Over the last two years, Tehran has sought to increase its influence in Central Asia, convinced that changes in the region and more broadly make that an important goal; and it views Tajikistan, a country with which it shares some but far from all cultural characteristics, as a key player …

Is Chechnya preparing for a bloody succession battle? According to reports, Ramzan Kadyrov, the ruthless leader of Russia’s Chechnya region, is suffering from a fatal pancreas condition. Although rumours about his health have cropped up repeatedly in recent years, this time things do not look good. Neither the Kremlin nor …

Amid the war in Ukraine, Azerbaijan has become an essential partner for Russia when it comes to both energy exports, and keeping open a transport corridor to Iran. Azerbaijan has managed to achieve something thought to be impossible in the post-Soviet space: the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers ahead of time, …