Putin to Tehran

Vladimir Putin will visit Tehran next week for meetings with the leaders of Iran and Turkey, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, an opportunity for the Russian leader to shore up military and economic backing to counter the West’s military assistance to Ukraine and its sanctions against Russia, as the NYT reports.

Key Islamic State figure killed in Syria drone strike

A top leader of the Islamic State terrorist organization was killed in a U.S. drone strike Tuesday in northwest Syria, the White House and U.S. military announced, an operation officials said would undercut the group’s ability to plan and carry out attacks globally, as the Washington Post reports.

U.N. Approves Shortened Six-Month Extension of Syria Aid

Under the threat of a Russian veto, the U.S. and its allies on the United Nations Security Council yielded to Moscow’s demand that cross-border aid to rebel-held areas in northern Syria be continued for six months rather than the 12 months the West had been seeking, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

The CSIS Accelerator Series is a comprehensive training program for rising professionals who wish to develop their leadership, management, communication, and other professional skills to help advance their career.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Data Unpacked,” Testify,” “What's Happening,” “Preview,” and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

150

Swiss banks manage an estimated $150 billion for Russian clients, according to the country’s banking association. U.S. senators have privately petitioned Swiss officials to do more to locate Russian money and property.

Source: WSJ

Critical Quote

“Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred U.A.V.s, including weapons-capable U.A.V.s on an expedited timeline.”

— Jake Sullivan, National Security Adviser

iDeas Lab

New satellite imagery analyzed by CSIS shows flooding which could impact the construction and dismantling activities observed at the Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center in North Korea.

Optics

(Photo credit: Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images.) A woman reacts during the funeral for former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe at Zojoji temple on July 12, 2022 in Tokyo, Japan.

This Town Tomorrow

At 10:30 a.m., the CSIS Scholl Chair in International Business hosts a discussion featuring European Commission Director General for Trade Sabine Weyand on transatlantic trade cooperation, support to Ukraine, and sanctions against Russia.

Later, at 1:30 p.m., the CSIS Arleigh Burke Chair in Strategy hosts a discussion on U.S. efforts to assist Ukraine in defending its sovereignty and how the United States can continue to assist the Ukrainian people.

And, at 3:00 p.m., the CSIS International Security Program and the U.S. Naval Institute co-host a conversation on particular challenges facing the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, from national level maritime policy to naval concept development and program design.

Video

Yesterday, the CSIS Australia Chair welcomed Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles for a discussion on the evolving security landscape in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S.-Australia alliance, and the new Australian government’s approach to defense and national security. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Gregory Gause, professor of international affairs at Texas A&M University and a longstanding expert on Saudi Arabia. They talk about President Biden's upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Some think that the latest version of the Grateful Dead, “Dead & Company” perform at a tempo that is, well, kinda slow. Some even call the band “Dead & Slow.” I call them spectacular. Why are they playing at this tempo? Because Bobby Weir wants the audience to absorb every note, every lyric in its entirety—especially because Weir wants the new generation of Dead fans to catch on. How joyful it is to see.

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Paige Montfort, Claire Dannenbaum, and Claire Smrt.