Day: March 10, 2026

Changes to the Constitution of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic have been approved, AzerNEWS reports.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defence has announced the deployment of a Patriot missile system in Malatya, aimed at enhancing airspace protection, AzerNEWS reports.

As March begins, Azerbaijan enters a time of eager anticipation, awaiting the arrival of spring, the rebirth of nature, and the beloved celebration of Novruz feast, AzerNEWS reports.

John Walters, president of the Washington-based conservative think tank the Hudson Institute, has expressed “serious concern” after Georgia’s State Security Service (SSG) launched an investigation linked to a report published by the institute on the growing influence of Iran in Georgia.

Georgia security services question politicians, experts over Iran influence claims

Statements concerned a sanctioned Iran-linked university and risks to the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline and the US embassy

In a statement published on the social network X, Walters says the report relies on publicly available and verified information. He adds that the institute prepared the study fully in line with its standards.

He also argues that the report “should serve as a wake-up call,” given that many view Iran as a source of destabilisation in the region.

“Instead of investigating the authors of this report, the Georgian authorities should focus on its conclusions. They are based on publicly available information that the government should already have recognised,” Walters writes.

Opinion: ‘Georgia must define its position on Iran’

Political analyst Paata Zakareishvili: “It cannot be ruled out that Israel and the US may send troops into Iran.”

Background

The report titled “Georgia’s Turn Toward Iran: The Rapid Expansion of Tehran’s Influence in a Once Influential US Ally” was published on 3 March. Senior Hudson Institute fellow Luke Coffey and Giorgi Kandelaki, project manager at the Georgian Laboratory for Research of the Soviet Past (SovLab), wrote the study.

The authors argue that Iran’s political, religious, economic and cultural influence in Georgia has “sharply increased” in recent years. In some areas, they say, it has already taken on a “systemic” character.

The authors say this process forms part of a broader geopolitical realignment. They add that it also includes a rapprochement with Moscow.

According to their assessment, the trend also affects Georgia’s domestic political environment. It weakens democratic institutions, increases legal pressure on pro-Western media and NGOs, and undermines Georgia’s traditional partnership with the West.

Opinion: US will remember Georgian government’s stance on events in Iran

Analyst Gia Khukhashvili: “They want to build ties with the US, yet at the same time they support the Iranian regime.”

A few days after the report appeared, on 7 March, Georgia’s State Security Service summoned several politicians and experts for questioning. They included opposition politician Gubaz Sanikidze, former defence minister Tina Khidasheli, report co-author Giorgi Kandelaki and former MP Givi Targamadze, among others.

Investigators appear to link the questioning both to the Hudson Institute report and to statements these individuals made in the media. Authorities disclosed the investigation later, and officials have not clarified its details at this stage.

Hudson Institute on Georgia security probe

Rising energy prices triggered by escalating tensions around Iran could generate additional export and fiscal revenues for Azerbaijan, according to an assessment by Fitch Ratings. The agency emphasized that Azerbaijan has one of the highest shares of fossil fuel exports in GDP among selected developing economies. In particular, net fossil fuel exports account for…

Bahraini authorities have detained an Indian telecommunications engineer on suspicion of passing sensitive information to Israel’s external intelligence service, Mossad, AzerNEWS reports.