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Politics

Armenia's Central Election Commission said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party won 49.8% of the vote in the June 7 parliamentary election, giving it a projected 64 of 101 base parliamentary seats under the D'Hondt apportionment method, Armenpress reported on June 8.

Armenia: Pashinyan Wins Election but Falls Short of Constitutional Majority

Somalia

Middle East and North Africa

Iran

Israel

Oman

Military & Security

U.S.-Iran Relations

Oman's Mina al Fahal port temporarily stopped exporting oil on June 4 due to an alleged drone attack near the facility, Reuters reported the same day.

MENA: Oman Reports Explosion Amid Revelations of Region-Wide Covert Israeli Campaign Against Iran

China

Uzbekistan

Ukraine

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Economics

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the informal Organization of Turkic States summit in Turkestan, Kazakhstan, where he proposed new cooperation on artificial intelligence centers, cybersecurity, digital signatures, space, cultural heritage and Turkic terminology, while rejecting claims that the OTS was a military alliance, KazTAG reported on May 15.

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Says OTS Is Not a Military Bloc as Turkic Ties Deepen

Italy

Energy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku and said Italy would deepen cooperation with Azerbaijan in energy, defense, security, transport, logistics, investment and political dialogue, Bloomberg reported on May 4.

Azerbaijan, Italy: Meloni Pledges Closer Energy Ties With Baku Amid Iran War Supply Disruption

Russia and Azerbaijan said they had agreed to settle the consequences of the December 2024 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 near Aktau, Kazakhstan, including compensation payments, and stated the incident resulted from the unintended operation of a Russian air defense system, a joint foreign ministry statement published on April 15 said.

Russia, Azerbaijan: Moscow and Baku Settle 2024 Azerbaijan Airlines Crash Dispute

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev met European Council President Antonio Costa in Baku to discuss energy cooperation, regional security and EU-Azerbaijan relations, according to a readout published on the Azerbaijani presidential website on March 11.

Azerbaijan, EU: Costa Visit Signals EU Bid To Bolster Azerbaijan Energy and Transit Role Amid Iran War Spillover

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Iran had committed a "terrorist act" and instructed the armed forces to prepare retaliatory measures after four Iranian drones crossed into the Naxcivan exclave, injuring four people and damaging the airport terminal and a nearby school, Reuters reported on March 5.

Azerbaijan, Iran: Drone Strike on Naxcivan Raises Escalation Risks

Bahrain

Iraq

Kuwait

Lebanon

United Arab Emirates

The U.S. and Israel-Iran war has entered its second phase as U.S. and Israeli strikes have increasingly targeted Iran's underground ballistic missile sites and as the pace of Iranian attacks has slowed over the past several days, Reuters reported on March 4. 

MENA: Iran War Enters Second Phase

Assessments

Thousands of Armenians participate in a rally in Yerevan's Republic Square on May 26, 2024. 

Prime Minister Pashinyan's likely reelection will empower him to finalize a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and deepen ties with the West, though Russian economic pressure and domestic opposition to constitutional changes could undermine these efforts.

What's at Stake in Armenia's Upcoming Election

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (left) shakes hands with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

Yerevan and Baku's efforts to finalize a peace treaty and realign toward the West will be tested by Russian influence operations ahead of Armenian elections and Iran's competing geopolitical interests.

To Escape Russia's Orbit, Armenia and Azerbaijan Turn to Each Other -- and the West

Syria

Japan

France

Tajikistan

Georgia

The assembly hall of the Syrian parliament Oct. 1 in Damascus. An Oct. 5 indirect election for parliament will mark the first time Syrians have had an electoral say in their government since the 1960s.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Japan's Election, Syria's Political Transition

U.S. President Donald Trump (center), Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (left) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (right) hold up an agreement signed during a ceremony at the White House on Aug. 8, 2025.

The deal sidelines Russia and Iran while establishing a U.S. commercial presence in the South Caucasus, but it will remain fragile due to unresolved security guarantees and implementation challenges.

What To Make of the U.S.-Brokered Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Snapshots

A man walks past Azerbaijan's Embassy in Moscow on July 2, 2025. 

As the relationship between Azerbaijan and Russia sours, outside powers will embrace opportunities to increase their influence in the Caucasus.

 In the Caucasus, Russia's Sway Weakens Amid Quarrel With Azerbaijan

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan addresses the crowd with a megaphone during a protest in Yerevan, Armenia, on Oct. 25, 2024. 

The prime minister's escalating dispute with the national church threatens to generate unrest and derail already delayed efforts to implement a contentious peace deal with rival Azerbaijan.

In Armenia, an Archbishop's Arrest Escalates the Prime Minister's Feud With the Church

Vietnam

Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam (L) address journalists following their talks in Moscow, Russia, on May 10, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. 

Vietnam is strengthening its relationships with Eurasian countries, especially Russia, as it looks to further diversify economic and energy ties away from great powers amid an unstable geopolitical landscape.

Russia-Vietnam Ties Are Set To Grow Following Lam's Eurasia Tour

Armenia's foreign minister (2nd R) speaks during a meeting with his Azerbaijani and Kazakh counterparts in Almaty on May 10, 2024. 

A peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan is edging closer, but political delays in Yerevan postpone its implementation and leave the risk of renewed border tensions unresolved.

Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Deal Progresses, Though Hurdles Remain

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (4th from left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (5th from left) attend a meeting in Moscow on April 22, 2024. 

Russia's influence in the South Caucasus is set to decline in the years ahead as countries adjust their foreign policies to balance global and regional powers, creating opportunities for China, Turkey and the West.

The Coming South Caucasus Realignment

Columns

On Geopolitics

Palestinian Territories

Crowds of Palestinians gather to receive food outside a U.N. aid distribution center in the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah on Nov. 2, 2024.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Social Issues

The displacement of any Palestinians from the Gaza Strip will further erode post-World War II norms against population transfers, laying the groundwork for future global conflicts.

Trump's Gaza Plan Risks Further Eroding Global Constraints on Population Removals

A sign for COP29 on Nov. 3, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. Negotiators at this year's U.N. Climate Change Conference will ultimately reach a new global climate finance deal, but progress on the global energy transition will not accelerate.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Negotiators at this year's U.N. Climate Change Conference will ultimately reach a new global climate finance deal, but progress on the global energy transition will not accelerate significantly.

What to Watch for at This Year's 'Finance COP' in Azerbaijan

A natural gas compressor station is pictured on the grounds of the Baltic Sea gas pipeline prior to its opening ceremony in Budno near Goleniow, Poland. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Despite strong interest in a deal from all parties, constraints may sink negotiations on further Russian gas transit through Ukraine. 

Ukraine Seeks Gas Transit Agreement With Azerbaijan as Gazprom Deal Nears Expiry

Azerbaijan is located in the mountainous and strategic region known as the Caucasus, which lies at the intersection of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The country is in many ways defined less by its own territory than by its powerful neighbors. To the north is Russia, to the south, Iran and to the west, Turkey. All three of these countries have controlled parts or all of modern Azerbaijan throughout its history. Most recently the country was ruled by Russia under the former Soviet Union, but all its neighboring powers retain substantial influence and continue to shape the country. Outside its mainland borders is Azerbaijan's landlocked exclave of Nakhchivan, which flanks its historic rival Armenia and borders Turkey and Iran. Within Azerbaijan is the Armenian exclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, a Soviet-era holdover that, along with Nakhchivan, creates major regional tension. From 1988 to 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a war over control of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku, located east along the coastline of the Caspian Sea, is where the country's economic, political and demographic resources are concentrated. Though the Caspian has no ocean access, Azerbaijan has been able to leverage its energy resources and location by building the Southern Gas Corridor energy route. This helps the country balance regional powers and maintain sovereignty from Russia in ways that neighbors Georgia and Armenia cannot. Despite this, Azerbaijan will always struggle with its position in a complex neighborhood, surrounded by larger powers. The country must maneuver carefully in order to preserve its independence.

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

SITUATION REPORTS

Armenia: Pashinyan Wins Election but Falls Short of Constitutional Majority

MENA: Oman Reports Explosion Amid Revelations of Region-Wide Covert Israeli Campaign Against Iran

Kazakhstan: Tokayev Says OTS Is Not a Military Bloc as Turkic Ties Deepen

Azerbaijan, Italy: Meloni Pledges Closer Energy Ties With Baku Amid Iran War Supply Disruption

Russia, Azerbaijan: Moscow and Baku Settle 2024 Azerbaijan Airlines Crash Dispute

Azerbaijan, EU: Costa Visit Signals EU Bid To Bolster Azerbaijan Energy and Transit Role Amid Iran War Spillover

Azerbaijan, Iran: Drone Strike on Naxcivan Raises Escalation Risks

MENA: Iran War Enters Second Phase

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