us/33809877.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:19:58 +0200 Iran Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ousted the chief of the General Staff, a day after replacing Ukraine’s top military commander, the latest in a series of major changes to the country’s defense leadership. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-military-personnel-shuffle-general-war-russia-zelenskyy/33809831.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-military-personnel-shuffle-general-war-russia-zelenskyy/33809831.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:05:25 +0200 News The US and Ukraine have signed a statement of intent creating the first formal framework for cooperation on military drones, paving the way for Ukrainian combat drones to be exported to the US for testing and potentially future joint production. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-ukraine-drone-cooperation-agreement/33809808.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-ukraine-drone-cooperation-agreement/33809808.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:16:33 +0200 Ukraine The Ukrainian military struck warehouses belonging to Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, in the third attack targeting such facilities in a week, as Kyiv continues to expand its retaliatory long-range strike campaign in an effort to force Moscow into negotiations. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-wildberries-war-strikes-zelenskyy/33809727.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-wildberries-war-strikes-zelenskyy/33809727.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 10:42:38 +0200 Ukraine US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that Iran's challenge to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz threatened not only global trade but also risked setting a dangerous precedent for Asia's contested maritime routes. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-iran-diplomacy-global-shipping-hormuz-asean/33809704.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-iran-diplomacy-global-shipping-hormuz-asean/33809704.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:08:08 +0200 Iran President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed out Ukraine’s top general nearly a week after he sacked Mykhaylo Fedorov as defense minister, who had openly clashed with the general in a major fight over strategy in the war against Russia. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-military-syrskiy-drapatiy-zelenzkyy-war-russia/33809328.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-military-syrskiy-drapatiy-zelenzkyy-war-russia/33809328.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 23:54:59 +0200 News President Donald Trump condemned Iran's leadership after the execution of two protesters over the weekend, calling officials "savages" amid a widening crackdown on dissent during the war with the United States. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-executions-trump-/33809250.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-executions-trump-/33809250.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 22:54:49 +0200 Iran Tajikistan's interior minister said has said that a man arrested in Israel on suspicion of spying for Iran is no longer a Tajik citizen, contradicting earlier statements by Israeli authorities that described the suspect as a dual Tajik-Russian national. https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-iran-suspected-spy-tajik-citizen-war/33808906.html https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-iran-suspected-spy-tajik-citizen-war/33808906.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:20:52 +0200 News Large plumes of black smoke rose high into the skies of the Moscow region on July 20 after Ukrainian drone strikes hit an oil depot and logistics facilities, wounding 10 people as Kyiv vowed to respond to deadly Russian attacks that have left several people dead. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-drone-and-missile-strikes/33807500.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-drone-and-missile-strikes/33807500.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:14:08 +0200 News Air raid sirens blared in Bahrain and other Gulf states as the struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz continued after US forces conducted a ninth day of air strikes on targets around Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-deaths-iraq-jordan-remains-attacks/33806990.html https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-deaths-iraq-jordan-remains-attacks/33806990.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:16 +0200 Iran Russia launched one of its largest ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv since the start of its full-scale invasion overnight on July 19 killing one person and wounding 16 others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Ukraine announced strikes on two Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kyiv-russia-zelenskyy-ballistic-missile-attacks/33806851.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kyiv-russia-zelenskyy-ballistic-missile-attacks/33806851.html Sun, 19 Jul 2026 11:03:49 +0200 News The US military suffered its first combat fatalities since March in the Iran war, with the Pentagon saying two service members were killed and another was missing during defensive operations in Jordan, as hostilities ramped up in the region and further endangered a fragile cease-fire. https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-soldiers-killed-jordan-iran-missile-attack/33806519.html https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-soldiers-killed-jordan-iran-missile-attack/33806519.html Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:40 +0200 Iran US strikes on Iran widened early on July 18 from the Strait of Hormuz hotspot to multiple sites throughout central and southern Iran, including through the use of fighter jets, while Iran continued to pound US Gulf allies, as a fragile cease-fire further tattered. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-attacks-hormuz-infrastructure-centcom-jets/33806044.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-attacks-hormuz-infrastructure-centcom-jets/33806044.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 01:07:48 +0200 Iran With the US and Iran launching fresh strikes in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz is back under the spotlight. Naval strategist Joshua Tallis says restoring commercial confidence -- not military force alone -- will determine when shipping returns to normal. https://www.rferl.org/a/hormuz-strait-confidence-naval-tallis-us-iran/33805855.html https://www.rferl.org/a/hormuz-strait-confidence-naval-tallis-us-iran/33805855.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:28:06 +0200 Iran