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 Tue, 28 Apr 2026 03:16:59 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL RFE/RL journalist Alex Raufoglu was attending an annual event for White House correspondents when gunshots rang out, prompting Secret Service agents to rush the president and other top officials to safety. Speaking after the incident, Raufoglu said many questions remain about the shooter's motives. https://www.rferl.org/a/washington-shooting-white-house-correspondents-trump/33742899.html https://www.rferl.org/a/washington-shooting-white-house-correspondents-trump/33742899.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:37:38 +0200 VideosVideo Archive A gunman charged through security at a gala dinner attended by President Donald Trump, prompting brief panic as security agents tackled the man and rushed Trump from the hotel ballroom. https://www.rferl.org/a/33742734.html https://www.rferl.org/a/33742734.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:37:43 +0200 NewsThe Rundown Stories By supplying Russia with drones and enabling its long-range strikes in Ukraine, Tehran has become an active participant in a major European war. https://www.rferl.org/a/behnam-ben-taleblu-russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-war/33742291.html https://www.rferl.org/a/behnam-ben-taleblu-russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-war/33742291.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:48:00 +0200 FeaturesIranUkraineThe Rundown Stories The United States will send a delegation to Pakistan this weekend for a new round of talks with Iranian officials, the White House said, as Washington tests whether a fragile cease-fire can translate into diplomatic progress. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-talks-diplomacy--blockade-nuclear/33741895.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-talks-diplomacy--blockade-nuclear/33741895.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 23:21:06 +0200 NewsIranThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East While officials in Tehran have long emphasized self-reliance, experts say battlefield evidence points to a far more interconnected war effort, reflecting deepening partnerships that have helped Iran replenish its military, improve targeting, and blunt Western operations during the conflict. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-china-war-cooperation-support/33741900.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-china-war-cooperation-support/33741900.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:52:17 +0200 IranFeaturesRussiaThe Rundown HeadlineMiddle EastChina The expiration of a US sanctions waiver on Iranian oil last weekend has brought renewed attention to Washington’s economic strategy, as policymakers seek to limit Tehran’s access to revenue while navigating global energy market pressures. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-sanctions-waiver-us-financial-pressure/33738030.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-sanctions-waiver-us-financial-pressure/33738030.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:29:37 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesNews Analysis With a cease-fire in the US-Israeli war on Iran due to expire on April 22, US actions at sea are drawing renewed attention to a central issue: How deeply Iran’s military establishment is embedded in the country’s economy. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-irgc-ships-economy-entreched-shadow/33736577.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-irgc-ships-economy-entreched-shadow/33736577.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:01:14 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East US Congressman Joe Wilson says Georgia has become a front line in the global struggle between democracy and authoritarianism, jointly introducing new legislation to assess Russian and Chinese influence while pressing Tbilisi for free and fair elections. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-lawmakers-georgia-russia-china-influence-joe-wilson-free-elections/33735176.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-lawmakers-georgia-russia-china-influence-joe-wilson-free-elections/33735176.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:39:14 +0200 GeorgiaFeaturesRussiaThe Rundown Stories The United States has again temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil, issuing a new waiver that allows certain shipments already at sea to be delivered and sold, even as Washington publicly insists it is maintaining pressure on the Kremlin. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-oil-sanctions-waiver-treasury-iran/33735009.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-oil-sanctions-waiver-treasury-iran/33735009.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 05:12:42 +0200 RussiaNewsIranThe Rundown Stories In an interview with RFE/RL on April 17, Ryan Kirkley, CEO of blockchain payments company Global Settlement Network, explained the worldwide economic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, why markets are moving at varying paces, and why oil prices may already be turning. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-hormuz-oil-bitcoin-economy-markets/33734697.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-hormuz-oil-bitcoin-economy-markets/33734697.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:47:50 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories A senior Republican lawmaker has raised concerns over continued US-origin components appearing in Russian weapon systems amid Ukrainian reports that recent drone strikes show evidence of Western microelectronics manufactured as recently as 2025. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-lawmaker-wilson-flags-western-chips-russian-iranian-drones/33734451.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-lawmaker-wilson-flags-western-chips-russian-iranian-drones/33734451.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:58:52 +0200 IranNewsFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's commissioner for sanctions policy, told RFE/RL in an interview that any relief for Moscow and Russian oil only serves to extend the war. https://www.rferl.org/a/waivers-russia-oil-us-sanctions-ukraine/33733519.html https://www.rferl.org/a/waivers-russia-oil-us-sanctions-ukraine/33733519.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:25:47 +0200 IranFeaturesRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East Azeem Ibrahim, a longtime Middle East observer, tells RFE/RL that the Strait of Hormuz is increasingly becoming more than just a chokepoint for oil, describing it as a space where economic pressure, military risk, and geopolitical ambition converge. https://www.rferl.org/a/azeem-ibrahim-iran-conflict-will-be-decided-by-who-can-endure-the-most/33732700.html https://www.rferl.org/a/azeem-ibrahim-iran-conflict-will-be-decided-by-who-can-endure-the-most/33732700.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:27:36 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East RFE/RL spoke with Max Meizlish, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former official at the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, on the intersection of naval blockades and financial warfare as Washington halts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. https://www.rferl.org/a/33731428.html https://www.rferl.org/a/33731428.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:32:28 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East Marathon talks aimed at halting the war in Iran ended without a breakthrough, as US Vice President JD Vance flew back to the United States amid major questions what comes next for the 43-day-old conflict. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-vance-iran-peace-talks-pakistan/33730441.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-vance-iran-peace-talks-pakistan/33730441.html Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:14:54 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown HeadlineMiddle East WASHINGTON -- The United States has condemned Russia’s latest actions against independent media following reports of new detentions and a high-profile newsroom raid in Moscow. https://www.rferl.org/a/condemns-russia-journalists-raid-novaya-gazetta/33729884.html https://www.rferl.org/a/condemns-russia-journalists-raid-novaya-gazetta/33729884.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:35:21 +0200 NewsRussiaThe Rundown Stories US Vice President JD Vance has stepped into the most consequential diplomatic challenge of his tenure, heading to Islamabad to lead high-stakes negotiations with Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/vance-pakistan-islamabad-iran-war-negotiations/33729623.html https://www.rferl.org/a/vance-pakistan-islamabad-iran-war-negotiations/33729623.html Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:51:11 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East RFE/RL spoke with Allison Minor, director of the Atlantic Council’s Project for Middle East Integration, about the shaky US-Iran cease-fire and what could come next for the war and the region. https://www.rferl.org/a/allison-minor-cease-fire-iran-lebanon-hormuz/33728780.html https://www.rferl.org/a/allison-minor-cease-fire-iran-lebanon-hormuz/33728780.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:04:05 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories Israeli and Lebanese representatives will meet in Washington next week, a State Department official said hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for talks with Lebanon. https://www.rferl.org/a/ceasefire-iran-war-pakistan-negotiations-trump-lebanon/33727932.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ceasefire-iran-war-pakistan-negotiations-trump-lebanon/33727932.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:09:49 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Veteran ambassador Joey Hood, a career diplomat who has served with a focus on the Middle East under multiple US administrations, says the US and Iran have each drawn stark lessons from the violent new chapter in decades of hostility. https://www.rferl.org/a/joey-hood-iran-war-lessons/33727903.html https://www.rferl.org/a/joey-hood-iran-war-lessons/33727903.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:44:05 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Stories