Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company has lodged an appeal against international sanctions imposed on five of its vessels over allegations they transported Russian crude oil.
The head of the United Arab Emirates‑backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) of Yemen, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, has fled to an unknown location on Wednesday (7 January), skipping a scheduled flight to Riyadh for crisis talks, according to Saudi‑backed coalition officials.
Iran has executed a man accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, the country’s judiciary reported on Wednesday, 7 January, amid an intensifying campaign against alleged foreign agents.
International law remains codified through treaties, charters, and resolutions, but enforcement depends largely on political will. When major powers choose not to comply, there is no global authority capable of compelling implementation.
President Ilham Aliyev has said Azerbaijan is not considering participation in any combat or peace enforcement mission in the Gaza Strip, stressing that any discussion of involvement depends on a clearly defined international mandate, the nature of the mission, and the consent of all parties.
Iran has denounced the U.S. detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, describing the operation as an ‘abduction’ and calling for his immediate release.
The speaker of Georgia’s parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has questioned the European Union’s ability to act as a global geopolitical power, saying it no longer functions as a guarantor of international order.
In late December 2025, protests erupted across Iran after the rial collapsed and inflation soared. Unrest spread from Tehran’s Grand Bazaar as citizens expressed frustration over rising prices, economic hardship, and long‑standing grievances with government policies.
Israeli air strikes in Gaza and Lebanon have raised fresh concerns about the durability of ceasefire agreements, after deadly attacks were reported in both territories.
At least 29 people have been killed and more than 1,200 arrested during a fresh wave of unrest in Iran, a U.S.-based rights organisation says.
Around 20 Azerbaijani migrant workers in Russia have been coerced into fighting on the front line in Ukraine, according to reports cited by Azerbaijani media.
President Ilham Aliyev said 2025 has politically closed the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, as a Trump-era reset in U.S. ties, new transport corridors and a push into AI, renewables and defence production reshape Azerbaijan’s priorities.
At the end of last year, U.S. President Donald Trump was reported to have raised the Azerbaijan–Armenia peace agenda during a conversation with Israel’s prime minister, warning that if peace were not achieved, Washington could raise tariffs on both countries by 100 percent.
President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijan’s Orthodox Christian community on the occasion of Christmas.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stressed the need to expand comprehensive relations between Tehran and Baku, describing his visit to Azerbaijan last December as “constructive”.
Iran does not trust Israel and remains fully prepared to defend its national sovereignty against any potential threats, the country’s foreign ministry spokesperson has said.
Israel’s minister for diaspora affairs, Amichai Chikli, has called on Israel to “cut ties” with Türkiye, describing the country as an “enemy state”.
Iran’s leadership is facing its most acute challenge in years as violent unrest driven by economic hardship coincides with renewed military warnings from the United States and Israel.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has moved to advance reforms of the Armenian Apostolic Church, signing a controversial roadmap with ten senior bishops that could pave the way for the departure of the current church leader.
