Russian influence

Russian Sukhoi Su-35S fighter aircrafts, Su-34 military fighter jets and Su-30SM jet fighters fly over downtown Moscow during a military parade on June 24, 2020.

Analysis

Russian leak signals Su-35s for Iran moving to production: What to know

Recently leaked documents suggest 16 fighters are already on Russian assembly lines, with deliveries slated through 2027. For Tehran, it would be the first meaningful fighter upgrade in decades.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

A S-200 surface-to-air missile system is on display in Terhran.

Analysis

Iran uses first joint SCO field drill to tout drone power, assert post-war resilience

The five-day drill includes participation from China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observer states Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and Iraq will also be present.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

spa

Saudi Arabia signs first visa-free travel agreement with Russia: What to know

The deal will allow citizens of either country to enter visa-free for 90 days for tourism, business and family visits.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the Kremlin in Moscow, on May 9, 2025.

Egypt, Russia advance construction at Dabaa nuclear plant: What to know

The Dabaa nuclear plant could help Egypt address its energy woes while boosting cooperation with Russia.

Latest News

Analysis

As Sharaa heads to Washington, Iran looks to Russia to rebuild Syria ties

A picture taken in Damascus on Dec. 9, 2024, shows the building of the Iranian Embassy, which was ransacked after anti-government fighters took the Syrian capital the previous day, with a portrait of Iran's slain Revolutionary Guards commander, Qasem Soleimani, still hanging on its fence.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Grappling with Western sanctions, Iran, Belarus strengthen military ties

Iran's Deputy Defense Minister Majid Ebnoreza (L) sits next to Andrei Matsiyevich.

Turkey, Qatar sign defense deal as Ankara eyes Doha’s Eurofighters

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

Russia, Iran to boost ties in ‘all areas’ as Tehran claims nuclear restrictions expired

ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/AFP via Getty Images

Mikhail Ulyanov, Moscow’s permanent representative to International Organizations in Vienna, mets with US Iran Envoy Robert Malley in Vienna, Austria, May 16, 2021.

The Takeaway: Iran nuclear diplomacy creeps forward in Moscow and Paris

Also: Taliban’s success inspires Syrian jihadis; Russia’s delicate diplomacy in Syria and Turkey; Nile dam parley peters out; IDF snared in political rift; Egypt’s Avenue of the Sphinxes; and more … in only about 1,500 words.

Turkish-backed Syrian fighters assemble in the village of Miznaz, on the western outskirts of Aleppo province, on Feb. 14, 2020.

Humanitarian aid entering via conflict lines stirs controversy among Syrian opposition

The Syrian opposition fears the cross-border humanitarian aid mechanism will be replaced by cross-line aid deliveries amid accusations leveled at Hayat Tahrir al-Sham of trying to normalize ties with the Syrian regime and its allies.

Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems move through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9, 2021.

Is Moscow using the S-400 against Turkey?

Ankara denies the suggestion from Moscow that a second batch of S-400s is headed for Turkey and says it is an effort to stall Turkey’s talks with the United States and Europe.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu gives a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart at the foreign ministry headquarters in Amman on August 17, 2021.

Russian rebuke of Turkey for Crimea support highlights Ankara's delicate balancing act

Turkey's support for Crimea also highlights the growing value of Ukraine and Crimea for Ankara.

Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan's meeting with the new head of the British diplomatic mission in Iran Simon Shercliff on the historical stair, where the 1943 Tehran conference was held

Russian, UK envoys ignite fury in Iran with 'inappropriate' restaged photo

A restaged version at the Russian Embassy in Tehran of the historic 1943 photo showing Soviet, American and British "Big Three" leaders at the then-Soviet Embassy angered many Iranians, who have historically seen the 1943 Tehran Conference as a bitter symbol of subordination to world powers.

closed Jaber/Nassib border post as a result of Daraa flare-up

UN Syria envoy urges end to 'siege-like' situation in Daraa

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said Syrian civilians living under a government siege in the southwestern city are suffering from shortages of fuel, food and medicine.

Muslim worshippers, mask-clad due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, arrive at the courtyard of the historic al-Azhar mosque in the centre of Islamic Cairo to perform the Friday prayers under new pandemic restrictions, in Egypt's capital on Aug. 28, 2020.

Egypt enrolls Russian imams in 'fatwa training program' to combat Brotherhood

Egypt is helping Russia confront extremism, namely Muslim Brotherhood ideology, by training Russian imams in the Dar al-Ifta — including a 'fatwa training program.'

SERGEI CHIRIKOV/AFP via Getty Images

Russia denies siding with Ethiopia in Nile dam dispute

Egypt interprets Russian reluctance to back its position in the GERD dispute as pro-Ethiopian, but Moscow says it is pursuing a balanced position between Cairo and Addis Ababa.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrive to make a press statement following the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit at the Sirius Park of Science and Art, Sochi, Russia, Oct. 24, 2019.

Egypt postpones nuclear power plant amid tensions with Russia over Nile dam

Egypt pauses El-Dabaa nuclear power plant project for two years amid tensions hanging over the relationship with Russia due to its recent position on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis and its rapprochement with Ethiopia.

A picture taken on Dec. 4, 2020, shows the production of Russia's Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine against the coronavirus.

Kremlin's vaccine diplomacy finds trouble in Middle East

Deliveries of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine are as controversial as the vaccine itself.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (L) attend their news conference

Egypt disappointed by Russian stance on Nile dam dispute

Some Egyptians call for reassessing relations with Russia after it failed to back Egypt's view on Ethiopia's Nile dam at the Security Council this month, although overall ties remain strong.

US soldiers stand near a Russian military vehicle in the Syrian town of al-Malikiyah (Derik), on June 3, 2020.

Confrontation between US, pro-Iranian groups in Syria and Iraq poses challenges for Russia

While Moscow does not yet have the resources to eliminate Iranian influence in Syria, it would be in its interests to at least prevent the expansion of the activities of pro-Iranian paramilitary structures.