Toplines The Russian military command appears to be prioritizing the seizure of Pokrovsk over efforts to close the wider Ukrainian pocket in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad area. Russian advances in and around Pokrovsk over the last several days suggest that Russian forces in Pokrovsk are prioritizing the seizure of the settlement itself. …

Toplines Three small Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) vessels intercepted a Marshall Islands-flagged oil products tanker, Talara, and moved it into Iranian waters in the Strait of Hormuz on November 14.[1] The vessel is operated by Cyprus-based, German- and British-owned Columbia Ship Management. The vessel is owned by Pasha Finance, …

In recent comments to CNN, Qatar’s prime minister reflected on his country’s unique ability to “convene between conflicted parties and understand the grievances.” Of course, Qatar’s ability to perform that job rests on a hefty rolodex of international contacts, including some of the world’s most notorious terrorist groups. At first …