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Iranian Arash-2 drones hit an airport and landed near a school in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on March 5, marking a significant tension in Baku-Tehran relations. The drone attack came on the heels of an expanding theater of war between Iran and the U.S.-Israel forces, as Tehran has increasingly targeted civilian and energy infrastructure across the…
The Strait of Hormuz returned to the center of global strategic risk calculations following the launch of the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise on February 16, 2026. During the drill, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy publicly stated that Iranian forces could close the waterway “upon orders from the…
Executive Summary: Rumors have circulated throughout January that the strongman leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, is suffering from kidney failure, sparking speculation about his successor and the durability of personalized regional governance in Russia amid leadership transition. Kadyrov has attempted to institutionalize a quasi-hereditary system by promoting family members into senior political and security roles….
20.01.2026 (Caucasian Journal) Today, the Caucasian Journal welcomes Dr. Rusif HUSEYNOV, a distinguished Azerbaijani political analyst and the co-founder and CEO of the Baku-based think tank, the Topchubashov Center. He has first-hand knowledge of key developments not only in Baku but across all regional directions. A widely cited expert, Dr. Huseynov offers an essential regional perspective on the evolving dialogue around…
On 14 January 2025, Topchubashov Center Director Rusif Huseynov met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Sekerinska during her visit to Azerbaijan, which also included a meeting with Azerbaijani experts. The meeting was attended by Alexander Vinnikov, Head of the NATO Liaison Office in Tbilisi, and focused on regional developments in the South Caucasus, including…
On January 3, the U.S. launched a lightning-speed operation in Venezuela, which lasted for about two and a half hours and ended with the capture of the country’s president Nicolas Maduro together with his wife. The couple was brought to New York where they are indicted with drug smuggling and will face a trial soon….
On 9 October 2025, US Department of the Treasury (OFAC) has imposed secondary sanctions which target Russian oil and gas sectors and extend their pressure on NIS (Naftna Industrija Srbije), the main Serbian energy company, because of the majority share owned by the Russian Gazprom Neft (44.85 per cent) and JSC Intelligence (11.3 per cent)….
On 19 January 2025, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Marianne de Jong, together with Senior Policy Officer Shahla Balakishiyeva, paid a visit to the Topchubashov Center and were hosted by the Center`s Director Rusif Huseynov and Deputy Director Murad Muradov. The parties exchanged views on regional developments,…
The South Caucasus is entering a phase of geopolitical recalibration that is both overdue and transformative. For more than three decades, the region was locked in a structural paralysis shaped primarily by the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The Karabakh conflict created a logic of fragmentation that dictated political behavior: Armenia’s reliance on Russia hardened, Azerbaijan’s access to…
On 13 January 2025, Topchubashov Center Director Rusif Huseynov participated in the meeting of the Peace Bridge Initiative, a direct communication platform bringing together representatives of Azerbaijani and Armenian civil society. The meeting was attended by members of the initiative and representatives of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who discussed the activities of the Peace Bridge…
