On the anniversary of the death of former IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani and with the resumption of the nuclear talks in Vienna, Iran stakes out a hard line. An Arab diplomat who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity warned that for every day the talks aimed at reviving the …

Amid growing concerns over potential Russian offensive, hostilities continued in Donbas conflict zone despite restoration of July 2020 ceasefire. Fighting and shelling continued along Donbas contact line. Ukrainian military said three of its servicemen were killed in combat during month, while Russian-backed forces reported four fighters killed. Explosion in govt-controlled …

New Bulgarian PM Petkov faces a struggle reconciling the competing demands of his coalition allies if Bulgaria is to go a year without yet another election. With three parliamentary and two presidential elections and the fall from power of Boyko Borissov, 2021 was one of the most eventful years in …