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Russia and Iran likely to complete direct rail route

Location:

RUSSIA/IRAN

Sanctions have constrained east-west transit through Russia and revived its interest in north-south connections to Gulf ports and India. Moscow and Tehran, each keen to circumvent…

Azerbaijan to push Karabakh as Russia looks elsewhere

Location:

ARMENIA/AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijan is increasing pressure on Karabakh and Armenia. Azerbaijani environmentalists blocked the only road connecting Armenia with Karabakh on December 12, just days after…

Gulf states may co-opt US policy agenda

Location:

GULF STATES

In a packed, high-profile programme, Trump will meet Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders, attend bilateral Saudi talks and address a summit of Muslim rulers. This comes four…

Russia will consolidate strong ties in the Gulf

Location:

RUSSIA

Russia seeks to enhance its cooperation with the Gulf Arab states to offset its diplomatic and economic isolation from the West, leveraging its status as a valued security partner…

Pakistan likely to avoid direct involvement in Yemen

Location:

PAKISTAN

The Pakistani armed forces are reportedly already involved in the campaign: some troops have been deployed in Saudi Arabia and a naval ship is stationed off the Yemeni coast…

US push on Pyongyang via ASEAN faces hurdles

Location:

ASEAN/NORTH KOREA

Trump’s administration has not yet developed a clear and full policy towards South-east Asia, but his team has focused on gaining ASEAN states’ cooperation in US efforts to rein…

China’s COVID-19 aid may boost Mideast role, US clash

Location:

MIDDLE EAST

This came during a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, who was seeking to negotiate a 25-year strategic partnership and move forward with collaboration on a…

Iran faces multiple challenges in managing Azerbaijan

Location:

IRAN/AZERBAIJAN

The ministers agreed that hostile rhetoric on both sides was unhelpful and that dialogue was essential. The phone call is an attempt to salvage a relationship that has gone badly…

Tensions on the Israel-Syria-Lebanon border will rise

Location:

ISRAEL/LEBANON/SYRIA

This followed the first-ever operational launch of the longer-range Arrow ballistic missile defence system (initially introduced in 2000), when an Arrow-2 missile interceptor on…

Rivalry will shape Gulf states’ relations

Location:

GULF STATES

The restoration of diplomatic relations ends a seven-year period of intense competition between the two countries. The deal is a diplomatic agreement and does not address the root…