In 1997, after his longtime Western backers, Belgium and the United States, had abandoned him, Mobutu Sese Seko, the ruler of the country then known as Zaire, turned to mercenaries from Serbia and Ukraine in a desperate bid to beat back an accelerating insurgency. In the middle of that war, …

Iran’s chief diplomat, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said his country will “not tolerate geopolitical change” in the region. Iran’s new foreign minister said Wednesday that Tehran has “serious concerns” about Israel’s actions in the Caucasus region. Iran’s chief diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the comments while in Moscow for talks with his Russian …

Iran’s posturing could further cement Baku’s defense ties with Israel. Azerbaijan is considering buying Israel’s Arrow-3 missile defense system amid tensions with Iran, according to Israel Hayom newspaper. The move would be a major step in typically quiet Israel-Azerbaijan defense ties. Tensions between the neighbors have flared in recent days …