Setting aside “Axis of Evil,” or its calibrated stepchild “Axis of Upheaval,” what might be a better name for the China-Russia-Iran-North Korea cluster? Consider an acronym—”CRANK,” representing China-Russia-Iran-North Korea. A deepening alignment among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea is drawing considerable attention as the United States and its allies confront new challenges from these four nations, both individually and […]

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has escalated in recent weeks, including with the Israeli killing of one of the Iran-backed group’s commanders. Hezbollah showcased purported footage of Israeli military sites in the Golan Heights on Tuesday amid international efforts to prevent an all-out war in Lebanon. The nearly 10-minute video contains drone footage of several sites throughout the territory […]

Iranian and Taliban officials have discussed potential “joint action” against Israel amid the war in Gaza and chances of a war between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel escalating. During a Monday phone call, Ali Bagheri Kani and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the respective Foreign Ministers of Iran and the Taliban, underscored the imperative of unified Islamic efforts to exert pressure on […]

The second meeting of the Regional Contact Group for Afghanistan, known as the Moscow Format, was held on Saturday in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Iranian media reported that the representatives of Iran, Russia, China and Pakistan attended the meeting. At the meeting, the Director-General of the South Asia Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran Seyyed Rasoul […]

The top Turkish diplomat says his country explores new opportunities with BRICS Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend the China-led BRICS+ meeting in Russia next week as Turkey explores new cooperation opportunities. “While we have a customs union with the EU, we also explore new opportunities for cooperation with several partners in different platforms such as BRICS,” Fidan said […]

On June 2, 2024, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI), the largest religious organization in South Asia, organized a “Gaza Million March,” which was one of the largest anti-Israel rallies in Pakistan. The stated goal of the march was to support “the resistance movement Hamas” and “the inhabitants of Palestine” and to condemn the Israeli bombing on Rafah.[1] The rally was part of […]

Iran seized control of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs several decades ago, though the United Arab Emirates has long claimed sovereignty over the islands, a claim backed by Gulf states and Russia. China reiterated on Monday its support for the United Arab Emirates regarding its dispute with Iran over several islands in the Gulf, setting up a […]

Moscow Format Contact Group on Afghanistan has been convened for this week where discussions will take place on issues relating to the country, Russia’s special presidential representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov confirmed Tuesday. Kabulov said this meeting will take place on Saturday, in Tehran, ahead of the planned Doha meeting later this month. “We have discussed with representatives of the […]

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said his government was working on reconciliation between Ankara and Damascus in an interview released on Friday. “God willing, we will see some steps in this regard soon,” Sudani told Turkey’s private Haberturk TV via a translator, adding that he was in contact with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as well as Turkish President Recep […]

White House spokesman John Kirby defended Israel amid international outrage after an airstrike reportedly killed dozens of civilians in the Gaza Strip — saying the US military “did the same thing.” “We have conducted airstrikes in places like Iraq and Afghanistan where, tragically, we caused civilian casualties,” he said — adding that the US responded the same way as Israel […]