Iran won’t engage in any direct negotiations with the US as long as the Islamic Republic is subject to pressures, sanctions and threats, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stressed. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart in Tehran on Tuesday, Araqchi said Iran’s stance on the nuclear negotiations …

A few weeks ago, rare earth elements, critical minerals, and other natural resources seemed like just one more factor in efforts to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. Now they are front and center, a dominant focus of U.S. talks with Kyiv and a prominent vein of the intensifying diplomacy that …

Despite a Sunni majority in Syria, the Assad regime has managed to maintain its dominance through a combination of autocratic and kleptocratic rule, using patronage to secure loyalty. On 8 December 2024, following a 10-day uprising, Bashar al-Assad, son of Hafez al-Assad, was brought down along with the entire Assad …