Democratic nations have grappled with a range of pressing issues in recent years, including the inherent flaws of long-established political systems, the erosion of international alliances, and global economic challenges, all while autocracies have been gaining power by exploiting this instability. American journalist and historian Anne Applebaum’s latest book,
Russia's supply of ballistic missiles from Iran, confirmed last month by the U.S., is not expected to be immediately affected by escalating tensions in the Middle East, but two complicating factors could cause longer term issues. Iran launched its largest-ever aerial attack against Israel on Oct. 1, with nearly
NATO accused North Korea and Iran of "fueling" the war in Ukraine by giving missiles, shells, and drones to Russia in a statement issued last week.
Key developments on Oct. 4: * Oil depots on fire in Russia's Voronezh Oblast, Perm Krai * Russian forces less than 7 km away from Pokrovsk, authorities say * At least 177 Ukrainian POWs have died in Russian captivity, Kyiv says * EU readies to sanction Iran over missile shipments to Russia, Bloomberg reports
According to Bloomberg, the EU's sanctions would target "about a dozen individuals and entities," which includes firms involved in the engineering, metals, and aviation sectors.
Fears of a broader war in the Middle East have been mounting since Iran launched its largest-ever aerial attack against Israel on Oct. 1, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to retaliate while waging a ground incursion into Lebanon. Ukrainians are anxiously following the latest developments of the years-long
The U.S. warned that Russia, Iran, and China have "increasingly used generative AI to create more believable text, inauthentic synthetic audio, and video that may enhance their ability to reach U.S. audiences while hiding their origins."
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) and Foreign Ministry evacuated 179 people, including 134 Ukrainian citizens, following Israel's ground incursion into southern Lebanon, the Foreign Ministry reported on Oct. 1.
Iran is brokering secret negotiations between Russia and Yemen's Houthis to transfer Yakhont supersonic anti-ship missiles to them, Reuters reported on Sept. 24, citing seven unnamed sources. Representatives of the Iran-backed Houthi group and Moscow met in Tehran at least twice in 2024, two officials familiar with the matter told
"We are willing to sit down with the Europeans and the Americans to have a dialogue and negotiations. We have never approved of Russian aggression against Ukrainian territory," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed.
Key developments on Sept. 21-22: * Ukraine awaits Mirage 2000 jets, in talks about Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, defense minister says * Ukraine confirms overnight strikes on Russian arms depots * Iran provided no launchers with missile deliveries to Russia, Reuters reports * Russia preparing strikes against Ukrainian nuclear facilities ahead of winter, foreign minister
Iran did not include mobile launchers along with its delivery of ballistic missiles to Russia, Reuters reported on Sept. 21, citing three sources with knowledge of the matter.
The Shahed-136B is reportedly an upgraded version of the Shahed-136, a type of drone used by Russia in near-daily attacks against Ukraine. The newer drone has an operational range of 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles).
Ukraine has imposed sanctions against six individuals and over 40 entities from Iran, China, and Russia.
Jamie Dimon said Russia is in cahoots with Iran and North Korea "working every day on how to make it worse for the Western world and for America."
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend the upcoming BRICS forum hosted in Kazan, Russia in October. Tehran and Moscow are expected to sign a bilateral cooperation agreement at the summit.
"I cannot confirm the use of the missiles for now. I can only confirm when we have evidence. As it was with North Korea," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
After months of contradictory reports, the U.S. on Sept. 10 confirmed that Iran had delivered ballistic missiles to Russia in what could prove a dramatic development for Ukraine. "We've warned Tehran publicly, we've warned Tehran privately, that taking this step would be a dangerous escalation," U.S. Secretary of
Key developments on Sept. 10: * Russia claims capture of Donetsk Oblast village near Vuhledar, Kyiv doesn't confirm * Moscow claims Ukraine launched 'massive' 144-drone attack on Russia, casualties reported * Blinken, Lammy to visit Ukraine as US confirms Iranian missile shipments to Russia * Ukraine identifies Russian general suspected of ordering strike on
The three countries said that they have "privately and publicly been clear that we would take new and significant measures against Iran if the transfers took place."
"I can confirm that Tony and I will be traveling to Kyiv this week, the first joint visit of this kind for well over a decade," U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said during a joint press conference with Blinken.
"We are looking further into it with our member states and if confirmed, this delivery would represent a substantive material escalation in Iran's support for Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine," EU spokesperson Peter Stano said.
Key developments on Sept. 9: * Russia claims capture of town near Pokrovsk, Kyiv says fighting ongoing in the area * Sweden includes Gripen jet spare parts in new $443 million military aid package for Ukraine * Latvia confirms Russian Shahed drone armed with explosive crashed on its territory * Iran denies sending ballistic
The British news outlet The Times wrote that according to an undisclosed Ukrainian military source, a shipment of 200 Iranian ballistic missiles already arrived at an unspecified port in the Caspian Sea on Sept. 4.
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast has rattled Russia’s elite but Russian President Vladimir Putin still has a tight grip on the country, said CIA Director William Burns at the Financial Times’ Weekend festival in London on Sept. 7.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Sept. 7 that if Iran provides ballistic missiles to Russia, "it will have devastating consequences for Ukrainian-Iranian bilateral relations."
"Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran's support for Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," National Security Council Spokesperson Sean Savett said.
Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 6, citing unnamed U.S. and European officials.
Iran has delivered ballistic missiles to Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 6, a move the U.S. has described as a "dramatic escalation" in Tehran's support for Moscow's full-scale war against Ukraine. The White House said it was "alarmed" by reports of the transfer, but what the
Bloomberg's sources believe that the potential transfer of ballistic missiles "would mark a worrying development in the conflict."
Given the track record of its predecessor, the Mohajer-6, there's a chance they could be appearing in the skies of Ukraine in the near future.
Russia will receive hundreds of Fath-360 and other ballistic missiles from Iran in the near future following an agreement signed in December 2023 between Moscow and Tehran, intelligence sources revealed to Reuters on Aug. 9.
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