On July 16, 2025, the American news organization CNN published an article titled: “As democracy in Georgia collapses, Russia, China and Iran see an opening.”
According to the article, under the increasingly authoritarian rule of the Georgian Dream party, „Georgia is quickly slipping under the influence of Russia, China and Iran“.
In its analysis of Chinese and Iranian influence, CNN cites reports prepared by Civic IDEA as one of its primary sources.
Below is an excerpt from the article:
„An investigation by a Georgia-based NGO, Civic IDEA, reports that, “as diplomatic ties between the Georgian Dream government and Iran have grown closer, several Georgian-registered companies have emerged with direct links to Iran’s Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces Logistics Agency.”
The investigation concludes that “Iranian businessmen are using Georgia as a strategic transit point to evade international sanctions and channel funds back to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
