Features

• July 04, 2026

  Still No Sign Of Supreme Leader As Iran Kicks Off Funeral Rites For Khamenei

  Will Mojtaba Khamenei appear at his father's funeral? Some argue the succession ritual demands it. Others aren't sure he's even alive to attend.

• July 04, 2026

  Ukraine Is Winning Its War On Russian Oil Refineries. On The Front Line, It's A Bloody Slugfest.

  Ukraine’s drone campaign on Russian gasoline refineries is wreaking havoc, leading to nationwide shortages, fraying tempers, and mounting headaches for the Kremlin. On the battlefield, however, Ukraine’s troops face a grim fight. Look at what’s happening in Kostyantynivka.

• July 03, 2026

  Who's Shipping Bananas To Russia, And Who's Shipping Cocaine?

  Shipments of bananas to St. Petersburg sometimes conceal a contraband cargo: cocaine. A Systema investigation finds that two companies with roles in the delivery and further distribution of the fruit are controlled by Russians with ties to longtime associates of President Vladimir Putin.

• July 03, 2026

  David Des Roches: Iran Is Losing The Long Game 

  As Washington debates whether the recent cease-fire with Iran reflects strategic restraint or strategic drift, retired US Colonel David Des Roches says the broader trajectory of the conflict tells a different story.

• July 02, 2026

  Bootleg BMWs: How Luxury Cars Are Built From Leftover Parts In Russia

  Small numbers of high-end German-designed SUVs are being assembled at a plant in Kaliningrad despite BMW pulling out of Russia days after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

• July 02, 2026

  Russia Scrambles To Recruit Enough Men For Ukraine War. Now It’s Also Forcing Them.

  Over more than four years of all-out war, Russia has used financial incentives, coercion, and threats to keep up the flow of men to fight in Ukraine. Now recruiters are increasingly forcing men to sign contracts to fight. That could be major problem for the Kremlin.

• July 02, 2026

  As Iran Tests Hormuz And Attacks The Gulf, A Former US Ambassador Says Trust Is Gone

  As Washington and Tehran test the limits of a fragile interim understanding, the diplomacy around Iran has become increasingly complex. To unpack the latest developments, RFE/RL spoke with Marc J. Sievers, a former US diplomat based in Abu Dhabi who has served across the Middle East.

• June 30, 2026

  Where Did Iran's Hijab Police Go?

  Once-feared patrols that enforced Iran’s compulsory hijab rules have largely vanished from the streets, and uncovered hair is now commonplace. But the law remains, and the change is uneven, uncertain, and still contested.

• June 30, 2026

  Mary Kissel: Iran's Nuclear Program Must Remain The Focus

  Despite a US-Iran memorandum that opened a 60-day diplomatic window, missile exchanges and maritime threats suggest the negotiations are faltering under growing military pressure. RFE/RL spoke with Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Mary Kissel about whether diplomacy can deliver lasting security.

• June 30, 2026

  Far From Ukraine War, Russia Fuel Crisis Consumes Local Worries

  There’s no gasoline for ambulances in one region. In another, they’ve suspended garbage pickup because there’s no fuel for trucks. There’s a robust black market where you can pay someone to hold your place in endless lines of drivers hoping to fill up cars. Russia’s gasoline crisis is deepening.

• June 30, 2026

  Demolition Blitz In Bishkek As Authorities Target 'Illegal' Balconies

  Unauthorized balconies built by residents of the Kyrgyz capital to expand their apartments are being demolished amid government efforts to clean up the image of the city.

• June 29, 2026

  Skepticism In Iran Over Israel-Lebanon Framework Agreement

  Iranian state media and outlets close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps have uniformly condemned the US-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework agreement, calling it a 'document of shame' that legitimizes Israeli occupation and betrays Lebanese sovereignty.

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