Alex Raufoglu is RFE/RL's senior correspondent in Washington, D.C.
When he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many warned Vladimir Putin that the offensive he claimed was meant to bolster Russia’s security would instead put it in jeopardy. Now, in a country steeped in war, analysts say peace could pose major risks – not least for Putin himself.
The Iran framework agreement gave an immediate boost to markets, with shares rising and oil prices dipping. But whether this translates into durable economic gains will largely depend on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Senior US officials have disclosed details of the framework deal with Iran that is set to be officially signed during a ceremony in Switzerland on June 19.
In an interview with RFE/RL in Washington on June 16, Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, warned that the West risks “giving away” Georgia to Moscow’s interests through inattention, even as Tbilisi becomes increasingly central to the wider strategic balance across the Caucasus.
RFE/RL spoke with Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, a former US diplomat and current distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council focusing on Middle East security and strategy, to unpack the framework deal between Iran and the US, what remains unsettled, and what the world should watch for next.
The United States and Iran have electronically signed a framework deal to end the three-month-long war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, senior US administration officials said on June 15.
WASHINGTON -- US President Trump heads into next week’s Group of Seven summit in France with a packed agenda covering trade, artificial intelligence, and Ukraine -- and the shadow of the conflict with Iran hanging over all of it.
After more than three months of conflict that has shaken the Middle East, disrupted energy markets, and heightened concerns about regional stability, the United States and Iran appear to be moving closer to a possible peace agreement.
A senior US administration official has said the United States and Iran were “very close” to sealing a deal that would reopen a critical shipping route and dismantle Tehran’s nuclear enrichment infrastructure.
Matt Reisener, senior national-security adviser at the Center for Maritime Strategy, talks to RFE/RL about why diplomacy and military pressure are likely to continue, what Iran and the United States each believes it has to gain from talks, and why any agreement may actually hinge on Israel.
Russia, China, and Iran are increasingly creating a strategic alliance of convenience that US policymakers must confront as it seeks to disrupt global order, according to a group of US experts and former officials.
The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation aimed at preventing American and allied technology from ending up in Iranian-made drones used in conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East.
The US strikes on Iranian air defense and radar systems appear intended as a limited warning to Tehran rather than the opening salvo of a broader military campaign, according to senior US officials and regional security experts.
The US House of Representatives has passed legislation requiring the administration to produce a detailed assessment of Russian and Chinese intelligence activities in Georgia
The Gulf conflict has underscored the growing importance of mass-produced, low-cost weapons systems, particularly drones and munitions, and exposed the limitations of relying on expensive defensive technologies to counter them, according an executive at the defense tech firm Mach Industries.
The United States has reaffirmed its support for Armenia's sovereignty and democratic institutions amid growing concerns over what Western officials describe as an intensifying Russian campaign to weaken Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ahead of the country's upcoming elections.
RFE/RL spoke with Lisa Gable, a former US ambassador who served during the George W. Bush administration and is now the chairwoman of World In 2050, about the prospects for diplomacy with Iran, the challenges of verification, and the broader geopolitical stakes of the current conflict.
WASHINGTON -- In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation and a rebuke to the administration's approach toward Ukraine, the US House of Representatives approved a sweeping Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions package, with 18 Republicans joining Democrats to pass the legislation.
RFE/RL spoke with Jake Sotiriadis, an adviser to the US State Department, about whether these developments could signal the beginning of a diplomatic off-ramp between Washington and Tehran or merely a pause in a confrontation that still carries a significant risk of escalation.
The US House of Representatives approved a war powers resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump's military campaign against Iran, delivering a bipartisan rebuke to the administration even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted that US operations against Tehran had ended.
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