Ray Furlong

A social media post by Pakistan's prime minister set a 24-hour clock ticking on July 13 as he said a deal between Washington and Tehran was closer “than ever before.”

Iranians say they have been warned by security officials not to speak to US-funded Persian-language media, such as RFE/RL’s Radio Farda, amid a crackdown in which the Iranian authorities say they have charged increasing numbers with espionage for “cooperation with the enemy.”

US President Donald Trump held a “very good meeting” with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 summit in France, adding that “Russia should make a deal” while hinting that Europe’s largest conflict since World War II might be moving up his priority list.

The US-Iranian deal to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz is inevitably being compared with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreed with Tehran by then US President Barrack Obama. So how do they stand apart?

The Iran framework agreement gave an immediate boost to markets, with shares rising and oil prices dipping. But whether this translates into durable economic gains will largely depend on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Aleksandr Lukashenko is walking a fine line aimed at making sure that Belarus does not get dragged into Russia’s war in Ukraine following an ultimatum by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that hinted at Ukrainian military or covert action.

Amid an ongoing row between Washington and Tehran over whether international monitors can verify Iranian compliance with its nuclear nonproliferation commitments, former officials have told RFE/RL that the scale, scope, and degree of access are crucial to the success of inspections.

They look like innocent TV transmitters or cellphone towers but are secretly guiding Russian attack drones to targets in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian authorities. This is the alleged network of signal relay stations in Belarus that has become a focal point of tension between Kyiv and Minsk.

The man nominated to be Ukraine’s new defense minister is steeped in experience with special forces, drone technology, and the new ways of warfare. But Yevhen Khmara has stepped into a role where he’ll need political skills to manage potentially tense relations with the Ukrainian military.