In October 2018, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered a speech at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium in front of 80,000 members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to promote the patriotic political program “Islam First.” He urged his fellow countrymen to take pride in Iran’s prestige in the region …

Battlefield Assessment Last week, Russian combat formations advanced in several locations in eastern Ukraine, most notably in the direction of the city of Pokrovsk. Russian forces also registered tactically significant territorial gains, including the capture of the long-contested town of Yasnobrodivka, although the Ukrainian General Staff denies the town has …

Last week, at NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington D.C., the United States and its NATO partners agreed to support Ukraine “on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership.” President Joe Biden also announced the “Ukrainian Compact” and promised that any future Russian armed attack on Kyiv …