Everywhere Insiders 48: How Iran, Russia, Taiwan, and Organized Crime Fit into Global Security

# What this interview covers

# Russia and Iran: a strategic tilt

Tsukerman emphasizes that recent interactions between Russia and Iran go beyond rhetoric. Moscow has provided intelligence and technical support relevant to U.S. military targets and other Middle East sites, according to reporting discussed in the interview. That cooperation suggests Russia is willing to prioritize a military-security relationship with Tehran even where it could undermine economic and financial ties with Gulf states.

# Iran's pressure campaign and regional risks

Iran's missile and drone attacks have targeted civilian and energy infrastructure in Gulf states, affecting water and energy systems. Those actions occur against a backdrop of sanctions and internal economic strain in Iran. Tsukerman describes Tehran's posture as part of a broader pressure campaign that leverages asymmetric tactics to influence regional alignments and push back against normalization tracks like the Abraham Accords.

# Accords and shifting partnerships

Normalization between Israel and some Gulf states expanded security and intelligence ties. Tsukerman notes that disrupting those ties would advance Iranian strategic interests and could indirectly benefit Russia as it seeks to recover influence lost elsewhere, such as in Syria. She suggests Gulf states, particularly the UAE, should reassess the balance of economic ties with Russia against the security implications of Moscow's actions.

# Taiwan and Latin America: diplomatic space

The interview identifies Taiwan's opportunities to deepen relations in Latin America. While the conversation does not enumerate specific initiatives, the broader point is that Taiwan can pursue diplomatic openings beyond immediate theater tensions in East Asia.

# Organized crime as hemispheric security issue

Tsukerman treats organized crime as a continental security problem for the Americas. Cross-border criminal networks affect governance, rule of law, and public safety across multiple states, requiring cooperative, regional responses rather than purely domestic fixes.

# Ceasefires and structural constraints

On Russia–Ukraine and other conflict pauses, Tsukerman expresses skepticism about the durability of ceasefires absent resolution of deeper institutional, ideological, and strategic drivers. Short-term developments often sit atop unresolved structural challenges that determine whether pauses hold or collapse.

# China governance issues and broader patterns

The interview touches on governance failures within China as another element of global strategic instability. Tsukerman links immediate crises across regions to longer-term institutional and ideological structures that shape state behavior and international alignments.

# About the guest

Irina Tsukerman is a New York and Connecticut-based human rights and national security attorney. She runs a boutique national security law practice, leads Scarab Rising, Inc., and serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Outsider. Her professional affiliations include roles in American Bar Association sections and committees focused on energy, foreign law, and Middle East and North Africa affairs.