The embassy's chief of security was shot dead, and two other staff were wounded. The attack comes amid Azerbaijan's increasingly strained relations with Iran and blossoming friendship with Iran's archrival Israel.
The drills included a crossing of the river that forms the Azerbaijan-Iran border, mirroring the threat that Iran’s armed forces had made weeks earlier.
Questioning the territorial integrity of the neighboring country, once a taboo topic, is increasingly entering official discourse both in Baku and Tehran.
Turkmenistan is difficult to access, but it is a strategic location. In this week’s briefing we examine the assorted flavors of “north-south” corridor, trade with neighbors, and much more.
Political movements based on Shia Islam have faced an uphill battle, as both the government and mainstream opposition are devoted to a secular, pro-Turkic national narrative.
Expanding Ashgabat’s dependence on China, visiting Iran, and talking north-south transportation links. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.
