South Caucasus: A battle of wills and corridors

Azerbaijan and Turkiye are gunning to establish the “Zangezur corridor,” in direct conflict with Iran and Armenia’s interests as it entails the blockade of the Lachin corridor – a lifeline for the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Huseynyun: Iran’s challenge in forming a ‘Hezbollah of the Caucasus’

Azerbaijan’s Huseynyun is the least known of all Shia resistance factions backed by Iran, but its profile is growing.

Can Iran push Russia to action in the South Caucasus?

Moscow and Tehran’s mutual ally, Armenia, is feeling the pressure of NATO-backed Azerbaijan’s assault on its sovereignty. It is in both countries' geopolitical and security interests not to allow Yerevan to fall

Iran in South Caucasus: Turning losses into wins

Determined not to be cut out of the South Caucasus, Iran is forging strategic ties with both Baku and Yerevan

Will Azerbaijan become a NATO pawn against Russia in South Caucasus?

Despite its recent 'alliance' upgrade with Russia, Azerbaijan wears many geopolitical masks and could play Trojan horse for Moscow's NATO adversaries

Russian-Turkish ‘co-opetition’ from Syria to Nagorno-Karabakh

At a time when conflicts are increasingly interconnected, and provide tactical levers to assert pressure elsewhere, the competition between Russia-Iran and Turkiye in Syria and the South Caucasus is destined to overlap.

The Valdai meeting: Where West Asia meets multipolarity

At Russia's Valdai Club meeting - the east's answer to Davos - intellectuals and influencers gathered to frame West Asia's current and future developments.

Raisi in Beijing: Iran-China strategic plans go full throttle

Raisi's visit to Beijing, the first for an Iranian president in 20 years, represents Tehran's wholesale 'Pivot to the East' and China's recognition of Iran's centrality to its BRI plans.

Armenia delivers draft peace proposal to Azerbaijan

The two nations have been at odds for decades over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory

Embassy shooting takes fragile Iran-Azerbaijan ties to the brink

The recent gun attack at Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran may have been exploited by Baku for the benefit of close ally Israel.

Humanitarian aid from Armenia to Turkiye crucial for normalization: Turkish FM

A few days prior, the border gate between Turkiye and Armenia, known as the Alican checkpoint, was opened for the first time in 35 years

Turkiye-Syria talks fuel jihadist relocation to Ukraine: Report

Soon after the start of the war in Ukraine, Syria’s extremist elements began to appear on the scene in significant numbers

Predictions for 2023? Annus horribilis with some surprising upsides

The Cradle's writers offer up their predictions for 2023. The common theme is massive global shifts, some good, some bad.

Eurasia’s Middle Corridor: An Atlanticist frenzy to stifle Europe-Asia integration

Geopolitical interests between the Anglo-American establishment and the Sino-Russian-led axis will clash over the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

Woman, Life, Freedom…and NATO

A superpower in decline still retains a vast appetite for irregular, proxy warfare to slow down the imminent multipolar order. Iran, Russia, China are its big targets and all tools will be employed.

US bargains over Iran’s unrest

The US has voiced willingness to end support for Iran's protest movement if Tehran stops selling drones to Moscow and makes concessions on its nuclear program.

US-Turkiye brinkmanship won’t reach a point of no return

A conflict of interest between Ankara and Washington over Syria will likely see the two drift apart, with Turkiye aligning more closely with Eurasian powers.

Rewiring Eurasia: Mr. Patrushev goes to Tehran

The meeting this week between two Eurasian security bosses is a further step toward dusting away the west's oversized Asian footprint.

The Gray Wolf returns to Central Asia: Turkey’s ambitions for the region

As a proponent of Pan-Turkism, Ankara is keen on expanding its influence across Central Asia, yet this foreign policy shift is likely to be checked by much bigger regional powers like China, Russia, and Iran.

The EU’s energy security now rests in Turkey’s hands

Europe has sought to bypass Russian gas with disastrous results. Turkey, which has been positioning itself as an energy hub for the past two decades, is set to reap the benefits

Why India is arming Armenia against Azerbaijan

Trade routes and national security interests in the South Caucasus are central to New Delhi’s decision to arm Armenia

Iran foils weapons smuggling attempt from Azerbaijan

Advanced night vision goggles and military attire were confiscated from two cars crossing into Iran from Azerbaijan

‘Samarkand Spirit’ to be driven by ‘responsible powers’ Russia and China

The SCO summit of Asian power players delineated a road map for strengthening the multipolar world

The power troika trumps Biden in West Asia

The presidents of Russia, Iran, and Turkey convened to discuss critical issues pertaining to West Asia, with the illegal US occupation of Syria a key talking point

Syria cuts diplomatic ties with Ukraine

Syria was the first country apart from Russia to recognize the independence of the republics of Donetsk and Luhansk

India-Russia-Iran: Eurasia’s new transportation powerhouses

No longer just an 'alternative route' on a drawing board, the International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) is paying dividends in a time of global crisis. And Moscow, Tehran and New Delhi are now leading players in the Eurasian competition for transportation routes.

Turkey and NATO: a vital alliance, with limits

With deepening global polarization, can Ankara retain its foreign policy autonomy within NATO?

CIA recruits ISIS fighters from SDF-run prisons in Syria to fight in Ukraine: Report

The US has been accused of recruiting hundreds of ISIS, HTS, and Al-Qaeda militants to fight on the side of Kiev

Iranian president welcomes Russian FM, warns against NATO expansion

Establishing channels of cooperation to overcome western sanctions is reportedly high on Lavrov's agenda

West Asia’s economic savior is called ‘multipolarity’

The transition from a western economic order toward a multipolar one is ushering in unprecedented economic and security advancements for West Asia.