Georgia Explores Closer Ties with Iran as Western Alliances Fray

There was an unannounced guest at Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s state funeral in late May. Alongside dignitaries from neighboring states – including Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia and Prime Minister Ali Asadov of Azerbaijan – Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, accompanied by the country’s foreign minister, was in attendance in Tehran.  There was no advanced notice of the visit. Georgians learned about it from news reports and government channels the day of the funeral, which described, with little additional…