https://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Mon, 18 May 2026 23:02:52 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL The US Treasury Department has extended for another 30 days a sanctions waiver allowing at-risk countries to purchase Russian oil shipments at sea, as supply disruptions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continue to roil global energy markets. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-renews-russian-oil-waiver-iran-conflict-energy-markets/33759619.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-renews-russian-oil-waiver-iran-conflict-energy-markets/33759619.html Mon, 18 May 2026 20:01:02 +0200 NewsIranRussiaThe Rundown Stories The Trump administration has allowed a controversial waiver on sanctions targeting Russian seaborne oil to expire, reimposing restrictions that had temporarily enabled countries such as India to continue purchasing Russian crude despite Western efforts to curb Moscow’s wartime revenues. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-seaborne-oil-waiver-iran-energy-war/33758687.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-seaborne-oil-waiver-iran-energy-war/33758687.html Sun, 17 May 2026 09:07:28 +0200 IranNewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Representative Brian Mast told RFE/RL during a Council on Foreign Relations event that he believes Europe should take greater responsibility for supporting Ukraine because the war is "in their backyard." https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-military-aid-us-congress/33758257.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-military-aid-us-congress/33758257.html Sat, 16 May 2026 10:57:57 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Luke Coffey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute focusing on national security and transatlantic relations, told RFE/RL in an interview that Iran appears to be borrowing directly from Russia’s negotiation strategy. https://www.rferl.org/a/coffey-hudson-iran-kremlin-negotiation-russia/33757144.html https://www.rferl.org/a/coffey-hudson-iran-kremlin-negotiation-russia/33757144.html Sat, 16 May 2026 10:35:24 +0200 IranNewsRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East In an interview with RFE/RL, Sam Brownback argued that Russia, China, and Iran are increasingly operating as part of a “dark alliance” of authoritarian states -- one built on surveillance technology, censorship, ideological control, and the suppression of religious and civil society groups. https://www.rferl.org/a/sam-brownback-religious-freedom-russia-iran-china/33757881.html https://www.rferl.org/a/sam-brownback-religious-freedom-russia-iran-china/33757881.html Fri, 15 May 2026 20:42:15 +0200 IranFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown StoriesChina A senior US State Department official warned that Russia is likely to reposition forces toward NATO’s eastern flank once the war in Ukraine ends, raising concerns that the Baltic states could face intensified military and hybrid pressure from Moscow in the years ahead. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-nato-baltic-ukraine-war-eastern-flank/33757418.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-nato-baltic-ukraine-war-eastern-flank/33757418.html Fri, 15 May 2026 12:11:38 +0200 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories The United States has announced an additional $1.8 billion in humanitarian assistance for UN-led relief operations worldwide, including continued support for Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-un-aid-global-ukraine/33757137.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-un-aid-global-ukraine/33757137.html Thu, 14 May 2026 22:57:31 +0200 NewsUkraineThe Rundown Stories In an interview with RFE/RL, Ken Moriyasu, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute, says Beijing may tactically help ease tensions between Washington and Tehran, but will resist any effort that could threaten the survival of Iran’s regime. https://www.rferl.org/a/china-regime-survival-iran-moriyasu-trump-xi-summit/33755145.html https://www.rferl.org/a/china-regime-survival-iran-moriyasu-trump-xi-summit/33755145.html Tue, 12 May 2026 12:49:55 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesChina Former senior US diplomat Gordon Gray, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs under President George W. Bush, says indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran are likely to continue despite what he described as significant pain and pressure on both sides. https://www.rferl.org/a/ambassador-gray-iran-trump-negotiations-diplomacy/33754183.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ambassador-gray-iran-trump-negotiations-diplomacy/33754183.html Mon, 11 May 2026 09:52:53 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to steady ties with Italy and the Vatican during a visit to Rome shaped by disputes over Iran, NATO, and migration. He also defended Washington’s military posture in the Middle East and warned Tehran against trying to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-rome-vatican-iran-hormuz-ukraine-nato-troops/33752859.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-rome-vatican-iran-hormuz-ukraine-nato-troops/33752859.html Fri, 08 May 2026 18:52:11 +0200 IranNews In an interview with RFE/RL, Barry Pavel, a former senior director for defense policy and strategy at the National Security Council, who served as a special assistant to the president under George W. Bush, unpacks the strategic meaning behind recent developments in the US war with Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/pavel-interview-security-iran-ceasefire-war/33751442.html https://www.rferl.org/a/pavel-interview-security-iran-ceasefire-war/33751442.html Thu, 07 May 2026 09:53:39 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories For retired four-star general Philip Breedlove, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, the Iran crisis is exposing a West that is “more divided than its adversaries.” https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-iran-hormuz-crisis-article-4-breedlove-interview/33750664.html https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-iran-hormuz-crisis-article-4-breedlove-interview/33750664.html Wed, 06 May 2026 09:59:40 +0200 IranFeaturesRussia With tensions high in the Strait of Hormuz, retired US Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett spoke to RFE/RL about the challenges, concerns, and potential solutions. The US military posture “is important in creating leverage for a diplomatic solution that would allow free and open navigation,” he said. https://www.rferl.org/a/hormuz-shipping-warfare-us-iran-murrett/33750305.html https://www.rferl.org/a/hormuz-shipping-warfare-us-iran-murrett/33750305.html Tue, 05 May 2026 13:19:05 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories As the Iran war strains ties between Washington and its European allies, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting Rome and the Vatican in a trip analysts say is as much about damage control as diplomacy. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-rome-vatican-visit-iran-war-us-europe-tensions/33749711.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-rome-vatican-visit-iran-war-us-europe-tensions/33749711.html Mon, 04 May 2026 19:20:11 +0200 FeaturesIranThe Rundown Stories Max Meizlish, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a former official at the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), looks behind the "mafia state" that makes up the Iranian regime. https://www.rferl.org/a/meizlish-iran-supreme-leader-khamenei/33746594.html https://www.rferl.org/a/meizlish-iran-supreme-leader-khamenei/33746594.html Fri, 01 May 2026 10:21:37 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Headline Matthew Tavares, a former Pentagon analyst, tells RFE/RL the West is no longer facing a partnership of convenience between Moscow and Tehran, but a strategic alignment that spans the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of warfare.  https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-military-axis-iran-pentagon-analyst-matthew-tavares/33746049.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-military-axis-iran-pentagon-analyst-matthew-tavares/33746049.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:53:51 +0200 IranFeaturesRussiaUkraineRussia Invades Ukraine In an interview with RFE/RL, US Senator Thom Tillis said the wars in Ukraine and Iran represent a broader conflict "between the democratic world and the totalitarian world." He said Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking far beyond Ukraine in his geopolitical aims. https://www.rferl.org/a/united-states-senator-thom-tillis-russia-ukraine/33745530.html https://www.rferl.org/a/united-states-senator-thom-tillis-russia-ukraine/33745530.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:06:34 +0200 RussiaUkraineVideo ArchiveVideos Senator Thom Tillis, a co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group and a self-described “plain-spoken” Republican from North Carolina, has a message for those who view the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as isolated events: they are not. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-senator-thom-tillis-russia-iran-axis-war/33745497.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-senator-thom-tillis-russia-iran-axis-war/33745497.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:54:00 +0200 IranNewsRussiaUkraine In an interview with RFE/RL, US Representative Wesley Bell, whose legislation to address threats to the Baltics has advanced with bipartisan support, discusses checking Russia’s ambitions, how the war in Ukraine shapes long-term security, the implications of Russia-Iran cooperation, and more. https://www.rferl.org/a/baltics-us-security-nato-russia-threats-wesley-bell/33745055.html https://www.rferl.org/a/baltics-us-security-nato-russia-threats-wesley-bell/33745055.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:20:39 +0200 RussiaFeaturesBelarusIranRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories RFE/RL spoke with former US Central Command (CENTCOM) communications director, retired US Army Colonel Joe Buccino, on April 27 to discuss the escalating situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the strategic "staring contest" between Washington and Tehran that is now defining the region. https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-buccino-iran-us-strategic-staring-contest-hormuz/33744184.html https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-buccino-iran-us-strategic-staring-contest-hormuz/33744184.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:45:45 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East