https://www.rferl.org/z/651 RFE/RL journalists report the news in 23 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We broadcast in 27 languages to 22 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Russia. https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org/z/651 en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Sun, 02 Aug 2026 04:46:54 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL The United Arab Emirates is trying to keep channels open with Tehran while strengthening its military ties with Washington and Israel, a delicate balancing act shaped by security concerns and deep economic links with Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-uae-war-usa-israel-sheikh-mohamed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan/33819782.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-uae-war-usa-israel-sheikh-mohamed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan/33819782.html Sat, 01 Aug 2026 22:01:28 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East A renewed exchange of military strikes and threats between the US and Iran has raised fresh fears of a wider Middle East war. But Jacob Stoil, research professor of Middle East security studies at the US Army War College, argues the more important story may be what has not happened. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-stoil-army-war-college-interview/33819707.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-stoil-army-war-college-interview/33819707.html Sat, 01 Aug 2026 10:25:00 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province has been the scene of a spate of attacks in recent weeks carried out by armed opposition groups that have waged a low-level insurgency against the Taliban in recent years. https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-badakhshan-opposition-attacks/33819192.html https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-badakhshan-opposition-attacks/33819192.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:08:31 +0200 AfghanistanFeaturesThe Rundown Stories US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will send his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Kyiv in the coming weeks. RFE/RL spoke with Kurt Volker about the significance of their visit. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-russia-kyiv-visit-us-envoys-witkoff-kushner/33819200.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-russia-kyiv-visit-us-envoys-witkoff-kushner/33819200.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:34:20 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Former Trump White House official Allison Minor says Iran's latest attacks exposed the limits of the traditional US security guarantee in the Gulf. She argues Washington should shift toward a regional security model built on shared capabilities, integration, and stronger partnerships. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-gulf-security-us-role-allison-minor-interview/33818576.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-gulf-security-us-role-allison-minor-interview/33818576.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 20:08:49 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East Ukrainians who've taken refuge in Poland from the Russian invasion say they’re increasingly under threat, targeted by xenophobic, racist attacks. The fears come as tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw fester due to grievances dating back to World War II. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-poland-war-refugees-hate-crimes/33818435.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-poland-war-refugees-hate-crimes/33818435.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:42:47 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories In what appeared to be the first time Tehran initiated an attack against US targets since the war in the Persian Gulf began in late February, Iran fired ballistic missiles at American bases in Jordan late on July 28. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-jordan-jordan-trump-war/33817712.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-jordan-jordan-trump-war/33817712.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:14:48 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Headline As Beijing threatens to widen its net beyond its borders to pursue anyone who “undermines ethnic unity,” Chinese-born majority Muslim Turkic minorities in neighboring Kazakhstan are feeling the pressure. https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-china-ethnic-unity-law-human-rights/33816706.html https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakhstan-china-ethnic-unity-law-human-rights/33816706.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:24:05 +0200 KazakhstanFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesChina As the new school year approaches, Central Asian migrant parents face a stark choice: bring their children to Russia and risk them being unable to enroll because of stricter Russian language rules or leave them behind. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-migration-migrants-kyrgyzstan-tajikistan-uzbekistan-central-asia/33816803.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-migration-migrants-kyrgyzstan-tajikistan-uzbekistan-central-asia/33816803.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:54:25 +0200 FeaturesKazakhstanKyrgyzstanRussiaTajikistanTurkmenistan UzbekistanThe Rundown Stories US Congressman Joe Wilson tells RFE/RL's Balkan Service that Serbia should stop purchasing Russian energy and distance itself from Moscow, Beijing and Tehran if it wants to be fully integrated into Western institutions. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-wilson-serbia-russia-integration-osce/33816956.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-wilson-serbia-russia-integration-osce/33816956.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:50:22 +0200 FeaturesRussiaSerbiaThe Rundown Stories As the US Senate prepared to vote on a sweeping bipartisan sanctions package targeting Russia and Iran, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said the measure reflects renewed bipartisan resolve to squeeze the Kremlin war machine and reinforce support for Ukraine.  https://www.rferl.org/a/us-senate-whitehouse-sanctions-russia-iran/33816935.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-senate-whitehouse-sanctions-russia-iran/33816935.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 21:22:21 +0200 FeaturesIranRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Russia and Iran's expanding partnership in drones, intelligence, sanctions evasion and internal security is increasingly linking the conflicts in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf, says Nicole Grajewski, an expert on Russian-Iranian relations. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-persian-gulf-nicole-grajewski/33816737.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-persian-gulf-nicole-grajewski/33816737.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:36:50 +0200 FeaturesIranRussiaThe Rundown Stories Russia’s Iranian-designed drones have ravaged Ukrainian forces in Moscow’s all-out war. As far as Ukraine is concerned, that means cargo ships plying the Caspian Sea with Iranian military goods are fair game. Including this past weekend. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-iran-caspian-strikes-ships/33816728.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-iran-caspian-strikes-ships/33816728.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:31:36 +0200 FeaturesIranRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Headline Has the Iran conflict permanently reshaped Central Asia's strategic map? Hudson Institute senior fellow Ken Moriyasu explains why governments across the region are increasingly looking beyond Iran toward Pakistan, Afghanistan and China for trade, connectivity, and access to global markets. https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-looking-beyond-iran-ken-moryasu/33816153.html https://www.rferl.org/a/central-asia-looking-beyond-iran-ken-moryasu/33816153.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 21:59:35 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Sixteen people are facing charges connected to protests in the Iranian city of Isfahan in January, during which a colonel in Iran's Revolutionary Guard was killed. Sources in Iran told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that authorities used torture to extract confessions from the defendants. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-irgc-protests/33815971.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-executions-irgc-protests/33815971.html Mon, 27 Jul 2026 17:39:53 +0200 IranFeaturesHuman RightsThe Rundown Headline Many Tajiks say decisions about clothing, appearance, and faith have become intertwined with official expectations. https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-religion-crackdown-beards-hijab/33809947.html https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-religion-crackdown-beards-hijab/33809947.html Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:01:28 +0200 TajikistanFeaturesThe Rundown Stories China's investments in Pakistan's Balochistan are increasingly at risk as attacks by separatists are on the rise in the impoverished region. The worsening security situation has strained ties between the Iron Brothers, raising concerns over the future of Beijing's investments in Pakistan. https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-china-balochistan-investments-attacks/33812355.html https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-china-balochistan-investments-attacks/33812355.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 10:12:05 +0200 PakistanFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesChina Russia's deepening partnerships with China, Iran, and North Korea represent one of the most significant geopolitical realignments driven by the war in Ukraine. Yet according to Andrea Kendall-Taylor, viewing this grouping through the lens of a traditional military alliance misses the bigger picture. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-china-iran-ukraine-war/33812439.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia-china-iran-ukraine-war/33812439.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:37:49 +0200 RussiaNewsFeaturesUkraineThe Rundown StoriesEurope Kazakhstan has become the first Central Asian country to ride a global surge in the popularity of issuing yuan-denominated debt despite persistent concerns about the implications of Beijing’s growing economic dominance abroad. https://www.rferl.org/a/panda-bond-kazakhstan-central-asia-china-debt-market/33807476.html https://www.rferl.org/a/panda-bond-kazakhstan-central-asia-china-debt-market/33807476.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:33:58 +0200 KazakhstanFeaturesPakistanThe Rundown StoriesChina Marco Rubio arrives at ASEAN talks dominated by China tensions and the Iran war, as Southeast Asian governments increasingly weigh strategic partnerships against concerns over energy costs, shipping disruptions, inflation, and economic stability. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-asean-iran-war-china-energy-security-russia/33809063.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-asean-iran-war-china-energy-security-russia/33809063.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:03:15 +0200 FeaturesIranRussiaThe Rundown Stories